The Real Dirt Summer 2019, Issue 52

Summer 2019

Issue 52

The Real Dirt

My Favorite Thing: Lilacs!

Beating Boxwood Blight Hydrangea 101 Propagation Primer Yes! The Grass is Greener The Real Dirt

–1– Summer 2019 The Garden Club of America’s Quarterly Horticulture Publication

A Note from the Editor “Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into

the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.”

- May Sarton I used to think gardening was such a “Zen-like” activity. Especially in the summertime.

There is the sweet smell of freshly mowed lawn. The visual surprise of new blooms bursting from seedlings and shrubs that I have lovingly coddled. To this day, I still conjure up romantic images of strolling through the garden, clipping blooms for a bouquet, mingling with the bees and butterflies. Then, there is the “other” summer. You know the one where we pack up our arsenal of clippers, deer spray and insecticidal soap.

We lather ourselves up with bug and tick repellent and head out to chase rabbits, squash beetles, lob off flower heads and yank out weeds.

This year I hope to find a balance between the summers. I plan to make time to enjoy watching the progress of “my babies” (the seedlings I planted this spring) and vigilantly guard against unwelcome invaders. In addition to propagating from seed, I’m experimenting with the air layering technique featured in the spring TRD issue, and hydrangea cuttings as described in this issue on page 19.

Photo by Bella Pipas

So let’s all have some fun in our gardens this summer. Spray paint our allium, bring our hydrangea blooms indoors, try some of the ideas shared in The Real Dirt, and share our recipes for success. Most importantly let’s find time to rest and grow. Let’s connect with nature while we nurture ourselves, make sure our tetanus shots are up to date, and enjoy a good summer read.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this issue possible. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, and your gardens. Thank you for reminding us that “gardening is an instrument of grace”.

Susan Schieffelin The Real Dirt Editor, Greenwich Garden Club, Zone II The Real Dirt

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Summer 2019

Summer 2019

In This Issue A Note from the Editor News: Dig in and Win! Workshops: A Seed Propagation Challenge Workshops: Spotlight on Succulents 2018 SMHC Show Stoppers My Favorite Thing — Lilacs!

Mix it Up! The readers’ recipe exchange Beating the Boxwood Blight How Does Your Garden Grow?

Yes! The Grass is Greener Hydrangeas 101 Propagation Primer — Hydrangeas 3 ways Sage Advice Book Club — Summer Reading HortCuts

page 2 page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 8 page 10 page 11 page 14 page 15 page 17 page 19 page 20 page 21 page 22

If you have an article, idea or photo, please submit to The Real Dirt by clicking here , or visit the Horticulture Committee’s landing page in the Members Area of the GCA website to fill out the submission form, or email us at: TRD@gcamerica.org

On the Cover: Summer in the Garden: Susan Schieffelin, Greenwich GC, Zone II Photos By: Susie Brewer, Darien GC, Zone II; Arabella Dane, North Shore GC, Zone I; Margery

Daughtrey, GC of East Hampton, Zone III; Fraser Davis, The Tuckahoe GC of Westhampton, Zone VII; Kimberly DeCamp, GC of Lexington, Zone VII; Lindsay Dodge, GC of Denver, Zone XII; Michelle Dunavant, The Little GC of Memphis, Zone IX; Anne Green, Greenwich GC, Zone II; Beth Kibler, The Palmetto GC of South Carolina, Zone VIII; Blair Louis, Glenview GC, Zone VII; Bella Pipas, Fort Orange GC, Zone III; Julie Sakellariadis, GC of East Hampton, Zone III; Jane Scribner, Hillsborough GC, Zone XII; Megan Smith, Seattle GC, Zone XII; Becky Simonds, Milton GC, Zone I; Linder Suthers, Trustees' GC, Zone VIII; Kate Trammell, The Little GC of Memphis, Zone IX; Christina Vanderlip, Hortulus, Zone II; Meredith Ward, Ridgefield GC, Zone II; Stacey Wilson, The Knoxville GC, Zone IX. The Real Dirt

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Summer 2019

NEWS:

Dig In and Win! The Real Dirt is hosting its second propagation challenge: SEEDS! Enter to win in 3 easy steps: 1. Propagate a plant from seed (annual, perennial, vegetable, tree, etc.). Use the propagation card to document your plant’s progress. Click here to access the card from the GCA web site.

2. Photograph your entry at its "height of perfection".

3. Send your photo by September 15, 2019, via The Real Dirt.

To make it even more fun we have divided the challenge into 3 divisions: 1. Seeds/plants propagated from January 1, 2019, to present.

2. Plants propagated from seed 1-3 years ago.

3. Plants propagated from seed more than 3 years ago.

All entries must provide the information required on the Horticulture Propagation Card, meaning a detailed explanation of the seed propagation method. (Was the seed collected by the entrant?

Did it require stratification or other special procedure?) Please also include dates, growing medium, conditions, potting, etc.

Questions? Email us at TRD@gcamerica.org.

Susan Deeks, Garden Club of Morristown, Zone IV, inspires us to Dig In and Win the Seed challenge!

Susan showed the Horticulture Committee her Hydrangea quercifolia this past June. She explained “It must be 10 feet tall now, but was only about one foot when planted some 18 years ago. It was grown from seed collected by Louise Wrinkle (Little GC of Birmingham, Zone VIII) and given to me when we were both on the Hort Committee. The seed remained viable for at least five years kept in an airtight container in my refrigerator.

I must have grown at least ten shrubs with those seeds! I was lucky enough to plant seeds and then have them germinate under lights; they were about six inches by spring.”

Tell us your seed propagation story! Find out more about propagating Hydrangea on page 19.

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Summer 2019

WORKSHOPS! The Knoxville GC Seed Challenge Stacey Wilson, Knoxville Garden Club, Zone IX

I attended the Shirley Meneice Horticulture Conference at Longwood Gardens last fall. Little did I know at that time, that The Garden Club of America would be issuing a seed propagation challenge to all clubs this spring. I joined in with the attendees and “dug in” to the amazing variety of seeds available at the seed exchange.

As horticulture chair, I thought it would be fun for our club to do a The Challenge kits ready for the taking!

“tree seed challenge” taking two varieties of seeds from the seed exchange: a Catalpa bignonioides, Cigar tree, from the Piedmont Garden Club, and the Fagus sylvatica, a Copper Beech tree from the Tacoma Garden Club.

We distributed packets to each member that included a pot, seed soil, one seed, an index card and instructions. There were enough seeds for 27 members to participate in the challenge. We challenged each participant to grow his/her seed and bring it back to our May Picnic for a “bench show” of trees. What fun we had taking care of our babies! We heard stories of cats knocking pots

The entries!

Georganne Guarino’s winning entry!

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over, pots being taken on vacation, seeds that were fine until they died and seeds that never grew at all.

On the day of our picnic members brought their results. The main discovery was that the seed for the Copper Beech tree must not have been viable because none of the seeds sprouted after a 120day cold stratification period. When the seed was placed in water prior to planting, it did not sink. This is one way to verify viability.

Despite these results the members learned quite a bit from this seed challenge. The Catalpa seeds were a great success and 50 years from now Knoxville,Tennessee, will have a few more large Catalpa trees as a result of the GCA Seed Challenge.

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Summer 2019

WORKSHOPS! Spotlight on Succulents Shirley Meneice Horticulture Conference 2018

Kathleen Bourke, Horticulture Committee Zone Representative, Short Hills GC, Zone IV

“The Naked Lady” Euphorbia primulifola now lives in Deb’s greenhouse

Binney McCague, Deb Donaldson & Barbara Geltosky study succulents with Shirley

Lynn Carbonell, The GC of Wilmington, Zone V, shows us more varieties

You may have heard it correctly said, “all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti”. Last September a group of about 20 SMHC attendees gathered to learn about succulents at a workshop that was led by Deb Donaldson, who is an expert in succulents and a frequent exhibitor at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Deb was assisted by her fellow members of The Gardeners, Zone V: Binney McCague and Barb Geltosky. Lynn Carbonell of The Garden Club of Wilmington, Zone V, also assisted with the workshop.

Some key growing tips included: • Provide plants with 6 to 8 hours of medium to bright filtered light each day and good drainage.

• Water only every 10 to 15 days during the growing season. And always water at the bottom of the succulent to avoid getting water directly on the plant. (Deb recommends using a moisture meter to prevent overwatering. Let the meter go to zero and then only water until a moisture level of 2.)

• When succulents are dormant they will require little to no water.

• Ideal daytime temperatures are 65-90 degrees and nighttime temperatures of 50-55 degrees.

• Succulents should only be fertilized during active growth periods.

When propagating succulents, take a leaf cutting, dip it in rooting gel and lay it in humus. When the roots appear in 2 to 3 weeks, plant in a mixture of 50% soil and 50% pumice. Deb recommends pumice over perlite but also mentioned that granite grit can be used. Black or brown aquarium gravel makes an attractive top dressing for succulent plants.

Some of Deb’s favorite succulents for beginners include Agave, Aloe, Euphorbia milii, Haworthia, Hoya, and Sempervivum. Good cacti for the novice are Astrophytum ornatum, Echinopsis, and Mammillaria.

Deb highly recommends two books: Cacti and Succulents by Miles Anderson and The Complete Book of Cacti and Succulents by Terry Hewitt. For those GCA members who may have to judge succulents, Deb suggested becoming a member of the Cactus & Succulent Society of North America.

Deb graciously propagated specimens and each attendee took home a miniature succulent to nurture and grow.

For detailed workshop notes click here.

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Summer 2019

SHOW STOPPERS

The GCA Annual Meeting Flower Show Hills Harbors Horizons was a winner in so many ways. Congratulations to all the entrants — particularly our members who took home the bling!

Clarissa Williamsen Propagation Award: Dedee O’Neil, Akron GC, Zone X, Succulents.

Best in Show: Tish Mead, Chestnut Hill GC, Zone I, Rhododendron ‘Cotton Candy’.

The Rosie Jones Award, Lenox GC, Zone I, New England Native Terrain Container Garden.

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Novice Award: Kirke Hall, Noanette GC, Zone I, for her Malus cv.

Catherine Beattie Medal: Mimi Carrington, GC of Morristown, Zone IV, for her Picea abies ‘Pusch’.

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Summer 2019

My Favorite Thing - Lilacs!

Arabella Dane, North Shore Garden Club of Massachusetts, Zone I

It is late May in New Hampshire. Dooryards are perfumed as our state flower, Syringa vulgaris, comes into glory. Even the cellar holes of long forgotten homesteads, deep in the forests and on the mountainsides, will be festooned and scented with the white or purple blooms of lilacs. Highways and byways will be punctuated with these tree-like shrubs. It is lilac time.

Syringa, common name lilacs, not native to the New World, originated in the Balkans and in Asia. They are within the Oleaceae (Olive) Family. There are currently 12 species and thousands of lilac cultivars.

Syringa vulgaris

The Lemoine’s French lilacs, are noted for their exquisite fragrance and intense colors, are mostly a cross between S. vulgaris and the Chinese species S. oblata.

This map from Kew’s Plants of the World Online shows areas with native lilac species in green, and introduced species in purple.

Syringa vulgaris, known as the common lilac, is listed as native to Bulgaria yet allegedly came to France from Turkey. The Lemoine family of Nancy, France, was responsible for the selective breeding of many 19th and 20th century hybrids.

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The lilac was introduced into North America in the 1600s. Our earliest settlers brought lilacs, planting them near the doorways to ward off evil and to enjoy the magical powers of the intoxicating fragrance. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Bartram all grew lilacs. The oldest surviving examples in the United States may be the lilacs that Governor Wentworth planted around his estate in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, possibly in 1750.

Each Syringa species brings something special to any crossbreeding program. To see the species that bring these unique characteristics to our modern lilacs is a real thrill.

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Summer 2019

Alexander advises, “when you lime your lawn, lime your lilacs too.”

Most lilacs produce an abundance of suckers from their rootstock. Next year’s flowers form shortly after this year’s flowers have faded, and will need an extensive cold period to set bloom.

Syringa ‘Mme. Lemoine’ is named for the wife of Victor, the blind owner of the Lemoine Nursery.

Hybridizers are developing new cultivars that are resistant to powdery mildew and other diseases and pests. In addition to creating lilacs in a varied color palette, hybridizers are introducing diverse flower forms and sumptuous fragrances. Some of the newer hybrids have 2 seasons of interest with re-blooming characteristics, while others such as S. oblata subsp. dilatata and S. oblata subsp. dilatata ‘Alba’ have an interesting autumn leaf color.

Where to see lilacs in bloom: A visit to the Arnold Arboretum at “Lilac Time” is the ultimate experience. Their collection include approximately 181 different kinds of lilacs. “Lilac Sunday” is always the second Sunday in May. Other extensive and famous displays are the Centennial Lilac Garden, north of Niagara Falls has more than1,200 plants in over 200 varieties, and Highland Park in Rochester, New York. Next year the International Lilac Show will be in Quebec City, Canada.

S. oblata subsp. dilatata

Do you love Lilacs too?

S. oblata subsp. dilatata ‘Alba’

Read Arabella’s complete article and learn more about the 12 species of Syringa. Arabella shares with us her photos of various cultivars as well as why she is so smitten with her state’s flower.

Simply click here!

Like our Granite State residents, lilacs are tough.

They thrive in cold climates, growing in Plant Hardiness Zones 3-8. Syringa prefer an alkalineto-neutral, well-drained gritty soil, and are happiest planted in sun to light shade. Jack

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Summer 2019

Mix It Up!

The Readers’ Recipe Exchange

Try mixing up a few of the recipes yourself!

Easy Homemade Insecticidal Soap

Mosquito & Insect Repellent

1 tsp. Dr. Bronner’s castile soap 1 quart of water 32 oz. household spray bottle

1 cup witch hazel 1 cup distilled water 10 drops Citronella essential oil 10 drops Tea Tree essential oil 15 drops Eucalyptus essential oil 5-10 drops Lemongrass essential oil 5 drops Lavender essential oil

Directions: Mix ingredients into a spray bottle.

Do not substitute household dishwashing detergent; only use Dr. Bronner’s, which is available at most supermarkets. Dr. Bronner’s is certified organic by the USDA and is vegan,

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle. Apply as needed.

olive oil based.

EDITOR'S NOTE: If You're Bitten or Stung

Spray the solution directly on pests and saturate them well. This is very effective on soft bodied pests such as aphids, mites, white flies, etc., and knocks Japanese beetles out on direct contact.

Rubbing apple cider vinegar directly onto the bite can help relieve itching. You can also place a slice of raw onion or crushed garlic on the site for about 20 minutes. These ingredients

Zinnias, cauliflower, peppers and other veggies seem to tolerate repeated spraying. But you may want to test it on plants if you are not certain of their sensitivity to this solution. Wait at

are effective because they have anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which promote healing.

least one day before harvesting edibles.

Submitted by: Mimi Carrington Garden Club of Morristown, Zone IV

Chile Pepper Flakes If you are using your own chile peppers, pick them with the stem attached. Place in a basket or open container and allow to air dry. For faster results, use a food dehydrator or dry them slowly in the oven on the lowest setting. When fully dry, remove stems and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until desired consistency. Be careful not to breathe in fumes or get in eyes! Pour into bottles, cap and enjoy!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Helpful Hints for Sprays • Test homemade sprays on a small portion of a leaf before applying it to the entire plant.

• Always use soap (never detergent) so as not to burn plants.

• Wear rubber gloves when using any sprays that contain peppers, alcohol, citrus concentrates, mint oils or anything else that could irritate your skin.

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Submitted by: Carrie Waterman, Chairman Judging Committee, Noanette GC, Zone I

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Summer 2019

BEATING THE BOXWOOD BLIGHT Julie Sakellariadis, Garden Club of East Hampton, Zone III It is thought that boxwood first arrived in America from Europe at Sylvester Manor on Shelter Island in the 1650s. Boxwood quickly defined early American gardens up and down the Eastern seaboard.

disease is on the brink of an explosive outburst in our gardens over the coming summer, especially if rainfall is above normal.

Calonectria will also infect Pachysandra and Sarcococca (sweet box), which are in the boxwood family. While it causes much less damage to these plants, it can hide undetected among them and spread to any nearby boxwood.

Luckily Calonectria pseudonaviculata produces relatively heavy spores and therefore is not spread by

Healthy Buxus at Ashland Gardens, Lexington KY.

George Washington planted it at Mount Vernon, sending cuttings to a sea captain in Sag Harbor in the late 1700s, where the shrubs, now over 10 feet tall, continue to thrive today. Buxus sempervirens, standard boxwood, can grow up to 12 feet high and 15 feet wide. Along with its cultivars, which vary in size, it can be pruned into formal shapes to edge garden beds or create imaginative topiary shapes from spheres to spirals, clouds, swoops and more. In recent decades, interest in the plant has surged because boxwood is delightfully deer resistant and low maintenance, requiring pruning only once a year.

But now this ubiquitous garden plant is threatened.

Boxwood blight, which is caused by a fungus whose scientific name is Calonectria pseudonaviculata (sometimes referred to as Cylindrocladium buxicola), has arrived. The disease devastates the plant by attacking its leaves and stems in the heat of summer, quickly defoliating large sections. It first appeared in England in 1994. It then was found in Ireland, Belgium, Italy, France, Holland and New Zealand. It was finally detected in the U.S., probably having arrived on infected nursery stock in 2011. Now plant pathologists and experts anticipate that this fungal

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wind. It can arrive on your property on new Buxus, Pachysandra or Sarcococca plants, or on landscapers’ gardening tools if they have recently been used on infected plants.

The Garden Club of East Hampton recently held a symposium on boxwood blight featuring husband and wife team Andrea Filippone and Eric T Fleisher of f F2 Environmental Design, LLC. and Margery Daughtrey, plant pathologist with Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center.

They offered the following advice for anyone with boxwood plants in their garden: Be vigilant. Initial symptoms are round, black or dark brown spots on leaves and black streaks on the surface of young shoots. In warm, wet weather the disease attacks healthy plants in as little as 7 days, spreads quickly, and results in catastrophic leaf drop. Inspect your boxwood carefully after each rain during the growing season, especially when temperatures are consistently over 60 degrees.

Require your landscapers to use ONLY shears you provide when pruning your boxwood.

If you haven’t added any new boxwood to your property over the last several years, you still need to worry that your landscaper’s tools and equipment may carry the disease from one property to the next. Make

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Summer 2019

sure your landscaper doesn’t start pruning your boxwood without discussing the work with you first.

survive in the soil. This will help prevent its spread via up-splash from rain or overhead irrigation.

• Prune to thin with a goal of getting more air circulating in the center of your plants when the weather is cold in late winter (February to March), a time when the Calonectria fungus is dormant.

If tests confirm your plants are infected with boxwood blight, prune and spray ASAP.

• Shearing, a type of pruning typically done in early summer, is not recommended. Tightly sheared plants are more susceptible to blight. Rather than a flat-topped hedge, prune to a pyramidal shape that sheds water.

similar to Volutella, another boxwood disease that requires very different corrective actions. Speak to your landscaper about where to send samples for testing.

Clean your tools before and after pruning. In particular, clean after pruning any individual boxwood plant or stem you suspect may be infected.

Otherwise, the sticky spores will cling to your shears and spread to the rest of your plants as you continue

remove the plant or prune out infected branches. The other option is to prune out diseased parts of the plant, and clean up all dead and infected branches and leaves from the ground. Dispose of the infected debris carefully. Then spray the plant with a fungicide

pruning. Specifically, wipe your tool down, dip for 5 minutes in alcohol and allow to air dry. Use 71% isopropyl alcohol, or a solution of 1-part bleach to 9parts water, freshly mixed.

to avoid the spread of the disease. The chemicals Daughtrey and F2 Environmental Design recommend are not available to homeowners, so you’ll need to find a certified spray applicator.

Don’t buy any new boxwood if you have a

Calonectria can live in the soil for 5 or more years. So once diagnosed on your property, you must continue

valuable boxwood collection.

If you must bring in boxwood, stay away from English and American boxwood which are more susceptible to boxwood blight.

Testing is necessary to confirm that your plants are infected with boxwood blight, as the disease looks

Once Calonectria is confirmed, you have two options:

to be vigilant and follow best cultural practices outlined above.

Good preventive maintenance is essential.

• Clean out dead leaves and debris under your boxwood each fall and dispose of this material in sealed plastic bags. Don’t put this material in your own compost or the Town’s compost pile at the Recycling Center, as doing so will spread the disease to others.

• Give your boxwood trickle irrigation. Water on the foliage from irrigation, rain, and even dew increases the severity and spread of the disease.

The devastating effects of Calonectria on Buxus

• Apply no more than an inch of mulch under your boxwood to physically cover any fungus that may

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Summer 2019

BOXWOOD BLIGHT ID AND MANAGEMENT SHEET FOR HOMEOWNERS From the Garden Club of East Hampton

1. BE VIGILANT: Inspect boxwood yourself carefully after each rain especially when temperatures are consistently above 60 degrees or humidity levels are consistently high. Look for brown spots on leaves and dark streaks on twigs. Above are photos to help you.

2. REQUIRE LANDSCAPERS TO USE ONLY SHEARS YOU PROVIDE WHEN PRUNING YOUR BOXWOOD. The disease often travels from property to property on shears and other equipment.

3. DISINFECT SHEARS WITH 70% ETHYL OR ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL. Do this after pruning any shrubs you suspect of being diseased and especially before moving on to the next plant.

4. DON’T BUY ANY NEW BOXWOOD IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A VALUABLE BOXWOOD COLLECTION. 5. NO OVERHEAD IRRIGATION ON BOXWOOD. Check that your lawn sprinklers don’t hit your boxwood and adjust if needed. Use drip only.

6. NO LEAF BLOWERS. Leaf blowers can spread the disease before it’s been detected.

7. PRUNE OUT INFECTED AREAS AND CONTACT A CERTIFIED EXPERT TO APPLY OR USE AN APPROPRIATE FUNGICIDE. 8. DISPOSE OF DISEASED PLANT MATERIAL CAREFULLY. Double bag it and take it to the non recyclable bin at the Town Dump. Do not put it in your compost pile or the Town’s compost pile. Be sure to rake up diseased leaves on the ground and dispose as above.

9. APPLY CLEAN MULCH ANNUALLY. Apply no more than one inch of clean mulch annually at the base of the plants to help block infection from soil splash.

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Summer 2019

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? Members share snapshots of their gardens. Send us your “post card”

Lindsay Dodge, GC of Denver, Zone XII, shares her Rocky Mountain sanctuary.

Katy Flato, Alamo Heights-Terrell Hills GC, Zone IX, welcomes you to her Texas garden!

Bella Pipas, Fort Orange GC, Zone III, a path of Hosta in her shade garden.

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Beth Kibler, The Palmetto GC of South Carolina, Zone VIII, has southern charm!

Jane Scribner, Hillsborough GC, Zone XII, dazzles us with dahlias!

Kimberly DeCamp, GC of Lexington, Zone VII, focuses on her wonderful water feature.

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Megan Smith, Seattle GC, Zone XII, shows us her curbside appeal!

Christina Vanderlip’s, Hortulus, Zone II, country house vegetable garden.

Charlotte Thibodeau, The GC of Mount Desert, Zone I, has a delightful “downeast” garden.

Summer 2019

Yes! The Grass is Greener. . .

Fraser Gibson Davis, The Tuckahoe Garden Club, Zone VII

So, you’ve taken the Healthy Yard Pledge. Now What?

We’ve all come to know that pristine, green carpet of one particular type of turf grass as the standard for our lawns. That uniform carpet of green requires a monthly maintenance regime of toxic pesticides and herbicides. Chemically treated lawns can never sustain themselves.

A healthy lawn, on the other hand, is one that is healthy for you, your children and our environment. A healthy lawn is a green lawn comprised predominantly of turf grasses with a smattering of clover and other broadleaves.

The Fraser children and friend enjoy the benefits of a healthy lawn.

By changing our expectation of what a lawn should look like and tempering our use of toxic herbicides and pesticides, we can greatly contribute to human health and to the health of our environment.

TRANSITIONING TO A HEALTHY LAWN For cool season grasses, fall is the best time to transition to a healthy lawn. For warm season grasses, start in spring. The main strategy behind a healthy lawn is to improve the health of the soil.

With fertile soil, turf grasses suited to your climate will succeed without the use of toxic chemicals.

The following lawn care practices will help you to transition to a healthy lawn and break the chemical addiction. You can try it yourself or call an environmentally responsible lawn care company who should adhere to similar practices.

Test Your Soil by taking a sample from the root zone (about 4” down) of your lawn in the spring or fall. Most state universities Cooperative Extension Services offer testing services. You should get the test results in about 2 weeks.

Lime re-establishes the proper soil pH to support your lawn. Lime only if the soil test indicates that your soil is not the proper pH (between 5.5 and 7.0).

Improve Soil through core aerating and composting. This will alleviate compaction and allow oxygen to enter the soil enabling beneficial microbes to thrive. Composting will also improve the soil’s population of microorganisms. Spread 1/4” layer of very finely textured compost on the lawn.

Compost teas are available online.

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Summer 2019

Over-seed after you have improved the soil with a mix of turf grass seed that is suitable to your climate. Your local agriculture co-op usually carries the best seed mixes for your area.

Spread grass seed over your entire lawn.

Fertilize your lawn with an organic source of nitrogen that includes potassium to help with root growth. An average lawn requires between 3 and 4 lbs. of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet annually. Do not apply more than .9 lb. per 1,000 square feet per season. Any more will not be absorbed by the soil and will end up in our groundwater, streams and rivers, which will cause environmental damage and pollute our drinking water.

Your lawn should be composed of 5% white clover (which fixes nitrogen). When mowing, keep the clippings, which include the clover, on the lawn. This will deliver 2 lbs. of nitrogen annually, in addition to providing phosphorous and potassium. If you have both clover and grass clippings, you will not need to fertilize.

Weed control is the most difficult obstacle when going organic. Corn gluten has been used as a pre-emergent weed killer with mixed reviews. Hand-weeding and spot-spraying with a vinegar/citrus oil mix are 2 other options. If a large weed infestation occurs, you may need to resort to an emergency chemical application. For this, call on your environmentally responsible lawn care company and request that they take care of the infestation in the most environmentally responsible way.

Transitioning to a healthy lawn is not easy. Take it from someone who tried going cold turkey by abandoning all chemicals at once. I do not recommend this approach!

Instead, gradually taper your lawn’s reliance on chemicals while improving the health of your soil. It may take a year or 2 to get your soil healthy enough to support a balanced mix of turf grass and broadleaves.

Hopefully, we can help change our nation’s lawn care habits and make our lawns safe again.

An afternoon stroll on a natural lawn. Photo by Anne Green

Learn more about organic lawn care with The GCA Guide To The New American Lawn or read about it in The Bulletin. Another great online resource for information about organic lawn and garden care is the website Beyond Pesticides.

If you would like to learn more about the dangers of pesticides click here.

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Summer 2019

HYDRANGEA 101!

A collaboration: Bella Pipas, Fort Orange GC, Zone III Kate Trammell and Gina White, The Little GC of Memphis, Zone IX

No shrub seems to say “summer in the garden” more than the hydrangea. With so many species to choose from how do you know what to do?

Knowing the classification of your hydrangea is half the battle. They are beautiful specimens in any garden. so here are a few tips to help you have fun and enjoy them!

THE MOST COMMON SPECIES

• Hydrangea arborescens – smooth woodland hydrangea is native to the eastern U.S. and features large creamy white flowers.

• Hydrangea petiolaris – climbing hydrangea. Once established the shrub produces cream-colored, fragrant lacecap flowers that can stay on the vine all season.

Hydrangea macrophylla mophead flower

• Hydrangea macrophylla and H. serrata - bigleaf hydrangea and mountain hydrangea that include mophead and lacecap varieties.

They can bear pink, blue or white flowers.

• Hydrangea paniculata – panicle hydrangea are the most cold hardy, and are known for cone-shaped flower heads. The flowers start white and fade to shades of pink, rose and even burgundy.

• Hydrangea quercifolia - oakleaf hydrangea are native to the southeastern U.S. This droughttolerant shrub also features white cone-shaped flowers that fade to pinks and deep rose depending on the cultivar.

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Hydrangea paniculata

Hydrangea paniculata in October

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PRUNING Please don't confuse pruning with deadheading or cutting blooms to enjoy indoors. Faded blooms should be removed regularly unless allowing to dry on the shrub for color. According to Mal Condon, Curator of Hydrangeas at Heritage Museums and Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts, it is good to prune any foliage above the bloom line during summer. This promotes more blooms the following year. Read Mal’s complete pruning primer here.

COLOR In general the color of your pink or blue hydrangea macrophylla depends on the soil it is planted in. A soil pH of 6.0 or higher usually yields shades of pink flowers while acidic soils (pH 4.5 to 5.5) tend to produce blue and lavender blooms. The sulfur in aluminum sulfate lowers the pH, and the aluminum intensifies the deep blue color. Use aluminum sulfate to lower pH and lime

Summer 2019

to raise the pH. Hydrangea can’t utilize the aluminum when the phosphorous level in the soil is very high. You may have to do a soil test to find out your phosphorous level.

It’s fun to experiment with varieties and the soil pH. A dark red hydrangea such as ‘Glowing Embers’ will often turn dark purple in an acidic soil with aluminum sulfate. A pink such as 'Merritt’s Supreme’ will turn lavender in an acidic soil. A pale blue hydrangea such as the original Endless Summer will never be dark purple regardless of the pH.

bottom half or so of the stems into Alum (available in the spice aisle of the grocery store) before placing in the container of your choice. Blooms prefer a cooler environment out of direc t sunlight.

Hydrangea petiolaris

To revive any wilted blooms quickly dunk the whole head in room temperature water. Or recut the stem, place in cup of boiling water again for 30 seconds; then put stem in room temperature water.

GROWING CONDITIONS Hydrangea prefer shade and should be protected from strong afternoon Hydrangea arborescens heat and sun. It likes moist soil but be ‘Annabelle’ careful not to over water to avoid rot. Hydrangea are susceptible to mildew and molds. One trick to eliminate molds, mildew and fungus that develop on leaves is to simply mix 1 quart of water with 2 uncoated aspirin tablets in a sprayer bottle and spray the foliage.

ENJOYING FRESH CUT BLOOMS It's best to cut your flowers in the early morning. Cut stems as long as possible at a 45 degree angle and place immediately in a bucket of water. Once indoors, remove unnecessary leaves, cut stems to desired length and place in a cup of boiling water for about 30 seconds. Then place in vase of room temperature water.

Hydrangea also drink water from their blooms. Misting the flowers can help prolong the bloom.

Hydrangea macrophylla lacecap flower

DRYING HYDRANGEA BLOOMS You can dry hydrangeas blooms several ways, but the following 2 methods are the easiest: Allow the blooms to dry on the shrub. This works particularly well with the PeeGee variety.

The water-drying method helps hydrangea flowers retain their color and last longer. Cut blooms when they are just past peak. Flowers cut when just in bloom or during a rain will not dry fast enough to hold their color. Cut stems 15-18" long.

Remove bottom leaves and place in vase filled up halfway with water.

Place flowers out of direct or bright light and make sure there is plenty of room for air to circulate between blooms. Allow about 2 weeks for the flowers to dry.

Another method is to dip the

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Summer 2019

Propagation Primer Three Ways to Multiply your Hydrangeas Ground Layering – It’s Easy!

Simply lay a lower branch along the ground. Remove any leaves where the branch touches the ground. Mound some soil over the stem. Be sure that a leaf node is covered because that is where most of the roots will form. Use a brick or stone to hold the branch in place. Keep soil moist but not too wet. Roots should develop In about a month. Once roots develop, cut the branch from mother plant. Leave new plant in place for 1 or 2 weeks to adapt to growing on its own, then pot up or transplant to its new home!

Hydrangeas from Cuttings: 5 Simple Steps

1. Cut soft branch about 5-6“ long. Try to cut from branch that did not flower this year.

2. Remove leaves from bottom two leaf nodes (the small swelling that is part of the stem where one or more leaves emerge).

3. Cut remaining leaves in half. Dip end of stem in rooting hormone (optional) and place stem into damp soilless mix, coarse sand or a vermiculite rooting mixture. You can use a 6 pack container, a cup or small pot to house the cutting.

4. Water well and cover. You can use a plastic bag (“tented” so the plastic does not touch leaves). Placing a large clear plastic cup or soda bottle with the spout end removed over the cuttings works well too.

These techniques act as a “greenhouse” to help retain the moisture.

5. Place cuttings in bright indirect sunlight. Never place in direct sunlight!

Cuttings should root in 2-3 weeks. If a gentle tug on cutting meets resistance you will know the new plant has rooted!

Hydrangeas from Seed

After a shrub blooms, allow 8-12 weeks for the flower to dry and fade on the plant. Clip flowerhead and place it in a brown paper bag. Store the bloom in the bag an additional 3-7 days to be sure it has completely dried out. Shake the flowerhead in the bag. The seeds are tiny and may be hard to see in the bag. You may sow the seeds immediately in the fall or keep in a plastic bag in a cool dry place (refrigerator for example) until the spring. Sprinkle seeds on top of damp potting soil. Do not cover the seeds with soil. Keep soil moist but well drained and in a sunny location. Seeds should begin to germinate within about 2 weeks.

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Summer 2019

I would like to collect seeds for myself, and send some to my Hort rep for the Shirley Meneice Horticulture Conference seed exchange. I got some great seeds there last year and would like to return the favor. Any tips for a novice?

Q:

Collecting seeds is as easy as a walk through your garden! Leave some seed heads on your plants after they finish flowering. Allow them to dry thoroughly and you are ready to get started. You will need: garden shears, a paper bag, a sharpie and paper envelopes.

Cover a dry seed head with a paper bag while the flower stalk is still attached to the plant.

Cut the stalk and turn it upside down so that any loose seeds fall into the bag. Dry seeds can fall off quickly once disturbed so the paper bag is essential. Write the name of the plant on the bag to eliminate confusion if you are collecting seed from several different plants.

Take care to be over the white paper, gently shake the bag and then remove the flower stalk. Now turn the bag over and gently shake out the seeds that fell into the bag.

Be sure you remove all of the seeds.

Pick out any debris or bugs.

Write the plant name (botanical and common) and date collected on the envelope.

Funnel the seeds from the paper into the envelope.

Put the labeled envelopes into a small, covered box. Add a few packets of dried silica gel, which will help to keep them dry.

Place the box in a cool place until you are ready to sow them. (The bottom shelf of the refrigerator is an ideal storage spot.)

Bring the bags into an area sheltered from wind. Even a gentle wind gust could instantly blow your seeds away.

Cover a flat surface with newspaper and lay a large piece of white paper on top.

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Editor’s Note: Many thanks to Diane Guidone, Vice Chairman Propagation and Seed Share, GC of Dublin, Zone I, for sharing these easy tips and reminding us that we don’t need to attend the SHMC to participate in the seed exchange!

For more information, templates, and photos of last year’s seed share at the SMHC, click here.

Summer 2019

A Study on Book Groups Stacey Wilson, The Knoxville Garden Club, Zone IX

Every club has one. . . a member who is the “horticulture expert”. Emily Bruner, a name synonymous with the Bruner holly, belonged to The Knoxville Garden Club.

Each week Emily would host the members in her basement for a horticulture class. What a class it was!

Notes from the class were compiled into a book called Ask Emily.

Ladies of The Knoxville GC Book Group

Last year, as part of the horticulture curriculum of The Knoxville Garden Club, a book club was formed to discuss the amazing collection of information in the Ask Emily book. Meetings were held seasonally at a member’s home that included readings and a discussion of the book followed by a casual tour of the member’s garden. This has been a very successful event and the wisdom shared is so relevant. This year the club read The Garden Club of Lookout Mountain’s book, Down to Earth, Gardening and Recipes Month by Month. In addition to readings, the group enjoyed sampling recipes from the book.

Special thanks to The Lookout Mountain Garden Club for sharing their wonderful book with us!

Summer Reading Put down your trowel, pick up a book , lie back in the hammock, and enjoy a good summer read. Here are a few suggestions from some GCA Hort enthusiasts:

Photo by Anne Green, Greenwich GC, Zone II

In the book, Apples of Uncommon Character, Rowan Jacobsen describes over 120 different varieties of apples. He discusses their origin, appearance, flavor, texture, season, use and geographic region where they grow well and are available. It is a treasure trove of all things apple. In addition, there are a number of scrumptious recipes! This book is a keeper. — Diane Guidone, Dublin GC, Zone I.

The Overstory is a Pulitzer Prize winning novel by Richard Powers that explores our relationship with the natural world. According to author Ann Patchett, it’s “the best novel ever written about trees, and really, just one of the best novels, period."

You can find the Four Seasons Farm Gardener's Cookbook by Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman in the GCA library. It is really two books in one: a gardener's guide and a cookbook detailing how to grow what you eat and eat what you grow.

— Julie Peet, Chairman Library Committee, Fairfield GC, Zone II. The Real Dirt

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Summer 2019

HortCuts: A Quick Roundup of Horticultural News Kimberly Hatfield, The Real Dirt Assistant Editor, Noanett Garden Club, Zone I

Host Parents Wanted Michigan State University is calling on volunteers to help save trees from three damaging invaders: Asian Longhorned Beetle, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid and Thousand Cankers Disease of Walnut. Their program, Eyes on the Forest, identifies healthy “sentinel trees” across the state and asks participants to adopt these trees and monitor their health. Reports are submitted online at the Midwest Invasive Species Network.

Oh Snap - Leafsnap that is What started out as a handy tool to identify trees has turned into a global data collection system. In just a few years, the app Leafsnap provided more than 3 million leaf images from five continents and 181 countries according to a report in the journal BioScience. Scientist are snapping up the data to study native tree ranges and migrations and to track the movement of invasive species. Leafsnap is available for free in the App Store for iPhone and iPad users in the US and UK.

Timing is Everything One of the biggest threats of climate change is that ecosystems will fall out of sync—think bees and blooms being off schedule. Scientists studying this phenomenon, phenology, need your help. Join Budburst, a network of more than 10,000 volunteers from all 50 states that monitor and report on key plant activities such as flowering or seed setting. Scientists use this data to track, predict or manage environmental events such as the spread of diseases or invasive species. Projects are underway at a National park, botanic garden or a public space near you.

Thoreau’s Notebook to Nature’s Notebook It turns out Thoreau’s walk in the woods offers naturalists more than just inspiration. A study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution found that comparing current data with historic records like that of Thoreau’s gives scientists an "unbiased" look at changes in plant behavior in our modern climate. The study drew data from Nature’s Notebook, a citizen science project that you can join, the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory and the detailed records of Henry David Thoreau.

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Summer 2019