2011 Spring Home and Garden

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Spring forward with your projects!

SECTION 1

Checklist: fertilizer, sunlight, annuals, perennials, soil type. OK, it’s time to...

DOES IT MAKE sense to install air conditioning in your home in Leelanau County? You’ll find some thoughts on the topic on the cover of Section Two, Spring Home & Garden Guide.

We’ve assembled not one, but two sections for our 2011 Spring Home & Garden Guide. Following are some of the topics covered: SECTION 1: • Mole war options, Page 4.

• Energy audit checklist, Page 6.

• Wash boat for clean water, Page 8 • Pruning tips, Page 9 SECTION 2: • Building code changes, Pages 1-3 • Tips for brighter garden, Pages 6-7 • Coordinating plantings, Page 9 • Inspect winter damage, Page 10 • When to start planting, Page 11

Will tent caterpillars finally leave us alone?

By Amy Hubbell Of The Enterprise staff

There could be a silver lining to cold, damp skies that have been hanging around this spring.

The unseasonably cool temperatures and nasty weather that dominated throughout the month of April may negatively affect the legions of tent caterpillar populations that were in full force in parts of the county last spring.

“This type of hard spring is hard on insects,” said Steve Yancho, wildlife biologist at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

“They don’t do well.”

The national Lakeshore was in the heart of tent caterpillar country last spring.

“They were everywhere … on buildings, trees, walkways … everywhere,” Yancho said.

Forest tent caterpillars, Malacosoma disstria, is a native species found throughout hardwood forests of North America. It feeds on the leaves of many trees. In Michigan, Minnesota and (Concluded on Page 3)

CYNTHIA ROSIEK has a fun display of daffodils, crocuses and snow drops to greet visitors at her home in Glen Arbor. A master gardener, Rosiek and her husband, Ken, have a backyard garden designed to be low maintenance yet colorful throughout the year.

Start Your Own Garden

By Chris Olson Of The Enterprise staff

You’ve visited a friend or relative’s house and can’t help but notice the garden.

It’s friendly and warm with bright flowers, tall stately grasses, and maybe even a bench or bird bath.

You see all that and think, “Geez, why can’t I do that?”

With the help of people such as Cynthia Rosiek of Glen Arbor, it is possible for the least knowledgeable garden person to prepare land for a spring garden.

Rosiek is one of about 40 or so people in Leelanau County who are certified master gardeners through the Michigan State University Extension office. The backyard of the home she and husband Ken have designed is landscaped with wood-chip paths and specific groupings of flowers, ornamental grasses, and shrubbery.

What you won’t find is a lawn.

“We didn’t want a lawn. We wanted a garden that looks good, but doesn’t require a lot of maintenance,” Rosiek said.

So what is the first thing a potential gardener should look at before buying plants, mulch or fertilizer? Rosiek suggests a conversation about placement.

“Terrain doesn’t really matter. You should consider the amount of sunlight and shade your garden would receive from where your garden will go. Obviously too little sun makes it hard to grow anything. Too much sun is just as bad,” she said.

Ideally you should have started planning your spring garden in the fall, so you may want to proceed with less than an all-out approach if you are just starting to look at design.

“Give yourself some time to decide what kind of garden you want. Is it primarily for flowers? Do you want a lawn? How big is it going to be? There are many questions you will have. By starting in the fall you give yourself

plenty of time to decide what you want in your garden,” Rosiek said.

The most important question to answer before starting your garden is determining soil type.

“Soil is so important. The first thing you should do is get your soil tested at the MSU Extension office,” Rosiek said. The extension staff will use your soil sample to determine what plants would thrive on your property.

“They will tell you how acidic the soil is or if it has alkaline. The results will tell you if your soil will sustain plants, and what kinds of plants will grow best in the soil. You need this information before you start planting anything,” she said.

The next step is determining what plants you want and where they should grow.

“I mainly have perennials. We have a sandy soil around our place. The MSU Extension suggested we plant some sort of ground cover, so (Concluded on Page 11)

Page 2, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

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Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1, Page 3

Will caterpillar infestation give Leelanau a break?

Continued from Page 1

Wisconsin, outbreaks can occur in aspen, birch, basswood and oak stands.

But sugar maple is a favored host in parts of the northern Lower Peninsula, according to information on the United States Department of Agriculture website. Regional outbreaks occur at 5 to 15-year intervals, each outbreak lasting 2 to 5 years.

“Infestations are cyclical, occurring between every one and three years, “Yancho said.

“We’re hoping the population crashes this year.”

Yancho and most everyone else.

Erwin (Duke) Elsner, Michigan State University small fruit extension educator and entomologist, has been busy answering questions about the caterpillars and whether they’ll strip trees again this year.

“We’ve been getting a lot of that lately,” he said. “A typical cycle is every two of three years. We’re uncertain.”

Unlike the gypsy moths whose egg masses can be found in any sheltered location, forest tent caterpillars lay their eggs in the canopy of trees which make it difficult to remove. For this reason, caterpillar populations are difficult to control. Gypsy moth populations in Leelanau County peak in the Glen Arbor area because of their preference for oak trees.

Not wanting to take chances, several large landholders in the southwest part of the county have contracted with Stevenson Aerial Spraying to apply one of two substances to the forest canopy.

The Lakeview, Michigan-based business sprays large, agricultural parcels downstate. At this time of the year, they are busy fielding calls from property owners in northern Michigan seeking treatment to protect their acreage from tent caterpillars.

Stevenson offers two options to customers: Bt, Bacillus thuringiensis, a naturally-occuring micro-organism that produces chemicals toxic to specific insects; and Diflubenzuron, sold under the name Dimilin, an insecticide used on forest and field crops to selectively control insects and parasites. Cost of the application is

about $25 per acre. “(Diflubenzuron is) more affective than Bt because there’s residual on the leaves for a longer period of time,” said pilot Ted Simmons, who flies for Stevenson. “Not all the larvae hatch at the same time.”

Timing of the aerial application is important to ensure effectiveness.

“We’ll be spraying when the leaves are onethird to one-half in size,” Simmons said. “About mid-May.” Another option for property owners without a large wooded area is to treat the area around the base of their trees with Merit, a soil-drench

insecticide. Far less expensive than the aerial application, the insecticide is taken up by tree roots and distributed throughout the tree canopy, Elsner said.

Pest control options are usually exercised prior to the larval stage of development. Once forest tent caterpillars go from pupae tolarva stage in their life cycle, they become like the “very hungry caterpillar” of children’s literature and gobble up any foliage within their sights.

During outbreak years, such as 2010, the defoliation appeared to devastate trees, stripping them bare. However, most trees, if they are healthy going into the attack of the tent

caterpillars, can withstand one loss of leaves.

“Even trees that had to releaf last year should be in pretty good shape,” Elsner said.

For the Park Service, which owns an estimated 72,000 acres in Sleeping Bear Dunes, aerial spraying would be cost effective in protecting woodlands from defoliation — but expensive.

“We just have to let them run their course,” Yancho said.

Elsner says that the caterpillars present more of a nuisance than a danger to tree health.

Still, he added, “I can understand why people would want to take action.”

Options for dealing with caterpillar pests Dealing with forest tent caterpillars (FTC) can be frustrating. They don’t cause a health risk to humans, but the presence of a multitude of caterpillars can be a real headache.

Fortunately, individual homeowners can reduce the nuisance associated with FTC outbreaks. They may be able to do so by adopting two basic strategies. First, identify the trees or building that you want to protect. Then work to protect the things you selected and ignore the rest (or at least try to). Second, be persistent. Some treatments may require daily monitoring or re-treatment.

How can I keep them off my house, patio, lawn furniture, etc.?

• Caterpillars can be brushed off the house with a stiff broom or knocked down by a stream of water. If possible, do this daily.

Avoid squashing caterpillars on the house.

This also works for lawn furniture, patios, decks, screens, etc. The longer caterpillars sit on painted surfaces, the most difficult it is to wash any straining that may occur.

• Cocoons may be difficult to remove with a water hose. They can be brushed off the

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house with a stiff broom. Bag, safely burn or compost the cocoons.

How can I tell if my trees are at risk?

• Birches and oaks are often at risk because they are vulnerable to other insect pests and drought which act together to reduce tree vigor. This can cause branch die back and possibly kills trees. Spraying is often warranted to protect foliage after two years of consecutive heavy defoliations, especially if combined with other stresses.

• Newly planted woody ornamentals and tree saplings are more vulnerable to the added stress of defoliation and should be protected. Maintaining tree and shrub vigor is very important during the establishment phase of any planting.

• Shade trees and shrubs are vulnerable if recently damaged by construction, trenching, soil compaction, blacktop, etc.

Can I do anything to help defoliated trees and shrubs?

• The most important thing you can do for your trees is to keep them well watered.

Supply one inch per week if you do not receive it in rainfall.

• Do not fertilize trees or use a weed and

feed product on your lawn during an outbreak. Heavy nitrogen fertilization encourages the tree to produce more leaves that may deplete energy reserves and put additional stress on the tree. Fertilize in the fall after leaf-fall to build roots and energy for the following year.

What are some of the proven methods for controlling FTC? • Pick or prune off FTC egg masses from valuable small tress or shrubs before they hatch. They can be removed from mid-July of the current year to late-April of the following spring.

• Hand pick caterpillars from plants and put them in a soapy water solution to kill them.

Will spraying this year reduce the FTC problem next year?

• No. Spraying will only affect this year’s population of caterpillars. Since the moths are strong fliers, forested areas will be invaded during moth flights and eggs will be laid on treated and untreated trees alike.

— Information taken from the MSU Extension

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Page 4, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Homeowners have options in ‘mole wars’ From the Michigan State University Extension

It’s said that you have to “know your enemy” so let’s take a look at a little mole biology.

Moles, along with their relatives the shrews, are members of the mammal order Insectivora, which literally (and appropriately) means “insect eater.” Moles are specially adapted for a life underground—they have short thick fur that can lie comfortably in any direction, tiny eyes, and ear openings that are hidden under the fur. Their bodies are rather narrow and compact, their snouts are pointed, and they have large claws on the toes of their powerful, shovel-like front feet. Under the right soil conditions, moles can tunnel at a speed of 15 feet per hour.

No wonder it seems like they can ruin a lawn almost overnight.

There are two species of moles in southern Michigan: Eastern moles are by far the most common species in suburban yards, while star-

nosed moles are found mostly in damp soils near ponds, marshes, or other wetlands, and sometimes even swim and feed underwater.

The eastern has a short, almost naked tail, while the star-nosed has a longer, furry tail and (as the name implies) distinctive tentacle-like projections around its snout.

In warmer, damper weather, eastern moles make their well-known feeding tunnels just under the surface; they push up the soil to form the long, winding ridge that most annoys homeowners. In drier weather, and in winter, they create deeper tunnels, at times over 2 feet down; the excess soil may be pushed upward, forming the well-known “molehills.” Both mole species can create surface-breaking tunnels and “spoil” hills. Contrary to popular belief, you cannot always discriminate between the species on the basis of the shape or size of these hills, though in general eastern moles tend to create larger, more irregular hills. Starnosed moles create lower, more neatly rounded hills, at least in wetter soils.

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Typically in May a female mole gives birth to 3 to 5 naked babies in a cozy nest, usually in one of the deeper burrows. They grow quickly and leave the nest in about a month, and are independent and making their own burrows by late summer or fall. Eastern moles tend to be rather solitary animals, and possibly territorial.

Though it may seem like your yard must be inhabited by hundreds of moles, it is more likely that the maze of tunnels criss-crossing your lawn was made by only a few moles, and quite possibly only one.

Moles have huge appetites, and may eat up to a third of their weight in food each day. The diet includes mostly earthworms and adult and larval insects, along with a few centipedes, spiders, slugs, snails, and a bit of vegetable matter such as roots and seeds. Moles occasionally attack the underground nests of yellowjackets and other wasps.

All in all, moles are beneficial animals, consuming numbers of potential insect pests and aerating the soil. However, there is no doubt that they are highly attracted to the bounty to be found in well-watered and fertilized lawns, and here they become quite a nuisance! So how can you eliminate or at least discourage moles in the yard?

There are several options: • Repelling eastern moles from an area is often possible using one of the castor oil-based liquid products (such as Mole-Med® and Scoot-Mole®). These are sprayed on the lawn with a standard garden or hose-end sprayer.

Noticeable results may occur after several days; heavy rains will dilute the effect and necessitate reapplication. The products are thought to be relatively non-toxic to people, pets, and wild-

All in all, moles are beneficial animals, consuming numbers of potential insect pests and aerating the soil.

THE EASTERN MOLE, shown above, are the most common of two species native to Michigan. life when used as directed.

• Other repellent methods may also be effective in small garden areas, including devices such as “mole windmills” that vibrate the ground, and the dense planting of certain plants like “gopher purge” (Euphorbia), castor bean, marigold and Fritillaria.

• Some other often-suggested remedies are usually ineffective and often unsafe; these including placing human hair, “chewed” bubble gum, broken glass, engine oil, or mothballs in the mole tunnels, or trying to flood out the moles with a garden hose. Oil should never be spread in the home environment, and moles may eject mothballs and glass onto the surface, where they are hazardous to children, pets, and wildlife. Flooding won’t work in porous sandy soils, but may have some utility in heavy, dry clay soil.

• Cats and dogs sometimes learn to catch moles; cats are poor at digging and more often catch shrews on the surface that some people mistake for moles. Certain dog breeds take great joy in digging out moles, but often cause considerable additional damage to the lawn in the process!

• Direct killing of moles will certainly help the problem, but catching them is not easy.

• Sometimes by flattening mole tunnels and then patiently watching for active digging, you can locate the mole and quickly flip it out of its burrow with a shovel. Activity is usually greatest at dawn and after sunset.

• Trapping is a bit tricky, but can be effective. There are several trap types on the market; the two most common styles are the “harpoon” trap with several long, sharp metal spikes on (Concluded on Page 5)

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Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1, Page 5

Options in ‘mole wars’ Continued from Page 4

the business end, and the “choker” type that grabs the critter with a metal loop. Start by stamping down sample sections of the mole tunnels in your yard and noting which ones are quickly pushed back up each day; these are the ones to target. Follow the directions of the trap manufacturer. In hard, dry ground, the harpoon traps may not work unless soil is loosened or the trap is staked down. Once the trap is set, place extra soil over any openings over the tunnel, as light shining in will scare the mole. Star-nosed Moles can be trapped by digging into the tunnel below one of the mounds; refill the hole with loose dirt and set the trap over the hole.

• Fumigation of mole tunnels using smoke cartridges is another option, but this tactic rarely achieves full control without frequent and timeconsuming reapplication. Follow package instructions for cartridge placement and ignition, and keep children and pets away during use. A number of the cartridges must be introduced

simultaneously into the active tunnels, perhaps every 5 to 10 feet, and tunnels must be re-sealed after ignition to prevent smoke from escaping.

• Reducing the mole’s food supply by using lawn insecticides may discourage moles by reducing the numbers of beetle grubs and other insects that attracted the moles to the area in the first place. However pesticides must be used judiciously and with due caution as nearly all involve certain risks, even when used as directed.

• Other stronger, mole-control substances, including poison baits and toxic fumigants, may be available for use by licensed pest control companies, but are generally not otherwise available to the homeowner. Again, no poisonous substance is completely risk-free, and one should weigh carefully the choice of introducing these chemicals into the home environment to eliminate an annoying but otherwise harmless pest.

It is always wise to start with the least risky control methods for any pest, and then gradually “escalate the battle” as necessary.

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Page 6, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Energy audit examines home health

The Seasons are Changing... Should You?

By Linda Hepler Special to the Enterprise

YOU HAVE A CHOICE!

If you’re still reeling from this past winter’s utility bills – not to mention praying for a summer free of need for air conditioning – take heart. By making some fairly simple home energy upgrades, you can save a significant amount of money in utility bills.

What’s more, you may be able to take advantage of both federal and state energy efficiency tax credits for 2011, easing your filing anxiety come next spring.

But which improvements will have the biggest impact on your utility bills? If you’re not sure about this, a good step would be to consider a professional home energy audit, said Zachariah Johnson, NEAT-certified weatherization inspector and owner of R.O.I. (Return on Investment) Weatherization in Lake Leelanau.

“A home energy audit is like a physical exam of your house,” he explained.

According to Johnson, a thorough energy audit will take several hours, and includes a visual inspection of both the interior and exterior of the home. The inspector will first ask about all aspects of the house – how old it is, if there are any abnormally hot or cold rooms, unusual smells, or obvious moisture problems, such as condensation inside of windows or a leaky basement. Then there’s the tour of the home. An outside inspection will reveal problems like missing shingles or siding, or roof pitches where heat is lost. Inside, windows, doors, insulation, heating and cooling system – even appliances and light fixtures – will be checked for energy efficiency.

A professional energy audit also includes diagnostic tests to measure the amount of air that is leaking through cracks, holes, gaps in insulation, and connections in heating and cooling systems. The “blower door test” consists of a powerful, variable-speed fan with a speed controller mounted in an adjustable panel that is temporarily fit into an open exterior doorway.

The system depressurizes the house, resulting in a measurement that allows the tester to determine just how leaky it is.

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ZACHARIAH JOHNSON sets up a blower door test as part of an energy audit.

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Audit examines home health Continued from Page 6

But the blower door test can’t determine the precise source of the leaks. So the inspector will often use an infrared scanner to pinpoint the culprits. Blue areas denote cold air coming in through leaks or inadequate insulation.

Finally, all of the information that has been gathered is entered into a computer system, said Johnson. This includes data from the blower door test, as well as the size of the house, number of occupants (including pets), and nearby sources of moisture, such as ponds, streams, or lakes. The result: a recommendation for modifications you can make for energy savings.

“A computerized program can determine priorities in energy upgrades – what’s the best bang for your buck,” he added.

According to Johnson, there’s a lot of science to an energy audit. The goal is not an airtight home, but just the right tightness.

“You want a house with perfect breathability,” he explained. “If it’s too tight, then moisture from everyday living can cause mold and off gassing (emission of noxious gasses) from carpets, furniture, and other building materials, resulting in poor indoor air quality.”

Following are three picks for upgrades that will result in energy savings, and available

Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1, Page 7

Three Ways to a Beautiful Lawn

tax credits.

• Air seal the leaks that have been identified around windows, doors, and connections, using sealing caulk or spray foam, or weather stripping.

Tax Credit: Federal: 10 percent of the cost, up to $500. Products must be designed for air sealing and have a manufacturer’s certification statement. Certain products may also qualify for state tax credits.

• Increase insulation levels wherever you can, especially in the attic and basement sidewalls.

Tax Credit: Federal: 10 percent of the cost, up to $500. Typical bulk insulation products qualify, such as batts, rolls, rigid boards, blow-in fibers, expanding spray, or pour-inplace. State of Michigan also offers a credit of 10 percent of the installed cost, up to $150 for eligible joint filers.

• Upgrade heating system and appliances as needed.

Tax Credit: Air source heat pumps, biomass stoves, hot water boilers, energy efficient furnaces, and certain appliances qualify, but tax credit eligibility and amounts vary. Check manufacturers’ web site for eligibility.

For more information about both federal and state tax credits for energy upgrades, visit the U.S. Department of Energy website at http://www.dsireusa.org

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Blinds: more than window dressings Most of us regard window treatments, such as blinds, shades and draperies, as a decorative home feature. But carefully selected window treatments can also reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in the summer.

Chris Peron, is owner of Busters Blinds, a custom window treatment company that has been in business in Leelanau county for 20 years. “As much as 25 percent of a home’s energy can escape through windows,” said Peron.

And Kay Johnston is a designer for Trend Windows in Traverse City who has also been following the popularity of tax rebates.

“People like that, when they can get a rebate,” said Johnston. “I have a lady who will probably do more because of it. You can only (claim one rebate project a) year, so she thought she’d do another room this year.”

While window treatments don’t change air leakage — you need to caulk and weatherstrip to do that — they can block heat transfer through a window pane.

Which treatments are best? “You can add any window treatment, even a roll-up shade, to help with energy loss,” said Peron. “But all the energy tax credits now are for cellular shades.”

A cellular shade works as an insulator between the window and your home’s interior. “In the winter it pulls warm air from the house into the cell, creating a buffer so that cold from the windows can’t come into the home. And in the summer it does just the

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

opposite,” explained Peron.

There are dozens of styles, colors and fabrics available in cellular shades, including side to side, cordless, and varying levels of opacity – but the most important consideration for energy efficiency is how much insulation you need, said Peron. If you have double pane windows in place, you can probably get away with a single cell shade. With less energy efficient windows, a high quality double cell shade is ideal. And for extra protection, you may choose cellular shades with a track system.

“The track goes along the side of the shade and seals the gap between the shade and the window,” said Peron.

Cellular shade products that qualify for 2011 federal tax credits include Hunter Douglas and Comfortex.

“Both will give you a tax credit of 10 percent of the purchase price up to $500,” Peron said.

Johnston added that company rebates are also available.

Customers appear knowledgeable about the IRS rebates. “A lot of them know about it, because our clients seem to be more well informed these days before they get in the door,” said Johnston, who added that business is much improved this year.

“Things are good. Commercial has come back, and we’re busy residentially. It looks like it will be a good year,” said Johnston.

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Page 8, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Boat washing good for clean water

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Many of those who attended a three-hour “Boatwash Workshop” at the Leelanau County Government Center last week may never have known before how important it is to keep one’s boat clean – especially if the boat is used in more than one body of water.

The workshop was sponsored by Leelanau Clean Water, a group comprised of each of the county’s lake associations, several private environmental organizations, and many local units of government with a role in preserving and enhancing water quality.

The washing of recreational watercraft can keep the number of invasive species down in Leelanau County’s inland lakes, according to Sarah Litch, the chair of Leelanau Clean Water and a longtime leader of the Glen Lake Association.

Few organizations in Leelanau County have been more active in working to protect water quality than the Glen Lake Association. The association has operated a boat washing site at a Michigan Department of Natural Resources boat ramp on Little Glen Lake for more than 20 years.

The Glen Lake Association has long advocated a protocol for boat washing outlined by the Izaak Walton League of America, one of the nation’s oldest conservation organizations, based in Maryland. The league recommends the following procedures for keeping boats clean with an eye toward preventing the spread of invasive species: • Remove any visible plant matter, animals, mud and dirt from your boat, trailer, boots, waders, decoys and all equipment that was exposed to the water.

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PAUL HALL, a boat wash technician with the Glen Lake Association, uses a pressure washer on a boat coming out of Little Glen Lake at a Michigan Department of Natural Resources launch site.

• Empty water from motors, jet drives, live well, boat hulls, canoes and kayaks, scuba tanks and regulators, boots, waders, bait buckets and more.

• Clean the boat and equipment with hot water (at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit), if possible. If hot water is not available, spray boats and equipment with high pressure water.

• Allow the boat and equipment to dry for at least five days before using it in other waters.

The guidelines are endorsed also by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the National Park Service.

“We recognize that not everyone will be able to comply with these guidelines all the time,” said Chris Otto of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. “But we encourage people to do the best they can, and want people to be aware of how easy it is to spread invasive species by moving a boat from one body of water to another.”

More than 186 invasives are now in the Great Lakes. The National Lakeshore employs three heated powerwash systems on their own vessels that help prevent the spread of plant and animal invasive species, as well as Viral Hemorrahgic Septicemia (VHS) a bleeding

disease in fish.

“We also recommend the use of a brush with stiff bristles to clean off boats, particularly along seams and other joints,” Otto said. “We have placed signs at a number of locations around the Lakeshore, trying to promote boat washing to prevent the spread of invasive species. We expect to be working a little harder this summer on our efforts to educate the public about this,” he said.

Otto was slated as one of the speaker’s at last week’s boatwash workshop. Also making presentations at the workshop were Rick and Ann Meeks from Higgins Lake, regarding how they developed plans, funded and constructed a selfserve boatwash for Higgins and Houghton lakes.

In addition, Sallyanne Morris, head of the Glen Lake boatwash operation, shared her insights, as did Mike Litch of the Glen Lake Association.

Also recommended for washing are any dogs or other critters who go swimming in one lake before traveling to another. In addition, boaters and fishers are urged to not dump any unused bait in a lake, but to put it in a trash can ashore.

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Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1, Page 9

From tools to yews, here are some tips for pruning

By Mary Wilson Michigan State University Extension

Sharpen your skills and your tools!

If there’s one mistake I see home gardeners repeat often, it’s making poor cuts because of cheap tools. The adage “you get what you pay for” is definitely true here. If you invest in a quality pair of hand pruners and a good saw, I dare say you will never need to replace them. Sharpening or replacing the blade is imperative as well. Don’t go out there with rusty, dull tools and expect to do your shrubs any favors!

Plant response The next thing you should understand is how the shrub will react to your pruning cuts. Pruning in general stimulates a growth response. Some methods of pruning generate more re-growth than others. To keep it simple, I will refer to “heading” and “thinning” cuts.

Cutting off the tip, or growing point, of a plant is called heading or heading back. By removing the point containing the terminal bud on a twig,

Conservancy plans invasives workshop Local experts including staff members will lead an invasive species workshop sponsored by the Leelanau Conservancy today, May 5, in the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station in Bingham Township.

Workshop presenters will lead a discussion about invasive plants in Leelanau County, and how they impact the world around you. Attendees will receive a free field identification guide to invasive plants with a $10 value.

Call 256-9665 for further information about the workshop, which will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

other buds below that tip are stimulated to grow.

This is a common practice used to “thicken” plants such as in a hedge or with herbaceous plants (pinching) such as Chrysanthemum.

A thinning cut is made by removing a branch at its point of origin along the stem or trunk.

Ultimately, what you have done is redirect the way a plant is going to grow. Thinning stimulates very little in the way of re-growth and in many cases is the desired method of pruning for both size reduction and enhancing the shrub’s natural appearance.

Pruning yews In many cases, we have planted or inherited foundation plants around our homes. When a plant is small, it is easy to underestimate the ultimate size of a shrub and most often, size control is the primary reason for pruning foundation plants. A common evergreen known as the yew easily adapts to being planted too close. Although they tend to grow a fair amount each season, when pruned properly, they can be dense and attractive for many years. Yews respond well to the heading cut I mentioned earlier. By hand trimming back the leggy shoots that appear each June, the plant can have a natural appearance and still stay in bounds.

When the plant has gotten out of control, however, more drastic cuts deep into the “shoulders” of the plant are also acceptable and may ultimately result in the size reduction you are seeking. Don’t worry about cutting into the lower woody tissue on a yew because lower buds will respond and grow when exposed to sunlight. Temper your pruning into the lower woody tissue on a yew because lower buds are slow to respond in most cases.

No matter how much you prune back your shrubs, remember to keep the top of the plant more narrow than the bottom. This will encourage thickness at the base by allowing sunlight to stimulate growth all the way to the bottom.

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Meatball and tuna can theory There are few areas in one’s life where we have the ability to exercise supreme control without repercussion or police involvement except in our home landscape. Armed with a dull pair of shears or a power hedge trimmer, we can totally dominate our plants! The act of trimming may keep your shrubs from growing too large or too wide, but one should always question, “Was the shrub planted in the right location to begin with?”

Gardeners who attempt to exert “uniform conformity” over a shrub like a juniper may even be rewarded by deformity and even death if you’re not careful. I like to keep the chain saw (for removal) in the running as an option.

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With the onset of spring, gardeners gear up for their annual landscape “make over” by extracting dusty saws and hand pruners from the garage and investing in the season’s first sore muscles. Pruning can be one of the most perplexing rituals for the spring gardener because pruning requirements vary with each species.

I find it very entertaining to drive along and look around the neighborhood at over-enthusiastic pruning jobs. The green meatballs and tuna cans that people call shrubs outside their homes are pruning atrocities!

All plants have a “natural growth habit.” The best place to see the natural form of a foundation plant, such as yew or juniper, is an old cemetery.

Given free reign, these plants we label as shrubs can be as tall as a house. You can see why it is difficult to prune them into various shapes.

Pruning junipers Junipers have a very different growth habit compared to the yew. Since they do not sprout from the interior branches when cut hard, gardeners need to be aware of the growing tips for best success. In this case, your best pruning success will be with the thinning method and avoid hedging shears all together. Junipers can easily outgrow their site unless thoughtful, size-reduction techniques are used. When a juniper has been cut repeatedly with hedge shears, it is likely to become deformed and die back beyond recognition.

Because junipers need their new shoots for continued growth, hedging these shrubs will end in failure. Select the branch that you want to remove and follow it all the way back into the center of the plant then cut. Since junipers tend to be “layered,” the feathery foliage on top of your cut will cover up the wound and keep the integrity of the plant. I see many junipers that have been planted in the wrong place. This is where you will need to evaluate whether or not to use the chain saw!

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Page 10, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

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KAYLA METCALF and her dad Jim have all kinds of fertilizers available for you at the Northport Nursery. With the weather starting to get close to normal now is the time to look at what kind of fertilizer you might need to help your lawn and garden grow.

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Sometimes your lawn needs a little help to make everything grow green and strong.

For that we have fertilizer.

Be it all natural from the back-end of a cow or a crystalized offering from a lawn and garden center, some “black gold” or 12-12-12 will help just about any lawn or garden in need of a boost.

The trick is to know what formula to use, and how much would be just right.

Jim Metcalf is owner of S & J Landscape L.L.C., and Northport Nursery in Northport. With some 500 customers for his landscaping business, Metcalf uses a lot of fertilizer to create nice, green lawns.

“Whether or not you need fertilizer is determined by your soil. What is your soil composition? We can test your soil to see what, if anything it needs. We also look at if weeds are a problem. If they are, we have fertilizers that will help your lawn grow and control weeds,” Metcalf said.

How much fertilizer you need depends on the size of the lawn, the condition of your soil and how much moisture the lawn will receive. Metcalf said fertilizers he sells are for the most part safe with clear instructions on the back of the bag.

“We have just about every kind of fertilizer you would need, from Scotts Weed and Feed and Turfbuilder to stuff like Espouma and Milorganite,” he said.

Modern fertilizers are designed to be used by anyone. However, certification is needed to charge for fertilizer application.

Perhaps the biggest danger associated with fertilizer is “burning” a lawn by applying too much fertilizer in one specific area.

“Burning” results after too much fertilizer is applied, which will dehydrate grass either in its roots or crown. Depending on the severity of the burn, grass will turn brown and could die.

Metcalf said with products like Milorganite, even if you over fertilize your lawn, there will be burning, but it won’t be as severe as non-organic material.

Fertilizing can have its drawbacks even if applied properly: you may have to cut your grass more.

“The best thing about these products is they all have clear instructions on the back. And, if you don’t understand the directions, or have ques-

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tions, they all have a 1-800 number in the instructions that you can call to ask questions,” Metcalf said.

Milorganite also serves as a deer deterrent.

“Now I know that and the company knows that, but they can’t say that on their products or advertise that benefit. In order to use it in advertising, the company would have to prove it to the government regulators and that is a long, involved process. So, they don’t advertise it, but I can tell you this fertilizer is a deer deterrent,” Metcalf said.

Metcalf said an increasingly popular option for landowners is growing a low maintenance yard.

“Notice I did not say ‘no maintenance’ as the only way you get that is by having nothing but rocks in your yard,” he said. S & J used pebbles in people’s yards as a ground cover a few years back, but has cut back on that use as pebbles don’t hold water or nutrients for plants.

“We use pebbles mainly for a walk way through a garden or yard. For most of our low maintenance yards we use wood chips as covering and larger rocks or boulders as accent pieces,” he said.

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If you have a lawn that goes down to the water’s edge, new state regulations will soon govern the use of phosphorus fertilizers on those lawns. According to information provided by the Michigan Lake and Stream Associations, Public Act 299 of 2010 will restrict the use of phosphorus-based fertilizers on waterfront lawns in the state.

New restrictions go into effect on Jan. 1, 2012. For more information about the change please go to www.mlswa.org/ENewsletters/MLSA-ENewsletter-January-2011. pdf. Landscaping companies are up on the latest local, state and federal government restrictions on riparian use of fertilizers.

Glen Arbor Township got ahead of the law and already adopted the stricter regulations as an ordinance, as suggested by the Glen Lake Lake Association.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 1, Page 11

Your Own Garden Continued from Page 1

we planted clover,” she said.

The soil test will also help you determine the best type and amount of fertilizer to use. Rosiek uses different types of fertilizer, and maintains compost and mulch piles on her property.

Composting is a fairly inexpensive way to create good, black dirt needed for a prolific garden.

“For mulch we basically just rake up all our leaves, we grind them up in the fall and put it in a pile next to our composting pile,” she said. In the spring once she has put in new plants, she covers everything with mulch.

Mulching accomplishes two important things. First, it provides a cover for young plants and protects them from wild weather swings.

Second it keeps weeds down.

Although the weather so far this spring has been cold and wet, Rosiek said her early varieties of perennials are already blooming. “The daffodils are up and looking good. My poor snow drops came up and then got hammered by that snow...the crocuses are up and holding up so far,” she said.

Rosiek expects other early spring varieties to start poking up through mulch and dirt, including hepatica, a flowering woodland plant, lungwort and bloodroot.

Of course plants cannot grow without water.

“You have to keep in mind how much water each plant will require and how you will get water to your plants. You cannot just rely on the rain,” Rosiek said.

While she enjoys her garden and all the work that went into it, Rosiek said she did some planning before putting in a single bulb or seed.

“I knew I didn’t want a big lawn or such a big garden that all I did was work in it. Gardens are lovely, but who wants to spend their entire summer doing nothing but maintaining their garden?” she asked.

She found her balance by using wood chips to cover areas of the garden that are not planted

A LAWN MOWER is not needed to maintain the beautiful yard setting at the home of Ken and Cynthia Rosiek. with flowers, shrubs or ornamental grasses. The couple also have a cozy deck off the back of their house on which they can sit and look at their garden.

One final consideration for a first-time gardener is the surrounding environment.

“If you are right on the edge of a woods or wild area, your flowers will attract deer and other wildlife. You will want to put up a fence to keep the deer out. Deer will eat just about any sort of flowering plant or tree, and will decimate your garden,” Rosiek said.

The couple have a black chain-link fence around their backyard with gates that close to

keep deer out.

Not all critters, however, are excluded. “The raccoons can get in, but the deer are kept out,” Rosiek said.

They also have small patches of flowers in their front yard. To keep deer from eating these plants, Rosiek places small, fine-mesh covers over the flowers. The barriers are just big enough to keep deer from munching the plants to death.

For more information about starting a garden or to have soil tested, please call the MSU Extension office at 256-9888.

CYNTHIA ROSIEK (above) suggests not to put in such a large garden that you lack time to enjoy it.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

SECTION 2

Should you ‘air’ on side of precaution?

By Eric Carlson Of The Enterprise staff

Because the weather is so cool for so much of the year in Leelanau County, is installing air conditioning in your home worth the expense?

Of course it is, according to local air conditioning contractors. And even though they may have a vested interest in encouraging people to install central air conditioning in their homes, the numbers seem to back them up.

“Sure, you can go out and get a window air conditioner for next to nothing, and keep part of your house cool during the summer,” said Dave Wurm of Leland who installs all types of air conditioning systems through his business, Leelanau Sheet Metal.

“But you will find that a window unit runs far less efficiently and ends up using far more electricity than cen-

tral air conditioning even though the initial costs of central air may be higher,” Wurm said. “Over time, you will save money with a central air system.”

The federal government has set standards for energy efficiency in air conditioning systems that varies from region to region. Known as a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER), the higher the number, the higher the efficiency. In most parts of Michigan, a SEER of 13 is required. In many of the sunbelt states, however, a SEER of 16 or higher is required because the air conditioners run more often, and for longer, than they do in Michigan.

Although various parts of Leelanau County vary in temperature on hot summer nights, the differences are not all that great. In fact, the same general (Concluded on Page 4)

Average High Temperature Maple City 85˚ 80˚ 75˚ 70˚ 65˚ 0˚

May 67.9º

June 77.0º

July 81.3º

August 79.0º

Source: National Weather Service

DAVE WURM, a heating, ventilating and air conditioning contactor from Leland, works on a heat pump at a Leelanau County home. Wurm owns and operates Leelanau Sheet Metal which also installs ductwork for heating and cooling systems.

Code changes can increase costs; have long-term benefits

By Amy Hubbell Of The Enterprise staff

Recent changes in the state Construction Code will increase the cost of your next remodeling project.

However, the code updates are expected to result in greater efficiencies and in most cases require what would be considered a past “best practice” by contractors.

Dennis Grant, owner of Camelot Construction, knows first-hand how the new code can impact a project.

Grant began a home for a couple on the south end of Lake Leelanau in 2007.

“It was the man’s dream house,” Grant said.

However, two years into the construction process, the husband passed away. His death brought the project to a halt until this spring when the man’s wife and sons agreed to complete the home and put it up for sale.

But there was a hitch. By then, the original building permit had expired, forcing Grant to secure a new permit for the unfinished project.

The updated Construction Code requires builders to undergo two addi-

See Break out of code changes, Pg. 3

tional inspections—an insulation inspection after rough construction and a flashing inspection in connection with a final inspection. Each permit will cost homeowners an additional $50.

Previously, builders could get by with insulation value of R-13 or above—insulation that can’t fit easily between two-by-four lumber studs in walls. The new requirements require insulation valued at a minimum of R-20, which best fits between two-bysix studs.

There are other requirements.

“Now, the basement has to be finished,” Grant said.

He’s less critical of the flashing inspection, which can prevent repairs in the future.

“I can’t tell you how many 10-year-

old roofs I’ve seen that are failing because someone did a poor job with insulation and flashing,” Grant said.

Flashing is essential to prevent moisture and water from seeping under roofing material edge. If water gets through, it can spread through the under-layment and shingles, causing rot and other damage.

During winter, the edge area also has a tendency to accumulate ice and snow—called an ice dam, which can undermine a room.

Bob Evatt of Seeco Construction agrees with Grant that the code changes are something builders can live with.

“They’re nothing too seriously involved,” he said. “The insulation updates are more stringent. But they (Concluded on Page 4)

Tips for when to insulate home Insulate your home when: • You have an older home and haven’t added insulation. Only 20 percent of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.

• You are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in the summer. Adding insulation creates a more uniform

temperature and increases comfort.

• You build a new home, addition or install new siding or roofing.

• You pay high energy bills.

• You are bothered by noise from outside; insulation muffles sound.

Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture

BEN HERMAN and Adam Krantz are among local construction workers who have to incorporate recent construction code changes into their projects. They are pictured here working in a home on south Lake Leelanau.

Page 2, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Steps to getting a building permit for your project

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In the spring, business invariably starts picking up at the Leelanau County Construction Code Authority office where building permits are issued and various inspections are arranged for construction projects.

But what exactly do you need to do to obtain a building permit? The Code Authority has a handy one-page flyer that spells out those requirements.

First, you need to obtain a document showing that you own the property, or at least have permission from the property owner to do work there. The latter should come in the form of an authorization letter from the owner.

Next, you need to confirm the address of the project and, yes, every location has an address.

If there isn’t a formal address, you can obtain one through the Leelanau County Planning and Community Development Department just down the hall from the Code Authority office in the county Government Center.

(The address there, by the way, is 8527 E. Government Center Dr., Suttons Bay.) Third, you will need to obtain a soil erosion permit. A permit is required for any earth change or disturbance on most properties, including any property within 500 feet of a water body such as a lake or stream; within 100 feet of a regulated wetland, or is one acre or more in size. In addition a soil erosion permit is required whenever you’re developing or expanding a driveway with a slope of 10 percent or greater. If your project is commercial, you will require a soil erosion permit regardless of the project’s size, location or slope.

Next, you will need to obtain a health department permit. This will note whether water and sewer requirements are being met either publicly or privately.

Then, you need to obtain a land use permit from the township or village within which you reside. In most cases, land use permits are issued by zoning administrators who determine whether your project complies with local zoning ordinances.

If your project involves putting in a new driveway, you’ll also need to obtain a Drive-

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Instructors are not employees of Leelanau County, instead working on a contractual basis to handle inspection requests. way Permit from the Leelanau County Road Commission.

A relatively new requirement for building permits relates to the new state energy code.

State energy code documentation must accompany plans or prints for any new single family dwellings and additions.

The building permit application itself must include two sets of construction documents including complete building plans. The plans must include foundation plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, truss design data, a site plan, and an authorization letter from the property owner if the applicant is a contractor.

When applicable, building permit applications must also be accompanied by electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, as well as permits from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.

Although the folks at the Construction Code Authority office are generally very friendly, they will not accept building permit applications and drawings that are incomplete.

They’ll also make sure that your building permits and address are posted on your job site before construction begins.

Anyone seeking more information can phone the Construction Code Authority office at 256-9806.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2, Page 3

Check list for changes to construction code required in dwelling units within which fuel-fired appliances are installed, and in dwelling units with attached garages.

• At least one egress door must be provided for each dwelling unit. The egress door must be side hinged and provide a minimum clear width of 32 inches when measured between the face of the door and the stop, with the door open 90 degrees.

The minimum clear height of the door opening must be no less than 78 inches, measured from the top of the threshhold to the bottom.

There were also a number of changes to the residential mechanical code, including the following: • Furnaces and air-handling systems that supply air to living spaces must not supply air to or return air from a garage.

• Domestic clothes dryer exhaust ducts must have a smooth interior finish and must be constructed of metal 0.16-inch thick. The duct size must be four inches in diameter.

The plumbing code also contains some changes, including these: • A check valve and a full open valve located on the discharge side of a check valve must be installed in pump or ejector discharge piping between the pump or ejector and the gravity drainage system.

• Shower receptor construction and lining – shower pans – will be checked to meet code requirements at the “rough plumbing” inspection.

As for the residential electrical code, one of the more notable changes requires that tamper-resistant receptacles must be used in more areas of a home, as specified in the code.

The new code changes also require some additional inspections including an insulation inspection after rough building, and a flashing inspection.

The entire Code Book is available for purchase through the State of Michigan at (517) 241-93134, or the International Code Council at (888) 422-7233. The Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area in Traverse City also has copies available for sale – phone, (231) 9462305.

A reference copy is available for anyone to review at the Construction Code Authority Office in the Leelanau County Government Center.

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Anyone embarking on a home improvement project this spring should be aware that some major new provisions of the state Construction Code went into effect on March 9, 2011, that may affect how your project takes shape and whether inspectors from the Leelanau County Construction Code Authority will give your project a passing grade.

Many of the changes were voted into law in 2009, but have been taking effect in phases. Leelanau County building official Glenn Dempsey says he’s eager to ensure that everyone in the county complies with the new code, and is standing by to answer any questions from contractors or property owners.

In the meantime, he’s posted a sampling of code changes required by the State of Michigan effective this spring. Some of the biggest changes relate to Energy Code compliance, and include the following new requirements: • An energy blower door test must be completed prior to a final building inspection to ensure that “building envelope tightness” and insulation meet more stringent installation requirements.

• A permanent certificate completed by the builder or registered design professional must be posted on or in the electrical panel showing compliance with the Residential Energy Code.

• Supply ducts in attics must be insulated to a higher standard than before (R-8). All other ducts must be insulated to a minimum of R-6.

• All ducts, air handlers, filter boxes, and building cavities used as ducts must be sealed. Joists and seams must comply with more stringent requirements as well.

• A more stringent R-20 insulation value is required in all wood frame walls, with an R-49 required in the ceiling.

Additional changes were made in the Residential Building Code, including the following: • Buildings must have approved address numbers that contrast with their background and can be visible from the street or road fronting the property. The numbers must be a minimum of four inches high, with a minimum stroke width of onehalf inch.

• Habitable attics require an emergency escape window and rescue opening with a smoke alarm.

• Carbon monoxide alarms on new construction must be installed outside each separate sleeping area in the immediate vicinity of the bedrooms

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

‘Air’ on side of precaution standards for air conditioning systems apply throughout Michigan.

In general, an air conditioning unit with a higher SEER number will cost more to purchase and install, but will cost less over time because of the energy savings. The tradeoff comes in how much you can save if you’re only using air conditioning for a few nights in the summer – as is sometimes the case for homeowners in Leelanau County.

Wurm said that one of the best solutions for owners of existing homes that do not have air conditioning is to install a heat pump, which takes advantage of the temperature differential between the inside and the outside of a house.

“Personally, I have a heat pump that has a SEER rating of 16 on our home,” Wurm said.

“But I have allergies and just cannot sleep at night in the summers with the windows open – so we turn on the air conditioning more often; and we paid a little more up front for a more efficient unit.”

Wurm noted that although heat pumps are physically larger than older, conventional air conditioners, they draw less electricity than a vacuum cleaner – when they need to run at all.

Wurm’s own home already had a “forced air” heating system installed, consisting of metal ductwork thoughout the home. When it gets really cold outside, the furnace kicks on. But having the heat pump built into the system ends up saving him about 30-percent in heating costs per year, he said.

Jim Grant of A1 Advantage Heating & Cooling in Bingham Township said many of his customers are amazed to learn that installing central air conditioning in their homes can actually save them money on heating costs.

“I’ve been installing a lot of split-ductless systems lately that are perfect for an add-on situation like a bonus room over a garage, and where no ductwork is present in a house,” Grant said.

Split ductless systems have an exterior condenser and an indoor evaporator unit. Splitductless is more expensive than window or portable air conditioners, but less expensive than central air if only a few rooms are being cooled.

Grant said he also advocates heat pumps and even geo-thermal systems that work like a heat pump, but take advantage of temperature differentials in the ground or water table rather than in the air.

Both Grant and Wurm noted that cooling a home on hot summer nights has to do with more than just the temperature, however. Frequently, humidity is what makes long summer nights uncomfortable – and central air conditioning units are especially good at reducing humidity.

Lower humidity, in turn, reduces mold and mildew inside the home, as well as dust and pollen.

“Business has been pretty slow recently as it has been throughout the building trades,” Wurm acknowledged. “A lot of the work I’ve gotten recently is from customers I’ve known for a long time who need some maintenance work or want to add central air conditioning. Now is definitely the time to do it.”

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Code changes have long-term benefits Continued from Page 1

probably should be anyway.”

Builders are now required to obtain yet another new inspection of their projects—a “blower door test”—which pressurizes the entire structure to determine if and where air may be leaking. If leaks are discovered, measures must be taken to stop the leaks and add more insulation in some cases.

Other recent updates were made to the Michigan residential code, building code, plumbing code, mechanical code, electrical code, uni-

form energy code, rehabilitation code and barrier free code. Many of the changes are minor, technical changes, but may be important in some projects.

“I don’t think they went too crazy this time,” Evatt said. “We’re building new houses according to the new rules. I don’t see it being a big deal or anyone having difficult complying with them.”

Anyone with questions about the new construction code requirements can have their questions answered by calling the county Construction Code Authority at 256-9806.

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Page 4, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2

Thursday, May 5, 2011

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Ashes from your wood stove can make a garden better

Some tips for composting Bob Bricault MSU Extension educator

Turn yard waste into a material that can enrich your soil. Whether you have heavy clay soil or very sandy soil, compost can help with nutrient availability, moisture retention and provide clay with better drainage.

Actually the material we add to soils from composting is called “humus”. Humus is the finished product from composting that resist breaking down further. The unique thing about humus is that it helps out with very different extremes in soils. The composting process can be as simple as piling garden debris and letting it breakdown over a couple seasons or it can be done in a couple months by turning the

pile when it cools and keeping it moist which helps speed up the process.

Regardless of the compost method you use, it will produce an amendment that can be beneficial to your soil. Humus can be used in a number of ways: it can be worked into the top 4 inches of garden soil before planting, it can be used as mulch around plants, and it can be mixed in with potting soil for growing house plants. Many gardeners like to make a compost tea from it by placing it in a permeable sack and placing it in a barrel of water to seep. The “tea” from this process can be used to water plants.

The big “Don’ts” with composting are to avoid using any meats, foods cooked in oils, waste from cats and dogs, diseased plants and weed seeds.

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Wood ashes from the fireplace or wood stove may be used to supply both calcium and potassium to soil.

The pH level of soil is measured on a scale of 0 to 14, with 7.0 being neutral. Target pH for growing a garden is 6.5 (slightly acidic). Wood ash works best if the soil pH level is somewhat acidic, below 6.5.

Wood ash is high in calcium content, with the effect of raising soil pH. When wood ash is used at pH levels above 6.5, interference with plant growth may occur as the alkalinity level of the soil increases.

To determine if a garden is a good prospect for wood ash, get a soil test. Details for taking a soil test are available from the Michigan State University Soil and Plant Nutrient Laboratory. It is recommended that garden soil be tested every two to three years to determine current nutrient levels and to make nutrient adjustments accordingly.

Wood ash is composed of many major and minor elements needed by the tree for plant growth. Since most elements are extracted from the soil and atmosphere during the tree’s growth cycle, they are elements that are common in our environment and are also essential elements in the production of crops and forages.

Calcium is the most abundant element in wood ash and gives the ash properties that are similar to agricultural lime. Ash is also a good source of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and aluminum. In

terms of commercial fertilizer, average wood ash would probably be about 0-1-3 (N-P-K). In addition to these macronutrients, wood ash is a good source of many micronutrients that are needed in trace amounts for adequate plant growth. Wood ash contains few elements that pose environmental problems. Heavy metal concentrations are typically low and not in a highly extractable or available form.

Field and greenhouse research have confirmed the safety and practicality of recycling wood ash on agricultural lands. It has shown that wood ash has a liming effect of between 8 and 90 percent of the total neutralizing power of lime and can increase plant growth up to 45 percent over traditional limestone.

The major constraints to land application of wood ash are transportation costs, low fertilizer analysis and handling constraints.

With ever-increasing disposal costs, land application of wood ash will probably be the disposal method of choice in the coming century, resulting in savings for the industry, an opportunity for agriculture and conservation of our resources.

(Editor’s note: Portions of this story were excerpted from Soil Acidity and Liming Internet Inservice Training, Best Management Practices for Wood Ash Used as an Agricultural Soil Amendment, by Mark Risse, Extension Engineering, 307 Hoke Smith Building, Athens, GA 30602, and Glen Harris, Extension Agronomist, P.O. Box 1209, Tifton, GA 31793. Mr. Hudson, the story’s author, may be contacted at hudsonh@anr.msu.edu.)

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Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2, Page 5

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Page 6, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Think outside box to liven up beds

By Linda Hepler Special to the Enterprise

The first warm days of spring have many of us just itching to get outside and clear fallen leaves and branches from the flower beds.

And although it’s gratifying to find the first shoots of your perennials poking through the soil – just where you expected to see them – it can also be fun to change things up a bit with the use of annuals.

While a perennial purist might argue that it’s less expensive and far less work to plant something only once, many seasoned gardeners have learned that annual plants, with their long-lasting blooms, can add sizzle to a garden’s design. Annuals fill in spaces between perennials, liven up the deck and patio with glorious color, and offer a wonderful opportunity to experiment. If you don’t like how your annuals look this season, you can start all over again with a new design next spring!

And remember, in Michigan one person’s perennial can be another person’s annual — depending upon location.

“We carry a lot of annuals — we call them thriller — that would be perennials in areas south of them,” said Tara VanThomme of Plantmasters of Suttons Bay. “They are showy and bloom all summer and will really make your perennial bed the talk of the neighborhood.”

But if you can’t imagine annuals outside of a planter box, how to get started? Here are some ideas: Dress up the perennial bed Master Gardener Ruth Richards of Suttons Bay fills in the bare spots in her shady garden bed by tucking annual impatiens among the primrose and hostas. In the sunny areas, she varies the look from year to year, using snapdragons, “Bright Lights” cosmos (a brilliant orange and yellow), or the ever popular coleus. One of her favorites are the spreading “Wave” petunias. “They kind of meander through the perennials,” said Richards. “And they bloom like crazy all summer long.”

If you don’t want to go to all of the effort of planting your annuals in the ground, you can set some potted flowers among the perennials. Vary the height with different sized containers, or set a potted plant on top of a tipped over empty pot or a strategically placed brick to add elevation.

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Grow vertically with trellising Annuals can offer a unique look when trellised, according to Carol Morris, who along with husband Mike, has owned Breeze Hill Greenhouse in Elmwood Township for 23 years. “If you’re handy, you can take lattice you can find anyplace and use it as a frame,” said Morris.

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Thursday, May 5, 2011

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2, Page 7

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ted turning over soil in preparation for the gardening season.

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dard,” she said. “But it takes them ular option that blooms earlier is an vine. It’s great for a sunny

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colorful heirloom tomatoes and Tromboncino squash, with its yellow-orange blossoms and light green fruit.

“The whole front yard is covered with vines, a lush-looking jungle,” said Allen.

Choose unique containers You don’t have to limit your annuals to a pot or basket.

“Unusual Containers are fun,” said VanThomme. “I love to plant anything, wagons, boots, ect. Lately I have been having fun planting glass containers with terrarium plants for inside. Putting containers planted up with showy annuals into your perennial bed is also a great way to dress us your perennial bed.”

You can use virtually any container, provided it has a hole for

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Page 8, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2

Use odd number when grouping pots If you don’t have a lot of time for gardening but still want to use annuals around your lawn and patio, you can use pre-planted pots and containers.

Make the most of them with artful arrangement, said Tina Lifsey of Anderson’s Garden Center in Glen Arbor, who suggests the following: • “Pots or containers look nice in groupings. Generally an odd number, like one or three, looks better than an even number.”

• Vary the height of plants within a grouping. “If everything is flat, it looks kind of boring.”

• “Part way through the summer, move

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

your containers around, or freshen them up with a new filler or a brighter color of flower for a new look.”

Leelanau County’s growing season How does Leelanau County’s spring growing season compare with other parts of Michigan?

The Michigan State Climatologist’s Office does not keep track of Leelanau County’s date; the closest available location is Traverse City. Following are the dates when the chance of having a frost occur drops below 25 percent: Traverse City .................. June 1 Alpena ............................ June 8 Detroit ............................ April 30 Flint ................................ May 15 Grand Rapids ................. May 10 Grayling ......................... June 10 Lansing........................... May 17 Munising ........................ June 17 Vanderbilt ....................... June 30

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Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2, Page 9

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When choosing plants for your patio and garden, there are lots of considerations. Tina Lifsey of Anderson’s Garden Center in Glen Arbor and Carol Morris of Breeze Hill Greenhouse in Elmwood Township offer the following tips: • Choose the best plant for the area you plan to put it, whether sun, shade, or partial sun. Think about wind, too. Some plants are more wind tolerant for less protected areas.

• Consider how much care you’re willing to give. Some plants need more watering, fertilizing and deadheading (removing faded blossoms) than others.

• Think about what colors will pop out against your house or among the existing plants in your garden. Bright colors will be seen more easily in shady areas.

• Don’t forget fillers like vines and foliage plants, and vegetables, such as potted grape tomatoes, for interest.

• Learn how the plant grows: whether it’s tall or short, if it spreads, climbs or hangs, and how big it gets. Then you’ll know where best to plant it.

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Think outside box Continued from Page 7

drainage, said Tina Lifsey, manager of Anderson’s Garden Center in Glen Arbor. “You just need a way to drain it well. If it’s a favorite container that has no drainage, you can put gravel or stones in it to allow for drainage.”

The sky’s the limit when it comes to containers. A fun option is an old pallet lined on the inside and in the back with weed control fabric, then filled with potting soil. Holes can be poked through the fabric in the front to plant your favorite annual. Straw bale planters are also gaining popularity; compost the bale slightly by soaking and aging it for a week or two, then cover it with a layer of compost followed by potting soil – then dig through the straw to place your plants.

Even heirlooms work as annual containers.

Richards puts potted annuals in place of the burner plates in a small antique cast iron woodstove. “It’s special to me because it was my grandfather’s,” she said.

Hang it up Most of a garden is at ground level, but you can draw the eye upward by hanging your annuals. While hanging baskets are popular, you can also use half pots to hang on a lattice wall, fence, or even the side of your house.

Another idea is a living wreath, which is a sphagnum filled wreath form in which plants have been placed. You can use succulent plants, herbs, or even flowers, said Morris. “But for best success, use shade or partial shade plants so the wreath doesn’t dry out as fast. You do have to water it,” she added.

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JOSEF SISCO of Lake Leelanau makes a pallet container in preparation for Mother’s Day.

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Jim Griswold, owner

THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Winter left ‘normal’ damage to plants in Lower Peninsula With the arrival of spring, many homeowners are starting on their spring yard clean-up. This annual rite of passage provides an opportunity to inspect landscapes for evidence of damage to trees and shrubs that may have occurred during the winter.

From a home landscape perspective the winter of 2010-11 was largely uneventful for most of the Lower Peninsula. February snowfall was heavier than normal in many locations, but most areas avoided temperature extremes – high or low – that can often lead to problems for landscape plants. In late February, a heavy ice storm caused considerable to damage to trees and other plants across a wide swath of southern Michigan from Kalamazoo to Monroe.

For those outside the path of that storm, most of the winter injury that is now becoming evident is what we could consider “typical” winter injury – the kind of damage we would expect to see in a normal Michigan winter.

So, what types of winter injuries are “typical” in the Lower Peninsula?

“Winter burn” on conifers Many conifers are subject to needle drying of winter burn during the winter. The most common symptom of winter burn is brown or red foliage on the exposed (often south) side of the tree.

In some cases, trees will have a snowline below which no damage occurs since those needles were under snow when the rest of the tree was drying.

Winter burn occurs frequently on dwarf Alberta spruce but can occur on other conifers as well.

Action: Wait and see. In most cases winter burn affects needles but not buds. This means that the trees will be able to produce new growth that will cover damaged needles. In many cases, it is hard to find evidence of winter burn by late spring/early summer.

Deicing salt damage Road crews apply sodium chloride and other deicing materials to keep roads clear in the winter.

Many plants, especially eastern white pine, are

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sensitive to salt spray from roadways.

Acute damage caused by direct salt exposure is easy to spot since the damage is usually greatest on the side of the trees facing the road. Sensitive trees such as white pine can usually survive oneyear’s damage but repeated acute damage can ultimately disfigure or kill trees.

Action: If possible, select trees and shrubs that are relatively salt tolerant. The Morton Arboretum has compiled a list of salt tolerant trees that includes plants that are hardy in Michigan. For existing trees, protect them from salt exposure using a barrier such as snow-fence covered with burlap.

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Animal damage Perhaps the most widespread winter damage on trees and shrubs in Michigan is animal damage.

Several animals can damage landscape plants but the most common are small mammals and deer.

Small mammals such as mice, rabbits, squirrels and voles cause damage mainly by gnawing on trunks and branches. Despite their small size, these animals can kill trees by removing bark and underlying tissue around the circumference of a tree trunk, a process referred to as “girdling.”

If a large portion of trunk circumference has been girdled, trees are unable to move energy reserves between roots and shoots, and will eventually die.

Deer can cause extensive damage to trees and shrubs due to feeding and also through rubbing their antlers. Deer feeding is often indicated by a “browse line” based on how high deer can reach.

Deer rubbing can cause major deformation to trunks and can even kill trees by girdling. Deer rub damage can be quite severe on small trees.

Small mammals can also damage landscape plants as illustrated by this rabbit damage on boxwood.

Action: Dealing with problem wildlife usually requires a multifaceted approach. Some of the most common methods to reduce damage include fencing, repellents, habitat reduction, and removal. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management provides a range tipsheets and other useful resources for identifying wildlife damage and strategies for reducing wildlife impacts on landscapes.

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Expert advice: hold off mowing when turf is wet When it comes to turf management, it’s been a relatively slow spring and I actually haven’t even had the need to mow my lawn until the last couple days when the rain really started pounding down.

Now thoughts of mowing seem like complete lunacy.

To this point, the urgency to mow turfgrass has probably been lacking, but now that turf is really growing, the challenge is deciding whether or not to try mowing on saturated soils or just letting the turfgrass continue to grow until the soils dry.

We often get questions about mowing turf when it’s wet and whether or not this is detrimental to the turf. Generally, mowing turf when it’s wet is not a problem for the turf, but may be a problem for your mower. Some mowers may start to clog up when mowing wet turf, especially if the turf is a little taller than you’d like.

Besides issues with the mower clogging, mow-

ing wet turf will dull the mower blade quicker than if you are always mowing dry turf.

In addition to mower issues, and certainly more important in the long run, is the potential to compact the soil or do significant damage to the turf by turning or slipping of mower wheels when the soil is saturated. This, of course, is of greater concern for those using riding mowers or larger commercial mowing equipment than for a homeowner using a push-behind walk mower.

I would advise you to wait on mowing until the puddles under your feet have subsided, otherwise you may do more damage than good.

You may also notice that the turf in poorly drained areas or in areas where downspouts discharge may be turning yellow or brown. There are several reasons for the discoloration, but one of the main reasons is impairment of the root system.

It doesn’t take long once the soil is saturated for soil oxygen levels to decline and root hairs to begin to die. As the turf’s root system becomes impaired, nutrient extraction and water uptake will be limited, which causes the discoloration.

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Page 10, Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2

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THE LEELANAU ENTERPRISE

Spring Home & Garden Guide, Section 2, Page 11

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Wait a minute. You’re getting ahead of Mother Nature.

“It seems like a late spring, but remember our frost-free date for northern Michigan is around June 1,” said Tara VanThomme of Plantmasters of Suttons Bay. Which means unless you know something that stacks of temperature logs are forgetting, we’re in for a few — and probably quite a few — frosty mornings.

If April seemed extremely warm in Leelanau County, it was only because of a short memory.

According to statistics kept by the National Weather Service for Maple City, the average daily temperature in 2011 for April was 41.4 degrees; the average during a time span running from 1971-2000 was 42.5 degrees.

Last year was an anomaly. The average April temperature was 50.1 degrees, sending cherry trees into bloom three weeks earlier than normal.

Frosts remain common this time of year.

However, there are options that stop short of setting up pumpkin plants to brown and wilt after the sun comes up.

“Many people who can’t wait to play in the dirt will plant containers around Mother’s Day, and bring in every night or cover them to protect them from frost. All it takes is one night that you forget to bring them in to kill or dam-

age your investments. Memorial Day is a safer planting date,” said VanThomme.

She has a simple guideline to follow. “The general rule of thumb is that if the temperature is 50 degrees or less at 9 p.m., it will frost that night.”

Pansies are tough, and can be planted now.

“I like to plant containers full of pansies; when it’s safer to plant annuals outside I dig them out and plant them in my perennial bed and replant my containers with my showy annuals,” said VanThomme.

Perennials should be handled differently, she added.

“Any time after Mother’s Day, perennials should be safe to plant. Make sure to harden them off first. Even perennials can be damaged by a frost unless you give them an adjustment period when you bring them home from the warm green house they came from. To harden a plant off, you should put it outside in a shadier location during the day, and bring it in at night if it is going to be below 40 degrees.

“After a week or so, you should be able to plant your perennial outside,” VanThomme added.

Some cold nights are likely ahead. The top three record low temperatures for this month recorded at the Maple City climate station were recorded on on May 2 (17 degrees), May 8 (18 degrees) and May 10 (19 degrees). Lows of 20 degrees were reached on May 1, 1963, May 4, 1966 (there’s that year again), May 3, 1967 and May 6, 1968.

In more recent history, the mercury dropped to 22 degrees on May 6, 1992.

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