The Yellow Farmhouse Garden

July 14, 2010

Keep Weeding

Filed under: Weeds — bob @ 12:23 pm

Here we are, well into July and have progressed this far in the garden with all of our planting,  fertilizing, controlling pests and so on.  It takes a lot of work to keep up a garden and it’s easy to get distracted by other summer time activities… the pool, the lake, golf.

Make sure you are diligent in keeping up with your weeding because weeds grow extremely fast this time of  season and can overtake your garden if you are not careful. This is especially a problem for those who take a week or two vacation during the summer only to return home to find their formally spotless garden full of weeds once again.

These weeds will drastically reduce the onion yeild unless they are removed soon.

Many garden crops cannot compete very well with weeds and need to be kept weed-free throughout the season if you hope to get a crop this fall.  Onions are an example of a crop won’t produce well under weedy conditions.

Mulching your garden will go a long way in helping to keep the weeds down even if you don’t get all of the garden covered.  If you do decide to mulch, remove the existing weeds to keep them from growing and pushing up through your mulch.

Mulching will reduce the amount of weeding that you will need to do.

There are many types of materials that can be used for mulch such as straw, shredded leaves, hay, grass clippings, paper, plastic, old carpeting etc.  The idea is to cover the soil so that no sunlight will reach the surface of the garden.  Since most weed seeds need sunlight to sprout, they won’t grow into a problem for you.

Perennial weeds such as quack grass or morning glory are harder to suppress with mulch but even they can be greatly reduced.

The main idea is  keep up with your weeding, don’t let it get out of hand and it will  stay manageable.

Bob

July 8, 2010

Transplant Poppies Now

Filed under: Flowers,Uncategorized — bob @ 9:27 am

Oriental Poppies, once established reliably bloom year after year, sometimes for decades. They don’t like to be disturbed or moved unlike some other perennials that need to be divided every couple of years or so. Those other perennials can be handled more easily for moving.

There are times when plants need to be relocated for one reason or another, maybe you’re moving to a new home and want to bring your plants with you. If you have ever tried to move poppies in the conventional manner, that is in the spring or fall, you probably have been disappointed in the results.

The secrete to moving Oriental Poppies is to dig them after blooming rather than in the fall or spring as you would most other perennials. Once Poppies have finished blooming they enter into their dormant period which starts at this time of the summer and usually lasts until the middle of August.

Carefully dig the roots and divide them if needed and place them into their new spot about 18 inches apart with the buds about two inches below the soil. Poppies need plenty of sunlight to thrive so be sure their new location gets full sun. Other that that, they are quite happy under ordinary garden conditions.

You have plenty of time to move your Poppies so you don’t have to be in a big hurry to do so. Keep in mind that it may take a year or two before the plants bloom again after moving.

Bob

June 30, 2010

Lichens on Trees

Filed under: Other Organisms,Trees — bob @ 3:21 pm

A few days ago a gardener proclaimed to me that an expert had told her that Lichens are found only on trees that are no longer growing. I don’t know what expert might have told her that but I’m sure she misinterpreted whatever may have been said.

Lichen growing on young crab apple tree.

The study of Lichens is a huge branch of Biology in and of itself. People who take an interest in that field of study often become quite rabid about the subject. I’ve been on expeditions where the Biologist talked as if the world existed for the sake of providing a place for Lichens to grow.

Lichens are actually a combination of two organisms, a fungus and an algae. They work together as one in order to survive in places where they couldn’t otherwise. The algae provides energy through photosynthesis while the fungus provides shelter and a place for the algae to live.

They can be found covering a wide variety of objects in addition to trees including rocks, roofs, bare soil and just about any other exposed surface.

On trees Lichens are harmless. They are actually quite attractive on trees adding an extra visual element to the landscape. Many gardeners will go to extreme lengths to get Lichens established on certain features in their garden. Lichens growing on the roof, on gravestones or other unwanted places is a whole different subject that we won’t cover here.

As for the gardener who thought that Lichens can be found only on non-growing trees, all she has to do is look in her own yard to see that Lichens are quite happy on actively growing trees.

Bob

June 23, 2010

Apple Codling Moth

Filed under: Fruit,Insects — bob @ 12:26 pm

Growing good apples is a little tricky because of all of the pests that feed on them and cause damage to the fruit.

We discussed the Curculio a couple of posts ago, this time we need to talk about another major pest on apples, the Codling Moth.  This is the proverbial “worm in the apple” that you see in those old-timey cartoons. It is not a worm as such but rather is the larva of a moth.

The Codling Moth is not a very attractive moth as seen in this photo taken by MSU Horticulturists.

Normally there are two generations of this pest in our area although in some years we see a third generation as well depending upon that season’s weather.

According to scientists who measure certain weather and other conditions, the Codling Moth larvae are hatching from their eggs right now.  After the larvae hatch, they will begin to burrow into the fruit.  Once they get inside the fruit they cannot be killed because  insecticides cannot reach them.

Codling Moth damage on apple. (MSU photo)

Timing is very critical for controlling Codling Moth effectively since the larvae begin to burrow into the fruit just hours after hatching. Large commercial orchards use sophisticated traps to monitor adult moths. With that information they can determine when egg laying happens  and apply their sprays accordingly.  For the rest of us we have to pretty much rely on our 10 day to two week spray schedule to do the trick.

Michigan State University Extension in Van Buren County has a very detailed web page regarding this pest.

Another generation of Codling Moth can be expected in August.

Bob

June 14, 2010

Wireworms

Filed under: Insects — bob @ 1:55 pm

I decided to expand our vegetable garden this year by converting some of the wild area behind the existing garden into usable garden space.

While tilling and planting I found these subterranean dwelling insects known as “wireworms”.

You can see by the photo how they got their name, they sort of look like a piece of copper wire and have a hard, shiny exterior skin.

Wireworms found in the garden.

They are actually the larval form of the “click beetle”. These are beetles that make a “click” when they flip themselves up onto their  feet if they some how ended up on their back.

There are several species of wireworms out there and are commonly found in newly tilled sod, like my area, or in gardens that have not been weeded very thoroughly.

There  are also species that prefer garden crops, the potato is especially vulnerable to wireworm attack. Damage in potatoes shows up as reduced yield caused by the larvae  chewing on the roots and as holes burrowed into the potato tuber itself.

Years ago there were many insecticides that would eliminate wire worms in the garden, those have all been taken off the market due to environmental concerns.  Your best bet to reduce wire worms in the future  is to keep your garden free of weeds throughout the gardening season. There are also some biological products on the market that show some promising results in keeping wire worms in check.

Keeping wireworms away is another good reason to keep that garden weeded!

Bob

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