FREE Fertilizer

PSU Fact Sheet “Home Compost: a Guide for Home Gardeners” contains information on making compost.
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Over the last 20 years I’ve put compost on the garden almost every year. The garden’s soil is rich and black. I rarely use other fertilizers. You can buy a bin or simply make a pile (heap composting). I used the heap method for many years. Plans for “ConstructingCompost Bins” from PSU Center County Extension.

I simplify the recipe: Three parts brown (leaves) to one part green (garden cuttings. weeds, vegetable scraps). Water if it looks dry, Mix it once in a while to aerate. If I don’t get the ratio exactly right, It’ll turn into compost anyway.

I try to avoid adding weeds that have gone to seed. My pile may not get hot enough to destroy the weed seeds. I also don’t use anything twiggy or woody because it takes too long to break down. Newspaper counts as brown, if I run out of leaves. Coffee grounds count as green. (We drink a lot of coffee.)

You can spend time making compost or spend money on fertilizer. I choose to make compost.

Thinking of Spring

Not much time for garden cleanup this week. As I cleanup I dream of spring.

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I managed to get some compost on the garden from my little compost bin – 3 wheelbarrows of wonderful black organic matter to be exact.

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Leaf raking is in full swing. A pile of leaves, chopped and collected with the mower will help produce next year’s compost.

A few more plants need to be cleaned up.

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The hostas are a mushy mess.

Some lilies need to be cut back.

The garden phlox is waiting to be lopped off.

There is more to do before the snow arrives but I’ve got a good start for spring.
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Garden Cleanup

Since the Halloween snow and a hard frost most of the garden is looking sad. I’ve been working steadily on cleanup. I think I’m doing better this year than usual. I want to make sure I don’t have a lot of cleanup to do in spring when it’s time for mulch.

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Canna tubers (above) have been dug up and stored.
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Autumn Joy blooms have been cut back. I usually leave the seed heads for the birds but the snow smashed them to the ground. Iris and hibiscus have been cut in the background.

Most of the mums are cut.

The annuals are gone.

The pile awaits delivery to the city’s compost site.

More to do before the garden is ready for fall compost but I’ve got a good start.

Halloween Storm

Last Saturday, Mother Nature dumped 6 to 12 inches of heavy, wet snow on the Northeast US. Trees fell everywhere under the weight. Approximately 375,000 homes and businesses lost power. Almost 1,500 were still without power as of Friday morning.
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Entire trees toppled pulling up sidewalks.

Some branches remain dangerously hung up.

Piles of trees and brush are everywhere.

Chain saws hum in the neighborhood. It seems everyone is working on cleanup.

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The Morning Call Master Gardener Blog has some excellent advice in “Snow Storm Damage to Trees”.

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This timely blog deals with if and when to hire an arborist. How to make cuts where branches are broken. It contains links to help assess the damage as well as advice when replacing trees. Good information even if you don't have fallen trees everywhere.

Planting a Tree

I am not a tree expert but even I can tell something is wrong here.

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Several years ago I learned about a tree’s root flare – the slightly wider part of the trunk directly above the roots. The root flare should be visible just above the soil surface. It’s the level that allows the tree to grow best. 
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If a tree is planted too deeply it can encourage girdling roots (roots that go around the tree instead of out or down). Girdling roots will eventually stop the flow of water and nutrients up the tree.

Tree with girdling root (lower right) at top of mulch volcano.

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Currently popular, mulch volcanos (mulch piled in a cone shape around tree) may damage tree bark and are places for insects and disease to enter. Mulch volcanoes cover the root flare.

According to Martha A. Smith, Extension Educator, Horticulture, University of Illinois Extension:

“A mountain of mulch, piled high against a tree trunk will not kill the tree immediately – it results in slow death. Homeowners don't associate their actions with tree decline several years after they over mulched a tree.”

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Mulch volcanoes may also cause the roots to surface in search of oxygen as in the top picture.

Tree with bark damage at base on top of mulch volcano.

Mulch is useful to keep moisture in the soil and keep the weeds down. But mulch needs to be 2 to 4 inches thick kept an inch or two away from the tree bark. Trees are expensive to buy and plant. Why not give them the best chance possible.
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It is a shame to see such beautiful trees may be doomed. With a lot of luck they may last a while. It would be nice if they would last 100 years.

Information on tree planting from Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences “Planting Ornamentals”. 

Monkeyface Plant

Solanum mammosum

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I was introduced to this strange looking plant as Monkeyface plant. It is a tropical plant native to South America. It can be grown as an annual here in zone 6 if started indoors.

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The poisonous fruit is solid and about 2 to 3 inches long. The nasty thorns are at least ¼ long. The stem here is about ½ inch thick. It is grown for its ornamental value. Here it is used in a floral arrangement.

(Arrangement by Mary Jane Risch Associate Master of Ichiyo Ikebana School)

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Solanum mammosum is also known as Nipple Fruit, Titi Fruit, Apple of Sodom, Cow’s Udder.  

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I think I like the Monkeyface name best.

More information from Electronic Flora of South Australia.

Who is eating my Hosta?

Where once there were green and white leaves now there are none.

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No foot prints. No droppings. No evidence. Just ripped off leaves. I suspect the local deer population.

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A deer ran into my car several blocks away from home. A buck was hit by car in downtown Bethlehem and had to be put down.

Be careful out there. The deer are in love and on the move.

A list of deer resistant plants from Cornell University.

Riparian Buffer and Flood Control

(Flood damage from hurricane Irene followed by heavy rain along the Monocacy Creek in Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial area)
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Flooding along the Monocacy Creek made me wonder if a riparian buffer would help abate the effects of heavy rains. The Monacacy Creek runs through the Colonial Industrial Area in downtown Bethlehem. Historic buildings are periodically flooded.

The site was home to Musikfest’s popular Volksplatz stage and food vendors during the August Festival every year. After several years of flooding, I doubt that Volksplatz will be at this site again. The Celtic Classic stopped using the area several years ago.

From what I’ve read about establishing a riparian buffer, it is not as simple as letting the area go wild.

(The 1761 tannery and other historic buildings flood periodically)

The first obstacle in public areas is overcoming the loss of usable lawn. A riparian buffer isn’t the best place to throw a Frisbee or have a game of touch football. There may not be enough acreage on a golf course for a wide expanse of rough. Corporate centers may not like the look of a natural buffer at the edges of their manicured landscape. It may look messy or weedy. Farmers may not want to lose valuable farm acreage.

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Runoff upstream affects the entire stream. It may cause flooding downstream when low lying areas go over capacity. Miles of buffer zones may be necessary to have an effect on flooding.

If you find a suitable area and the stakeholders are willing to give up large grassy location in exchange for a more natural and less accessible area, an organized effort can begin.

A municipal or ecological group would have to do the research and organize public discussion, wade through environmental and zoning red tape, develop a plan and find funding.

Then it is time to prepare the area, select plants and gather a crew to do the work. It takes three years for buffer plantings to be established and more to become truly naturalized. Some experts suggest start small with a no mow area.

Maintenance may be difficult, especially during the first three years. Weed control, elimination of invasive plants, watering new plants, seeding, reseeding and mowing need to be included in a maintenance plan.

(Damage along the Monocacy Creek)

So, as we pave over paradise, we may need to give up some of our old standards and install riparian buffers and rain gardens as well as making a concerted effort to preserve open space.

It’s not easy but it can (and is) being done. Check out the brochure by Bushkill Stream Conservancy, "Establishing Streamside Buffer Areas in Your Park or Community".

(Footbridge across the Monocacy Creek in the park)

PA Environment Digest “Flooding and the Value of Riparian Buffers – Conservation Tools for Landowners” By Brian J. Vadino, Wildlands Conservancy

More benefits from Maryland Cooperative Extension http://www.riparianbuffers.umd.edu/fact/FS774.html

Riparian Buffer

From Biology Online Dictionary

          Definition:

(noun) A strip of vegetation (trees, shrubs, grasses, etc) that grows along the edges of a bank or a waterway. Its major role is to provide shade and protect the nearby ecosystem from the impact of adjacent anthropogenic [caused by humans] land use.

Supplement:

Riparian buffers act as a cushion protecting the more sensitive ecosystem from the impact of anthropogenic land use. For instance, a riparian buffer near a roadway reduces traffic noise, air and water pollution, as well as provides a space for organisms to abound in the area.

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These buffer zones serve as a natural filter. They improve water quality, reduce pollutants, reduce force and power of runoff, reduce erosion. If large enough, riparian buffers can play a role in flood control. They also discourage Canada Geese since the geese are not comfortable with taller vegetation and prefer open grass – a bonus for anyone who has tiptoed through goose droppings at their local park.

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The size of the buffer depends on available land and the purpose of the buffer. At least 200’ of trees, shrubs and grasses is needed for flood control. Bank stabilization can be accomplished with about 50’.

With all these benefits it would seem that we should put riparian buffers along every stream in America. I’ll go into some of the difficulties next time.

A scholarly look at Riparian Buffers from Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, “Understanding the Science Behind RiparianForest Buffers: Effects on Water Quality”.

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Celtic Classic

The tents are up,

The stages are set,

The beer taps are ready,

and the port-o-johns are lined up.

The 24^th Celtic Classic begins tonight in downtown Bethlehem.

Praying Mantis

Praying Mantid

I spotted three Praying Mantises in my garden this year. I’m always glad to see the voracious eaters. They seem to like the coleus.

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They are so good job of catching and eating other insects that some people think they would be more aptly called Preying Mantis. In fact, they are fast enough to catch mosquitoes and flies. Unfortunately, they don’t discriminate and also eat good bugs.
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I’m always confused by the difference between Mantis and Mantid. According to Gary Watkins and Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky Entomology,

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“Although many refer to a member of this group as a ‘praying mantis,' mantis refers to the genus Mantis. Only some praying mantids belong to the genus Mantis. Mantid refers to the entire group.”

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So all Mantises are Mantids but not all Mantids are Mantises. Right?

More information about Praying Mantis from the University of Kentucky.

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - September 2011

Sweet Autumn Clematis with Rudbeckia ‘Autumn Sun’


Few perennials are blooming in my garden this September 15. Mums, asters and anemone have not opened.  The annuals are carrying the day. 

As I looked around the garden for perennials in bloom, I had a thought -Carol’s Bloom Day Blog at May Dreams Garden is the perfect place to find other plants that are blooming now in other gardens and add them to my garden.

I can imagine planning a whole garden by following Bloom Day month by month. Of course, I would have to look for other bloggers in zone 6.  

Wouldn’t it be fun to create a virtual garden this winter from Bloom Day posts?

Here’s what’s blooming in my garden now.

Chrysanthemum ‘Clara Curtis’

Sedum Autumn Joy

Garden Phlox (pink pass-a-long and white ‘David’)

Hardy Hibiscus

Check host Carol’s Bloom Day posts and start your own virtual garden.