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Michigan Gardener | September/October 2021 | MichiganGardener.com
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trees
Dealing with mole damage
pottery
shrubs
statuary
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Moles tore up my lawn and garden this summer. What can I do this fall and next spring to keep them from returning? R.N., Troy Moles damage lawns while looking for insect larvae and earthworms for food. They love prepared gardens since the soil is soft and pliable. Cutting a trench between lawn and garden can help prevent moles traveling between areas as they prefer to stay covered. If you fertilize frequently, mow frequently, and water lightly and often so the soil surface is often wet, you are setting up the perfect accommodations for lawn disease and pests. Therefore, once you repair the damage done by the moles, examine your lawn maintenance procedures and adjust those three conditions. You can apply a lawn product at the correct time in late spring to address grubs, the larval form of many beetles. Eliminating the food source after your repair work is beneficial. To repair the damage, all the tunnels and mounds must be flattened out, pressed back into the soil, and excess soil scattered. If necessary, set mole traps to eliminate the main culprits. Fill in sunken low areas with a mixture of 50/50 topsoil and compost. Lightly rake the soil areas to scuff up the surface. In smaller areas you can spread turf seed appropriate to your light conditions. In larger areas you may need to lay down pieces of sod on that prepared bed of 50/50, pressing the pieces in to make thorough soil contact. Protect seed with a top dressing of straw and water well. Keep the soil moist but not saturated to get proper germination in the seed areas. Keep the sod areas moist as well so that the roots adhere to the soil surface. Fall is a good time to do the repair, and spring is a good time to apply the grub pesticide to prevent future generations.
Growing hydrangeas from seed I received hydrangea seeds in late August. When and how do I germinate and grow them on so they are mature enough to plant outside? If germination occurs in the fall, how do I get them through the winter months? D., Kalamazoo Growing from seed is exciting because seed-grown hydrangeas are unique. They are not clones of their parent plants. Each of the seed hydrangeas could be considered a
new cultivar. If you were hoping for a clone of the hydrangea whose seeds were gifted to you, they will not be identical replicas. Only asexual propagation (such as cuttings or tissue culture) from the desired plant can give you that duplication. The seeds themselves are tiny and almost look like dust. Place the seeds in potting soil-filled starter seed trays, much like you would any other seed-grown plant. The seeds should simply be set on top of the soil. Do not bury them under the soil or mix them in with it. Make sure that the soil is well-drained but that it is moist the entire time. The best way to do so is with a mister. Put the containers in a sunny area where they will be exposed to direct sunlight. An appropriate grow light could be helpful during winter. Watch for germination and as they grow, thin and weed out the less robust ones so that each seed pod has one good seedling. Once they transform from young seedlings to small plants, follow the same steps you would if you grew your hydrangea from a cutting. Transfer the propagated plant directly to your garden or a container. If germinating in fall, you will have to keep them over the winter in containers in a sunny location in your house away from drafts and heat vents, or use grow lights. Since they grow rather slowly, starting the germination process in the fall may have them a decent size for transplanting outdoors the following year. Or, you can keep them in their containers during their first year outdoors to give them added protection before transplanting them in another year to ground soil. Since they take about 14 months to get to an outdoor size, timing is everything in this seed-growing adventure.
Dividing lilies May I separate my hybrid lilies after they are done blooming for the season? P., Montague Late summer to early fall is a good time to lift and divide hybrid lilies. You can dig up the clumps, divide the bulbs, checking for borers or rot, and immediately plant them back in the ground with greater spacing. It is a good housekeeping chore to do on a regular basis to maintain the health and vigor of the lilies. Transplant the larger bulbs 4 to 6 inches deep, and the smaller bulbs 2 to 4 inches deep. Make
