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                                                     HOW WE HURT OUR TREES

The sunshine of summer is a perfect offering for a less than perfect spring.  use it well to make up for the past imperfections. Now is the time when the trees bloom and remind us of new life.  If, however, your tree is not looking too lively this spring, the problem may not be the tree. It may be you.

The following is a compilation of what we do that actually hurts our trees:

Too Little Space

This problem is really at the root of many tree problem (pun intended!).  You thought the space by the garage would be perfect for that little Maple tree you planted. But now it looks as if the tree could push the garage aside.  The best way to solve this problem is forethought.  Know about the natural growth and growth potential.  Properly planning ahead could save you and you tree a lot of hassle.

Lawn Mower Blight

This refers to the broken bark and wounded trunks caused by a careless mower.  The occasional accidental bump is no problem, but repeated wounds to the tree can cause a problem.   The best way to avoid this is to have a grass free ring around the tree.  Your soil moisture level will also improve because grass won’t be robbing any nutrients from your tree.

Bad Pruning

Pruning should be done to enhance the health, strength, vigor and appearance of the tree as well as to prevent limbs from interfering with houses, driveway, sidewalks and wires.  If your tree has a few branch stubs after pruning, it has been badly pruned!

The most important thing to remember about pruning is:  stubs are bad.  They leave a very short limb with nothing to do except push out a bunch of fuzzy sprouts!  Also, a stub wound cannot close, making decay sure to follow.

When pruning, do not remove the ring collar or ridge at the branch base.  make your cuts nearly flush, but not quite.

Chemicals

Most of us use chemicals to fight weeds around our yards.  This is no problem if the directions are followed exactly.  The very same chemicals which cause the weeds to die can, of course, damage your tree, if used incorrectly.  Never use chemicals without reading (and following) all the instructions.

Bad Soil

When the contractors are building a house, they generally flip the first few layers of soil to aid their project.  This is good for the foundation of our house, but bad for our trees.  What nature had intended to be a top layer of soil is now several feet lower and so the roots of our trees are left searching for the proper nutrients.

You probably don’t want to flip your soil back the way it should be, but you can modify the soil to make it a better growth environment.  Soil amendments such as sand, peat, compost and proper drainage, can help your tree survive.

Bad Watering

This is simple.  The tree may be getting too much water or not enough.  Newly planted trees, and trees in hot, dry, windy weather conditions, need to be watered more frequently.  Consider whether this could be ailing your tree.

Bad Pets

No, I am not referring to dogs naturally “watering” your trees, here.  But if your dog is chained to your tree, the chain could be cutting into the bark.  Also, cats have been known to damage small trees by using them as a scratching post.  Keep your eyes open for this one.

Bad Trees

Okay, maybe the tree isn’t bad, but maybe it just wasn’t meant to grow in your area.  If it is a newly planted tree that is causing you a problem, maybe it was root bound from being in the container too long.  Sometimes, you just can’t fix the problem of a tree.  But at least you tried.

Mulching Mistakes

Spring’s unseasonably cold weather forced many to mulch when they should have waited for warmer weather.  Cold ground temperatures and early mulching of landscape plants are causing poor plant growth now.  The mulch acts as a blanket holding in the cold temperatures, keeping the plants form thriving.

When Mulch

Mulch is usually applied first in spring after the soil has warmed and begun to dry from winter rains and snow.  This is usually mid to late spring.  Mulching too early can delay drying of the soil and subsequent root growth, which is dependent upon sufficient aeration (Oxygen in soil) and reasonably warm temperatures in the root zone.  In a spring season like this year’s mulching should be delayed until May or June.

Mulch Mayhap

If you mulched during the colder early spring, and your plants are not looking their best, it’s not too late to help them.  Simply pull the mulch away from the base of the plant and let the soil underneath warm up and dry.  Once this is achieved, the base may be covered again with mulch.

Over Mulching

Don’t do a bad thing by piling 10-12” mounds of mulch around your tree. I don’t know how this style of mulching came into being, but it is NOT correct.

Don’t get caught up in mulch mania, two or three inches is enough.  Also, pull the mulch one or two inches away from the tree to prevent bark decay.

MAY GARDENING

            April showers bring May flowers and lots of gardening activities.  This is a good time to cultivate your gardening inspiration and dreams.  Visits to local nurseries and public gardens will stimulate lots of viewing ideas and possibilities.  As you plan also think about how you might incorporate some of those landscaping ideas you have seen on television or in your travels.  If you like it - try it!

PLANTING TIME AND TRANSPLANTS

            For those tender vegetable plants such as tomatoes, beans, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers and tender annual flowers, wait until May 15 to 20 to plant.

            When buying transplants, the condition of the plant is often more important than its variety.  A good transplant would be at least as wide as it is tall.  It should have a stocky stem with dark green, thick leaves and, if possible, it should not be flowering.  Choose the best, healthiest plants that are free of disease and insects.  Avoid any neglected plants.  Use caution when buying transplants after a cold, wet spring because they may not have been sold quickly enough.  Avoid tall, thin and pale plants that have not received enough light or water. 

            Transplants, if held for a few days before planting, must be kept watered, since the small cell-packs dry readily.  Place plants under the shade of trees and remove dead flowers as needed to prevent decay if planting is delayed.

            Do not store plants in the garage where gasoline engines are started.  Build up of ethylene gas, a product of combustion, can cause leaf drop and flower injury.  High temperatures and low light conditions will also lead to rapid deterioration of plants.

Small Space Gardening

No Space For A Garden?

If you don’t have space for a vegetable garden or if your outdoor space doesn’t provide the necessary elements to produce the flower garden you’ve always wanted, consider the possibility of “container gardening”.  A patio, deck, balcony, doorstep, or wall can provide enough space for a productive, attractive display.

If you live in an apartment with limited outdoor space, you might consider doing a little indoor gardening.  By using sunny windowsills, you can grow a number of herbs.

Clay and plastic pots, planter boxes, buckets, ceramic pots, wooden or plastic barrels and wire baskets lined with sphagnum moss can be used for container gardening.  If a container will hold enough soil to promote healthy plant growth, use it unless it has been used to store toxic and hazardous substances.  Never use a container if you are unsure what was in it before you got it.

A fairly lightweight mix is needed for container gardening.  Soil straight from the garden usually cannot be used in a container because it is too heavy, unless your

 garden has sandy loam or sandy soil.  Clay soil consists of extremely small (microscopic) particles.  In a container, the bad qualities of clay are exaggerated.  It holds too much moisture when wet, resulting in too little air for the roots.  Also, it pulls away form the sides of the pot when dry.

Container medium must be porous in order to support plants, because roots require both air and water.  Packaged potting soil, available at local garden centers, is relatively lightweight and may make a good container medium.

Tom McNutt is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University and retired TV garden expert.

THE “GREEN MOVEMENT

It seems every time you turn on the TV or radio you hear talk of the “Green” movement: global warming, energy conservation, green homes, and the degradation of our environment.  This focus on all things green is not new.  Back in the 1970’s we experienced a craze where everyone wanted green plants in their homes and a healthier environment.

 

While some have been talking about protecting our planet and its natural resources, gardeners have been making improvements.  Our landscapes, trees, shrubs and lawns help to purify the air and filter water that drains into the ground.

      

 Faced with rising energy costs, many homeowners are looking for ways to conserve energy in the home.  Proper landscaping can make a significant difference in the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable home.

 

Proper use of trees, shrubs, vines and man-made structures can modify the climate around your home to reduce heat gains in summer and heat losses in winter.  Plants can protect your home from winter winds and shade it from summer sun: winter  heating bills may be reduced as much as 25 percent, and summer cooling bills, 50 percent or more.

 

But don’t stop there. Once your home is more energy efficient, let your body be more efficient with its use of energy.  Your lifestyle can also be a part of the so-called “green movement”.  If you are one of the many individuals who love gardening, you probably do not think of it as exercise.  But let’s face it; if you mow the lawn, lift bags of topsoil, shovel dirt, rake the lawn and pull weeds, you are getting a healthy dose of activity.

 

Gardening can burn an average of 300 calories per hour and can also be an effective form of resistance training.  Recent studies suggest that moderate intensity exercises such as daily gardening can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, improve bone density and help prevent glucose intolerance.

 

All this green talk makes people not only look at what they consume, but also pushes landscaping right to the forefront.  Our microwave culture and I want it now attitude slowly begins to peal away and people begin to pull away and people begin to look at a relaxed healthy and more informal lifestyles.

 

This lifestyle shift, spurred on with ever increasing gas prices, make home owners step back and look at expanding the walks to their homes and bring the outdoors inside.  The patio, pool and deck areas incorporate more green by using landscaping, decorative containers, flowers and even cured lawns.

 

You can call it “Green” or anything else, but I call it fun and relaxing.   A chance to get some fresh air and meet the neighbors.

 

 

 

 

TIP OF TOM’S THUMB

Healthy Lawn Practices

Using best management practices not only encourages a healthy lawn, but also minimizes the potential for water contamination from fertilizers and pesticides.

Mowing properly helps to improve the quality of the lawn.  The recommended mowing height is two to two and a half inches.  Mowing at this height for the grass encourages a deeper root system, which will help protect your lawn against drought and weeds.

Keep the mower blade sharp.  A sharp mower blade makes mowing easier, reduces wear on the mower, and results in a better looking and healthier lawn.  A dull mower blade tears the leaves instead of making a clean, sharp cut.  A torn leaf is more susceptible to an invasion of a disease.

Mow often so that only one third of the grass blade is removed at any one time.  Mowing off more than 50 percent of the leaves at one time causes scalping, which results in an increase in weed competition and in the death of some grass plants during the hot summer.

While  you are mowing with the one-third rule, make it easy on yourself and leave the grass clippings on the lawn.  This will save time, money and energy, since you don't have to stop and unload the bagger or buy trash bags.  Clipping also adds free fertilizer to the lawn, possibly as much as 25 percent of the lawn’s annual nutritional needs.

Less work for you, less work for the landfill.  Everybody wins.

 

TOM’S TIPS FOR APRIL GARDENING

• Evaluate the condition of your yard and garden.

 

• Launch a lawn maintenance program.  Fertilize, seed or mow, based on turf requirement.

 

• Apply pre-emergent weed control according to package label.

 

• Service the lawn mower and sharpen the blade.

 

• Cut back ornamental grasses.

 

• Prune spring blooming shrubs such as forsythia and spirea after they have completed flowering.

* Remove sticks, rocks and other debris from your lawn to prevent damaging your lawnmower or injuring yourself when moving.  Check your lawnmower and other lawn care equipment in preparation for the coming season.

• Put a birdhouse in the garden to attract insect-eating friends.

• Measure the rainfall with a rain gauge posted near the garden so you can tell when to water.  The garden needs about one inch of rain per week from April to September.

• When chrysanthemums show signs of life, dig up and divide large plants.  Discard woody portions and replant divisions 12 to 15 inches apart.

• Cut flower stalks back to the ground on daffodils, hyacinths, and other spring flowering bulbs as the flowers fade.  DO NOT cut the foliage until it dies naturally.  The leaves are necessary to produce strong bulbs capable of re-flowering.