This month we are featuring a couple of smaller native trees.
Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is not as well known as some native trees. It grows 15-20 feet tall with a rounded to pyramidal shape. It produces dark purple flowers in spring and edible pawpaws in summer.
Pawpaw prefers full sun to moderate shade and moist, well drained soils. It tolerates alkaline soils.
Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) grows 20-30 feet tall. In spring the tree is covered with small magenta flowers. The form of the tree is often very picturesque. Leaves are heart-shaped.
Redbud does well in partial shade, but can also tolerate full sun as long as water is adequate. It also tolerates alkaline soils. This tree has a relatively short life span (about 20 years or so).
If you would like some information on rain gardening, University of Wisconsin has an excellent handout. You can find it online at http://clean-water.uwex.edu/pubs/pdf/home.rgmanual.pdf
Pests and Problems to Watch for in June and July (call your local Extension office for advice on managing these problems)
Japanese Beetle: These insects are iridescent green in the front, with copper colored wings in the back. They are quite damaging. They will chew leaves, often leaving the veins, so that the leaf has an almost lacy appearance. Japanese beetles are equal opportunity feeders. They feed on about 400 different species of plants. Their young are grubs that will attack lawns.
Iris borer will move into the rhizome underground and will tunnel into it causing damage. Bacterial soft rot often follows and rots the rhizome.
Rust on lawns: If your shoes turn orange when you walk across the lawn, the lawn has a fungal problem called rust. It is not serious, but it can be messy.
Blossom end rot: You waited all season for those tomatoes to ripen and now they are black on the end. This is blossom end rot, due to a calcium deficiency when the water is not adequate. Water regularly and mulch to conserve moisture.
"To-Do" Items for June-July
June
- Irises should be divided in summer when they are finished blooming.
July
- If you have been pinching mums to make the plant fuller, stop doing so by mid- July, so flower buds have time to form.
- Perennials looking a little ragged? Cut them back and water to encourage new fresh growth.
Greener Gardening: Making Better Choices in the Garden (Part 2 of 3)
Proper selection and positioning of plants ties in to water conservation which was discussed in part one. When possible, select plants that are more drought tolerant. These plants will be less demanding in their water requirement and they allow us to be a bit more conservative in our consumption of water. If you want plants that have a higher water requirement, put them in a part of the yard that naturally tends to be moist on a regular basis. The right plant in the right place is always a good idea.
Proper plant selection also helps in another way. Choosing plants that have fewer insect and disease problems allows us to reduce our reliance on pesticides. While pesticides can be useful tools in the garden, over-use or misuse of pesticides can be harmful to the environment and the birds, animals and beneficial insects that rely on that environment. Choosing plants that don't need to be fertilized as often also helps reduce the use of synthetic fertilizers.
While we want to look at reducing the amount of pesticides (insecticides, fungicides, weed killers) and fertilizer that we use, there may be times that they are necessary tools. If you plan to use these products, do so with some careful consideration. If a problem occurs in your yard, consider first the severity of the problem. Many diseases and insects cause relatively little damage. If the plant is not in danger of dying, you may not want to use a pesticide at all. If only one plant or one area in the garden has a problem, treat just that one plant or area, rather than treating the whole garden. Spot treating can help stop pests without risking major contamination of the environment.
There may also be non-chemical methods available to control the problem. These include simple things like insect traps, pruning out infested plant parts, insect barriers, hosing insects off your plants and good garden sanitation. Call your local Extension office and ask the Master Gardeners for some control options. Often, just giving your plants proper care will reduce problems in the first place.
The green gardener should also examine fertilizing practices. Fertilizing is often done on a regular basis, whether the plant needs it or not. Consider using fertilizer more on an "as-needed" basis. Too often, fertilizing is done on the calendar method ("it's spring, so let's fertilize"). Spring is a good time to fertilize, but every plant may not need fertilizer every spring.
Instead of fertilizing the entire flower bed, spot treat the plants that may have higher fertilizer requirements or those that look like they are in need. As gardeners we feel the need to "feed" our plants. Plants actually produce their own food through a process called photosynthesis. The fertilizer we give plants is really more like a supplement than a food, so consider being more reserved in your fertilizing practices.
Frequency should be considered too. It is common for lawns to be fertilized 3 or 4 times a year. A good lawn can be maintained by using a time-release fertilizer once a year in May. Trees often get fertilized every year. While this may be appropriate for young trees, trees that are maturing may really only need fertilizer every 3 to 5 years.
