GardenerNews.com
July 2019 25
Deer Proof Pink Pom-poms In Your Garden? By Hubert Ling Well, almost! Nodding onion, Allium cernuum, may not be deer proof, but it is just about the last plant to be utilized by deer or rabbits. Herds of deer pass through and often sleep in our yard, but nodding onion just keeps on nodding. My other deer “resistant” plants – spice bush, mints, ferns, and bloodroot – have been less fortunate and are severely damaged or extirpated from my unfenced front yard. Nodding onion is a wellbehaved plant which grows one to two feet and in July produces one- to two-inch pink pom-poms with up to 40 small, pink, star-shaped flowers in a cluster. However, some less common varieties have white or purple flowers. The thin grass-like leaves of this plant form a loose basal rosette about one foot in diameter. After the seeds The mulch we see most often that homeowners have spread is of the orange dyed type found in many big box home improvement stores, but there is so much more to mulch than painting your beds that funky shade of carrot orange each spring. Mulch is basically a layer of any material placed on top of soil. It can be made up of anything from leaves, compost and hardwoods to softwoods, stones, gravel, shells and even recycled rubber. However, for the purposes of this article, I am going to be talking about a basic natural, shredded hardwood mulch. As a side note, dyed mulch is not all bad, but you need to be aware of where the wood that is being used has come from, as it may be contaminated from pressure treated wood or may be from pallets used to transport toxic substances. Just be sure to know your supplier and ask where their recycled wood comes from. Mulch is a wonderful part of growing and maintaining your planting beds and gardens. Here is why… Good for the environment. You heard me right! Mulch adds
mature, an interesting tan pom-pom remains which can be used for dried plant arrangements. Allium is the Latin name for garlic and cernuum means nodding. The city of Chicago’s name is from the Algonquin name for nodding onion, chigagou. This plant has the largest range of any native Allium and grows naturally in Southern Canada, in most of the 48 states, and in Northern Mexico. In New Jersey, it is confined to the northern half of the state. Propagation of nodding onion can be done by dividing clumps of bulbs and stems in the fall. However, the seeds germinate well and the young plants are easy to raise since they survive even if you forget to regularly water them. Nodding onion also spreads slowly in your garden from seed, but if this is not desired, the flowers can easily be deadheaded. The plants grow best in cool weather and generally lose leaves during
late-summer but start new growth in the fall. Nodding onion grows best in full sun, in neutral to alkaline soil, and with moderate moisture. However, the plant is not fussy and will tolerate partial shade and moderately acid soil. Mature plants are generally drought and pest resistant and tolerate black walnut trees. The plant has received the Royal Horticulture Society Award of Garden Merit. Nodding onion flowers are quite distinctive since the flower stalks curve sharply down at the tips, which produces the pom-poms, with most flowers suspended dangling downwards. Any insect which seeks nectar or pollen must be able to cling to flowers while hanging upside down. This interesting flower positioning presumably protects the nectar and pollen from rain. Short tongued bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds are attracted to the nectar. Nodding onion
is a host plant for caterpillars of hairstreak butterflies and the bulbs are used as food by bears and ground squirrels. Although I don’t understand why anyone would rip such a beautiful plant out of the ground, nodding onion is edible if taken in small amounts. Eating large amounts may cause diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting from herbivorerepelling sulfides. However, I feel that way about raw commercial onions also. All parts of nodding onion have been used as food: leaves, bulbs, and flowers. They can be used raw or boiled for pickles, salads, or for seasoning. If the flavor is too intense, you can parboil the bulbs for a few minutes and discard the water or you could go to the local store and buy a large mild onion. Throughout nodding onion’s range, Native Americans sparingly used the plant for seasoning and also medicinally. The Cherokee, other Native American
The NJLCA Today By Gail Woolcott Director of Operations
Got Mulch?
organic matter back into the soil by slowly breaking down and decomposing into the soil through the growing season. This is why adding new mulch each year is a good idea, as you have likely lost some mulch to this process. It also maintains the nutrients in the soil by preventing runoff from rain and watering and the consequential erosion caused by this. Good for your plants. Mulch protects plants from drastic temperature changes. It insulates your plants when we have a quick drop in temperature and keeps the soil cooler when it gets hot outside. It will also help your plants retain water by reducing evaporation. Mulch can deter some insects (for instance, cedar and redwood mulches contain natural resins that deter fruit and wood eating
insects like termites) but promote helpful ones. Most importantly, mulch encourages earthworms, which aerate your soil and leave behind worm castings (aka poop) that add beneficial nitrates, potassium, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus to your soil. As an aside, worm castings are an amazing organic fertilizer and can also be purchased as a soil amendment. Good for your back. Mulch is one of the greatest natural weed barriers. It keeps weeds from receiving the sunlight they need to grow. Although it certainly isn’t foolproof, you will spend much less time bent over your garden pulling weeds and more time in your lounge chair, enjoying the view. Good for your wallet. Adding mulch is a quick way to increase
the curb appeal of your home. It gives beds a polished and clean look, providing an instant facelift. No more mulch volcanoes. As great as mulch is for your property, there are some major dos and don’ts that you must follow. First and foremost, mulch volcanoes, or piling of mulch up the trunks of trees and shrubs, will strangle those plants and can cause root rot, where the roots are constantly wet and cannot breathe. For a tree or shrub, you should create a small “moat” around the trunk, where water can reach the roots but dry easily. Don’t use too much mulch or keep piling it on. You need no more than two to four inches of mulch. At the beginning of the spring, you should check the thickness of mulch before adding more. You may want to remove some of the top layer,
Nations, and colonists used the bulbs for colds, fever, kidney stones, and as a poultice applied to the chest for respiratory problems. However, I did not find any evidence that nodding onion actually is effective as a medicinal plant, although garlic is known to increase circulation to the skin (a rubefacient). Nodding onion is useful in an herb, rock, or butterfly garden. You can use it in low-maintenance, droughtresistant plantings, as a groundcover, and in perennial borders. It works well with butterfly weed, wild bergamot, Joe-Pye-Weed, and purple coneflower, since all bloom at about the same time. If you are looking for a beautiful, novel plant, give nodding onion a grow. Editor’s Note: Hubert Ling is the Horticulture Chairman for the Native Plant Society of New Jersey. He can be reached at milhubling@verizon.net then put new mulch on top. As a final tip, rocks, pebbles, gravel and shell mulches do not offer the plants and soil nutrients, nor help them retain water, but are used mostly for aesthetic purposes. Rubber mulch is used for a safe playing area cover, but also does not have benefits to the soil or plants. Pine needles as mulch are great for acidic plants and straw is an excellent insulator in the winter. Whatever you decide you want for your mulch, talk to your landscape professional about where to find quality mulch and installing it for you. Editor’s note: Gail Woolcott is the Director of Operations for the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association. She was presented with a community service award from the Borough of Fairview for her assistance in leading the 9-11 Memorial Park project and the Legislative Champion of the Year award from the Federation of Employers and Workers of America. She is currently the State Licensee Chair on the National Association of Landscape Professionals International Certification Council.