Posts Tagged ‘meredith’

The Deep Sleep is Looming

Published by Mrs. Flower on November 14th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping, Natives, Trees

The processes of plant dormancy begin with triggers that indicate the growing season is nearing end and that winter is approaching. Obvious signs would be the shortening of daylight hours, reduced water, reduced food resources and cooler temperatures. Plants are capable of being fooled out of the process of senescence. Many gardeners have seen perennials, shrubs and trees suddenly show what appears to be spring growth. This often happens if plants that are supposed to be getting ready for dormancy are given fertilizer late in the season, or if there is unusual extended warmth and rain. This is why it is best not to fertilize late in the season, or during autumn planting and transplanting.

It is possible to make a plant that is seasonal stay awake for up to two seasons. Using a Japanese maple as an example; one could bring it indoors and keep it “awake” for a two-season period. But most likely, soon enough, it will die because this type of extreme treatment will exhaust the plants’ stores. This is why it is not a great idea to try to grow anything other than tropical as houseplants.

When the season end “triggers” mount up, signaling end game, processes like pulling the last remaining nutrients from the leaves and transporting them down into crowns and or, roots for winter storage are happening. Plant cells start to reduce the amount of water contained within the cell walls. This small amount of remaining liquid is sugar-laden and acts as a sort of plant antifreeze. This sugary liquid will not expand with freezing temps and explode the plant cells, which causes cell death.

Some plants actually have a capability of having a dormancy set point. These plants require a specific number of hours of dormancy before they awaken for the season. This works well for those times when spring comes suddenly and for a short spell. Gardeners worry when they see spring growth way before the last frosts have finished, and this seems to be happening more these days. But have faith that plants do know when winter is gone. And even if there is an extremely early flush of green life that gets nipped, most of the stored energy is still in the wood and roots and all will be well. Green has always prevailed and it always will.

 

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Our Fall 2011 Newsletter – Hot Off the Press!

Published by Mrs. Chippers on October 19th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Land Enhancement, Landscaping, Plant Health Care, Pruning, Storm Damage Assistance, Trees, Turf

GreenWords Newsletter Fall 2011

In this issue: Restore Your Flood Damaged-Landscape & Great Reasons to Schedule Winter Work Now!

 

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Book Winter Work Now for Savings & to Aid Flood Relief Efforts!

Published by Mrs. Chippers on September 28th, 2011 - in Arborist, Land Enhancement, Pruning, Storm Damage Assistance, Trees

OK so we’re definitely not ready yet – the leaves have just barely begun to turn in our service areas – but we know it’s coming…. Winter. Love it or not, want it or not, it’s coming, and we all know it.

This year we are trying to plan our winter work schedule way ahead, and we want to encourage you to do the same by offering you an incentive. Schedule your snow season job before December 1, 2011 for 10% discount on work performed January 1 to March 31, 2012, and we will also donate $50 per Crew Day to the Irene flood relief efforts via either the VT or NH Foodbank, based on where you live.

Accounts that are prepaid for winter work by December 1, 2011 will have a 15% total discount applied.

A Crew Day will be determined on a per project basis by your representative, based on crew needs to perform the desired work. This price reduction does not apply to snow removal services. 

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How to Restore Your Lawn In Irene’s Aftermath

Published by Mr. Grass on September 23rd, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping, Storm Damage Assistance, Turf

For those with a home lawn in a flood plain or next to a waterway, removal of as much sediment and silt becomes job one.  Many will opt for a professional with equipment capable of moving large volumes of river sediment.  This is especially important to the homeowner as there is a high likelihood that the silt and sediment, being of the finest particle size, will trap and contain petroleum products, organic waste, or other undesirable materials.  Leaving the removal of such sediment to a professional can provide a measure of comfort to the home owner versus attempting such a daunting task themselves given the inherent risks.  After this “river frosting” is removed, the next phase is lawn restoration either this fall or next spring.

Freshly Reseeded Lawn and Hay Spreading

 

Damaged lawns will fall into two main categories ranging from a complete reinstallation with truck loads of loam down to basic turf treatments like core aeration, calcium lime, and fertilizer.  The more extensive the flooding and sediment layer, the more likely loam will need to be brought in, spread out with a tractor, seeded, and then rolled.  Any seeding this fall will pay dividends with quicker grass thickening versus having to wait for the soil to warm up and dry out next spring.

In many cases, a complete lawn renovation may well be the best choice compared to trying to patch up or fix thinned out or dead sections of lawn.  Attempting to match any existing grasses can leave a calico appearance to a lawn while starting over allows more desirable blends to be utilized yielding a more consistent turf cover. Before proceeding with a complete restoration it may also be the opportune time to decide how much lawn you really want in your planted landscape – do you love it and like the maintenance chores or do you really dream of creating other outdoor living spaces with patios, walkways, and gardens with native flowers, shrubs and trees? Only you can answer this question that Irene has raised….

The second type of lawn repair would be a partial renovation where perhaps the back or front was buried in silt yet or another area simply became either submerged in water or soaked by heavy rain.  Given the massive amount of rainfall during hurricane Irene, many soils, particularly sandy ones, will have lost significant nutrient value and will require supplemental treatment of Nitrogen and Potassium.  In this scenario, a normal lawn would do well to receive a balanced, low to zero phosphate, slow release fertilizer treatment to aid in improving turf health this autumn.

Any energy stored in October and November will be used to repair and establish a healthy root system prior to winter resulting in a better spring green up (see ‘winterizer’ blog post at mrgrassblog.net).  A high calcium lime treatment will aid in softening the soil itself while adjusting soil pH into a desirable range for the new and existing turf.  Core aeration is an excellent tool to reduce compacted soil, perhaps even those with some remaining sediment as a coating on the surface of the lawn.  These situations can be further improved by overseeding once the lawn is aerated with a superior blend of turf grass.

Most lawns can be seeded into late October and still have some germination prior to winter in a normal growing season.  Although you will not see a whole lot going on, taking the shot now is still normally worth the gamble of an early snow.  I have seen great lawns emerge in the spring from a late seeding and in the case of this catastrophe, I think the ‘doing’ outweighs the ‘waiting’ in most cases.

Although lawns may rate low on the scale of post-Irene reconstruction compared to bridges, roads, or house repairs, ultimately the job will arise and when it does, doing it right makes more sense than to not.

 

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Look for Invasive Insects In Your Swimming Pool

Published by Mr. Tree on June 28th, 2011 - in Arborist, Firewood, Green Care Industry Issues, Plant Health Care, Trees

The following article is courtesy of the NH Cooperative Extension.

Dear Friends of Trees and Enemies of Asian Longhorned Beetles,

 

The Asian longhorned beetle (ALB) is a serious threat to our forests and trees. As far as we know it isn’t in New Hampshire, yet. We need many people looking for it so we can take steps to limit its spread, if it arrives. ALB was found in trees in Worcester MA in 2008, but experts estimate it was in the trees for about 10 years before they identified the problem. Some Worcester homeowners subsequently reported they collected ALB in their swimming pools for years prior to the 2008 identification.

 

Because there isn’t a reliable trap for ALB and using the Worcester-experience, we are looking for ALB in swimming pools. Last summer, we tested this approach with 34 public pools. Thankfully, we didn’t find ALB, but we found many longhorned-type beetles, so we know this survey method works. If ALB is New Hampshire, we think we will find them in swimming pools.

 

Help us by looking at the debris from your swimming pools. In addition to a swimming pool, you need:

 

• A digital camera

• An email address that you actively use

• Enough computer skills to follow instructions to upload pictures to this website: http://extension.unh.edu/FWT/ALBpool.htm

 

 

Here is an overview of the project:

 

Step 1: Sign up to participate NOW by sending us your name, physical street address and town, and email address to: foresthealth@dred.state.nh.us .

 

Step 2: From July 11-August 26. At least once a week¬or whenever you clean your pool¬look at the debris you collect in your filter and skimmers. Look for longhorned beetles.

 

Step 3: Use a fact sheet (posted at http://extension.unh.edu/FWT/ALBpool.htm) to compare collected insects to common insects.

 

Step 4: Take a picture of any insect you think is a longhorned beetle. We need a good view of the insect’s back.

 

Step 5: Once a week send a picture of the insect that most looks like a longhorned beetle. We need to hear from you every week.

 

Step 6: Send the picture through this website http://extension.unh.edu/FWT/ALBpool.htm

 

Step 7: If you send us a picture, freeze the insect in a tupperware-like container until you hear from us (about a week). We will either tell you to throw the insect out or give you instructions about mailing it, delivering it or arranging for pick-up.

 

Then What?

We will post interesting pictures and sightings to the web and send you a weekly email reminder and report.

 

Questions about the project?

foresthealth@dred.state.nh.us or call Kyle Lombard at the Forest Health Office 464-3016

 

Questions about the project and the website?

karen.bennett@unh.edu or call Karen Bennett at UNH Cooperative Extension at 862-4861

 

Thank you for your interest and your help.

 

 

Kyle Lombard Karen Bennett

Forest Health Program UNH Cooperative Extension

Karen P. Bennett, Extension Forestry Professor & Specialist

UNH Cooperative Extension

212 Nesmith Hall, 131 Main St.

Durham, NH 03824

(603)862-4861, (603)312-6695 cell, (603)862-0107 fax

karen.bennett@unh.edu

www.nhwoods.org

 

 

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Hummingbirds Are Back In Town….

Published by Mrs. Flower on May 17th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping, Natives, Trees

I’m a complete nut for ruby throated hummingbirds. They are fleeting tiny jewels that bring utter delight to the viewer. I could spend hours watching them. Surely, it would be a cliché to say that they are my favorite bird. That aside, I know I am in good company to say that I anxiously awaited their arrival this spring. The return of the hummingbirds means rebirth and utter joy to me. They make me happy. Even though they only live 3 or 4 years, my hummingbirds are the same genetic family that I have known since I have lived in my house. Studies have shown that these tiny birds return to the place from where they hatched. We have a “heart thing” going on (fact: a hummingbird heart beat 21 times per second). Last year, a mother hummingbird lined all of her chicks out on a line right over my head for me to admire. I leaned back in my chair and just watched them – agog with wonder. They were the size of my baby finger, and they pushed and pecked at each other, as children will.

Ruby throated hummingbirds spend their winters in southern Mexico and northern Panama. Most make the arduous journey across the Gulf of Mexico to make it back to their summer feeding ranges. This over water trip is 500 miles long, and can take 18-22 hours. Sometimes they travel with other larger birds, but do not, as lore tells, travel in the armpits of geese. Hummingbirds have too much dignity for such travel accommodation, and I suspect their accumulated frequent travel miles suffice.

This mild season that we have had has brought hummingbirds sooner than usual this year. They arrived a full week earlier than last year. And when they got here, I was ready! My favorite hummingbird migration site on the internet is www.hummingbirds.net. I saw that someone sighted them on April 4th in the Boston area. My old records show them arriving the first week of May, or thereabouts. But as years have gone by, they have been arriving earlier and earlier. The males arrive a couple of weeks ahead of the females and will search for a summer residence. Most people don’t know that hummingbirds eat soft-bodied bugs like flies and mosquitoes, as well as sap from certain trees, and flower nectar. Since there are not many nectariferous flowers or bugs available, this early in the season, feeders will help them establish their territory.

Hummingbirds are protein eating machines and the nectar is the fuel they use to power their enterprise. They do like a little rest as they sip, so I like to use the feeders that have perches. I also prefer the feeders that are easy to clean. The ones I use look like flying saucers. They have shallow, easy to clean bowls, with a wide flat screw-on red top, complete with perches and holes. Red coloring on the feeder itself will help to attract them initially. Later in the season, the nectar can get moldy, due to the bacteria that is introduced from the bird’s beaks. The bothersome skinny necked bottle feeders make clean-up a difficult chore.

Hummingbirds do not need the red colored hummingbird powder bought from stores, which is mixed with water and poured into the feeders. A 1 to 4 mixture of table sugar (cane or beet sugar) to water is perfect. I usually mix 1/2 cup sugar to 2 cups of water to fill a couple of feeders at a time. The hummingbird does not need red food dye to attract it to feeders. Some people think that feeding with sugar water is ‘unnatural’ but the 21% sucrose content is consistent with natural flower nectar.

My gardens are filled with plants that attract nectar feeders (I love butterflies also).

Plants to Attract and Feed Hummingbirds

Trees and Shrubs

• Azalea

• Butterfly Bush (Buddleia)

• Flowering Quince

• Lantana

• Red Buckeye

• Weigela

Vines

• Morning Glory

• Scarlet Runner Bean

• Trumpet Creeper

Perennials

• Agastache

• Bee Balm

• Cardinal Flower

• Columbine

• Coral Bells

• Foxglove

• Hosta

• Hummingbird Mint

• Lupine

• Penstemon

• Yucca

Annuals

• Fuchsia

• Impatiens

• Petunia

• Various Salvia species

Last year I rescued a few from barns and sheds. They thanked me, as I was weeding in the flower beds, by hovering within a foot of my face, welcoming me to the garden. I have rescued perhaps 12 hummingbirds in my life. The first one was trapped in an interior window of a shed. It was frantic. I got real close and held my hand near it as it fluttered up and down the window pane…patience…patience. It got exhausted very quickly, and when it came to rest, I quickly – but ever so gently, pinned its wings at its shoulders between my thumb and index finger. As I held this tiny bird I could see the little wrinkled folds of its eyelids, and every iridescent pin sized feather shone in the light…amazing. Ever since then, I have considered myself somewhat of a specialist in hummingbird rescue. I have imagined having a business doing nothing but answering the call of hummingbird rescue. This would the sweetest of jobs in my estimation.

I am very exacting, as it would be easy to injure their wings if they try to take flight. Their wings can flutter up to 50 odd beats per second in flight. I suppose I should be reported, for this is an offense, as it is against the law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918.) I think this law was made to keep people from collecting birds to stick on their hats, or for whatever other purposes people touch birds. But if the bird police show up, and I must do the time for this extreme action, then I will gladly suffer the prison food. I cannot, under any circumstances, just stand back and watch them expire if I can be of help. The pleasure that I derive from hummingbirds is certainly one of my greatest joys in life, and administering to their needs is a chief ambition.

 

 

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What the Heuchera?!

Published by Mrs. Flower on April 27th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping

The genus Heuchera, or Coral Bells (AKA  American Alumroot) is a major contender for dream plant, in my opinion. Twenty years ago I was inspired by the Perennial Plant Association’s “Plant of the Year” Heuchera micrantha ‘Palace Purple.’ I had green coral bells in my gardens and enjoyed their panicles of clean little cerise bells. But ‘Palace Purple’ leaves were, well, purple! There was at that time, nothing like it. It became all the rage.  I went wild using it with silver leaved companion plants and soft pink flowering perennials.

Coral bells were never the main act in gardens in those years. Soon I got bored with them. Even worse, I grew aggravated because the Heuchera would heave out of the ground over the winter, looking like big silly elephants standing on balls.  Little did I know that they had fine shallow, fibrous roots. It never occurred to me to lift and bury them deeper – Ah, youth!  Hence, heuchera fell out of favor with me.

Six years ago, I was entrenched in my long quest to know more about native plant species. I was surprised to learn that Heuchera villosa, and H. americana were natives and that ‘Amethyst Myst,’ a new purple leaved cultivar, had exceptional attributes compared to ‘Palace Purple.’ I fell in love all over again. The villosa species was being used extensively as an intercross breeder for new varieties of heuchera, which made for larger leaves and colors. ‘Dale’s Strain’ was an americana species with better heat tolerance and fabulous veining.  Both species can be grown from seed easily, but hybridization using their gene pool has opened a cornucopia of new cultivars that has the gardening world agog.

Native heucheras span habitats from alpine mountainous regions to low-land forests, and all share common traits: gorgeous leaves, long bloom times, excellent hardiness, rotund mounded form, salt tolerance, longevity, non-invasive, plays well with others, competes well with tree roots  and have persistent leaves during the winter. They are virtually indestructible – I know this because I still have my Palace Purple from twenty years ago, even though at times, I wished them dead.

With the use of these two species, numerous leaf colors have evolved. One could garden exclusively with heuchera, and I dare say no color would be missed. A garden of heuchera would be an easy care display. I have yet to meet a coral bell not hardy to at least -30 degrees F. They like to be in moderately dry soil, usually in full sun. The lime or chartreuse varieties do better in part sun – but this would be the case for most spring green colored leaf plants. Heuchera leaves can range in color from the darkest almost black, ‘Obsidian,’ lime colored varieties, ‘Citronelle’ and ‘Key Lime Pie,’ orange toned, ‘Caramel’ and ‘Southern Comfort,’ purple shades like ‘Frosted Violet,’  bi-colored like the amber leaf edged in chartreuse, ‘Tiramisu.’  Certain cultivars change color in the cool of fall. ‘Green Spice’ is a lovely green with purple veins and it turns pumpkin orange in the fall. All are to-die-for cultivars.

H. villosa ‘Autumn Bride’ has enjoyed my high favor for a while. It has giant green leaves and blooms in late summer with big white foxtails, it is utterly spectacular.  But, two years ago, as I innocently perused the isles of a nursery, I was gobsmacked by a new heuchera called ‘Georgia Peach.’ I went slack-jawed – and my bubble gum landed in the gravel path at my feet. This peachy colored leaf is veined in a darker red. It is BIG and beautiful and I have managed to obtain several. Now I must change the color vignette of my entire perennial border to accommodate this new pet of mine.  I envision it with purple, blue, gold and white companions. It is not that I am fickle, but that I do know love when I see it.

 

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Who’s Been Eating My Grass?

Published by Mr. Grass on April 20th, 2011 - in Landscaping, Turf

As the snow melts (eventually), you may find surface tunnels on your lawn. This can be a disturbing image and is most unpleasant. Voles, also known as field mice, will tunnel under the snow, eating the grass and shallow roots of your lawn. The result of this frozen dinner feast is a maze of tunnels created where the mice traveled. The extent of the damage can be minor such as leaves and thatch being eaten all the way to roots and shoots, a more severe result of mouse lawn damage.

Your best bet is to let the area recover in April and do some seeding in May once the soil warms up enough. Depending upon the extent and depth of the damage, you may not have to do anything, or as in this picture above, the soil is exposed, likely requiring some modest efforts to restore the grass to its original condition.

 

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Finally, the Growing Degree Days Begin…

Published by Mr. Tree on April 13th, 2011 - in Arborist, Garden, Landscaping, Plant Health Care, Trees, Turf

Yesterday, April 12, 2011, we finally had degree days! 6.6 per our Chippers weather station, and it was probably over 10 at lower elevations.

Growing degree days are used to predict the hatch/vulnerability of insects – in our case on woody plants. They are calculated by taking the high and low (in Fahrenheit) of each day, taking their average, and deducting 50. Negative numbers are thrown out, as happens all winter.

Insects that make an early appearance are White pine weevil (mostly a problem for spruce) and pear thrip (a problem for Sugar maples).

Today, April 13th, we had a GDD of 7.3 today. Some of what you will see up to GDD 50: Red maple, magnolia, some rhododendron, pieris and forsythia will all bloom. White pine weevil may be seen doing its dirty deeds at 60 degrees and above, and we are treating for these this week.

These insects are all vulnerable to dormant oil spray up until gdd 50: Scales, Aphids, Mealybugs, Psyllids, Aphids + Mites.

For more information on this topic, please visit our website, www.chippersinc.com.

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Triple Treat Blueberries

Published by Mrs. Flower on March 15th, 2011 - in Garden, Landscaping

We all know by now that if we eat loads of blueberries, we will live forever, right?

This native American plant is one of many in the genus Vaccinium that also includes the cranberry, huckleberry, bilberry, deerberry and partridgeberry. These berries are highly favored by wildlife and the spring blossoms are very attractive to numerous indigenous nectar seeking butterflies, moths, wasps and bees (and humans). Hence the trio of horticultural benefits from our point of view: they are ornamental, edible and wildlife friendly.

Blueberry is a natural and rich source of antioxidants that include flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin), anthocyanin (which gives the blue pigment to the fruit), beta-carotene, phenolic compounds, and ellagic acid (ellagitannin). Blueberry is also high in antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin E, A and C and is an excellent source of fiber, no matter what life form eats them!

Highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) or the low bush (Vaccinium angustifolium) are the fruits of which we humans are particularly fond. These well-behaved plants make extraordinary edible landscape shrubs that yield phenomenal fall color. The species angustifolium are the typical little Maine blueberry, and they make lovely ground cover or low hedging material. The corymbosum species can grow as tall as five to six feet and more with an equal width, and are the type of berry (for the most part) that we buy at the store.

Considering all of the obvious benefits of blueberries it is a mystery why every home does not have a few, if not several, of these plants tucked in and around the landscape. It is not necessary to have a ‘patch’. These plants are quite forgiving about location as long as they have six hours of sun. Bloom time for the plants spans from early to late spring. In northern zones, mid to late bloomers may insure that the blossoms are not killed by late frost. One should have more than one of each bush by bloom time (early, mid, late) for cross-pollination.

Blueberries prefer an acid soil in the 4.6 – 5.1 pH range. Fortunately, Vermont and New Hampshire have naturally acidic soil. The more organic matter added to the soil, and methods of organic care given, the more forgiving the plants are of any pH discrepancies. Composted coffee grounds, leaf mold, sawdust and cottonseed meal can keep the pH within range nicely. Once established all they need is an annual organic fertilizing treatment and two inches of water per week (especially for plumping up the set fruit). Once the shrubs are well established and growing for a few years, annual pruning is crucial to encourage new growth and a large berry harvest the next year.

One highbush blueberry plant, at maturity, can yield around two gallons of berries in a season. Berries are easy to freeze – no fuss required – just pop them into containers and freeze. Frozen berries have the same nutritional benefits of fresh berries and are incredibly easy to use.

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