South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

Since today is St. Patrick’s Day and tradition dictates that we do all things green and as Irish as possible here are a few things green from my garden!

We have green in the vegetable garden in the form of sugar snap peas, spinach, and lettuce! Other things haven’t come up yet for a visit like the asparagus (which I just planted) and the potatoes. Time and the warm weather coming will give our plantings a growth spurt.

I’ve mulched lightly around the sugar snap peas with grass clippings for an organic fertilizer (approximate NPK: 4-1-2) and for increased water retention in the soil. 

Little ‘Tom Thumb’ lettuce is coming up! When it’s time to harvest the lettuce these little lettuces will be somewhere between 3-4 inches in diameter. It’s a cute little lettuce that kids should love. If you need ideas for a vegetable that will encourage your kids to garden ‘Tom Thumb’ is a good choice. They can sprinkle it (scatter sow) and watch it grow!

Here comes the spinach! It’s growing it’s first new sets of leaves since the cotyledons (that’s a fancy name for the first leaves the seed sprouts to collect energy).

More lettuce seedlings are coming along. These should be one of my favorite lettuces Rouge D’Hiver. It’s a red romaine lettuce with a delicious taste. I know, we said today is for green right? Well the seedlings are green – for now!

How about some extremely green grass! How does this happen so easily and without fertilizers? Through good mowing practices, overseeding in the fall, and allowing the grass clippings to break down where they land. In the fall I overseeded with fescue and rye. The rye grass is an annual and will die off in the heat of summer and supply the soil with more nutrients! Of course it also makes holes in the soil where its root system burrow which has an aeration effect the soil over time. The aeration makes the soil easier for the fescue to grow roots which should enable it to get more water from deeper in the soil! Exciting? Well, I think so!

 

Maybe watching the green grass grow isn’t your thing but you have to admit watching things green up and come alive is pretty cool.

And why not take a look at some green in the blue garden shed? We’ll start with one of my favorite viburnums a ‘Mohawk’ Burkwood (Viburnum x burkwoodii). It’s a fragrant viburnum that is fairly easy to propagate in the late spring and early summer from greenwood cuttings. It’s actually a hybrid of the Korean Spice viburnum (Viburnum carlesii) and Viburnum utile.  I have two in my garden shed that I propagated last year and they are looking fantastic! Follow the link for a picture of our Burkwood Viburnum from last April which I’m hoping will be much more showy this year!

And or some variegated greenery here are some variegated dogwoods! These came from my Tatarian dogwood ‘Elegantissima’ (Cornus alba). Shrub dogwoods are extremely easy to propagate in the fall. Just take hardwood cuttings from the red stems and stick them in soil in a pot! It just couldn’t be much easier.

So there’s a bit O’ green from St. Patrick’s day! Now no pinching – I’m wearing green!

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Trees are beautiful because of their leaves, but it is inevitable that leaves fall. Historically, homeowners have raked up the leaves, bagged them and thrown them out with the garbage. Now, that is no longer possible.

We need to remember that eons ago, no one raked leaves. Before people stepped in. leaves fell to the forest floor where they mixed with the twigs and were stirred up by small animals. They provided natural mulch in the winter and then broke down, enriching the soil and fertilizing the trees the rest of the year. We need to take a cue from nature and use leaves in our yards as much as possible.

Different parts of your landscape have different needs. You can use leaves all over your yard, but there are some inappropriate places to put them as well.

If you are trying to grow grass on your lawn, allowing the leaves to remain where they fall is not practical. The weight of the wet leaves can suffocate grass and moisture will build up under the leaves and cause a host of fungal diseases. If you have a mulching lawn mower, use it to cut the grass and chop the leaves at the same time. But, if you end up with more than one-fourth to three-eights inch on your lawn, it’s time to go to Plan B.

Put the bagger on your lawn mower and collect the chopped leaves and grass clippings. Then, place them around your shrubs for winterizing mulch. In the past, I didn’t like to recommend using leaves as mulch because they tended to compress and mat down, but when they’re chopped, they tend to loft up slightly. This allows air circulation and prevents them from compacting as quickly into an imperious layer that limits water and air from reaching plant roots. Chopped leaves will also biodegrade more rapidly.

If you mulch your shrubs and still have leaves left, put a four inch layer over your garden and spade it under. This will provide nutrients for next growing season. You can do the same in flowerbeds.

For areas of ground cover, don’t try to remove all leaves. Allowing some to work down into the soil will add nutrients to the soil in these beds as well. Now, don’t allow the entire tree to shed all its leaves on one bed of ground cover. The plants may suffocate and dies. For these areas, I like to use an electric or gas powered vacuum-type leaf remover and take most of the leaves from the bed without having to continually stomp through it or damage plants with a rake.

If you still have some leaves left, add them to your compost pile. Don’t forget to turn it. If you have children, you might want to leave one big pile of leaves in the yard until it really gets cold. Leaf piles, as you may remember, are great for jumping in, throwing around and just generally having a lot of fun with.

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Fall Cleanup Guide
Find out what you need to be doing in your garden once your harvest has ended.

By Zazel Loven

	In This Article > Dr. Green’s tips for your fall garden > OG Checklist Related Articles > Fall Lawn Care > Fall Bird Feeding Tips > Flowers For Fall > Cover Crop Basics Discussions > Over the Fence

You and your fall garden benefit when you give your plants the same TLC in fall as you do in spring and summer. Wildlife will find food and shelter, weeds will be easier to control, and plant diseases as well as pests will no longer drive you crazy. Follow OG’s guide to the tasks and tools to help you through the season’s finale-and you can thank us come spring.

Home gardeners should first identify their pests and then act to reduce the potential for exacerbating these problems through overwintering, says Tom Green, Ph.D., president of the IPM Institute of North America.

Dr. Green’s tips for your fall garden

* Remove all rotten fruit from the ground around trees-infestations last through winter.

* Mulch to maintain soil quality, using weeds (but not those with seeds), cocoa hulls, grass clippings, leaves, and straw.

* Plant cover crops after harvest to correct soil compaction.

* Confuse pathogens by mapping out a garden plan for crop rotation.

* Protect perennials from frost heaving by mulching after the ground freezes.

* Protect ornamentals such as azaleas and berry bushes from bud-eating deer with deer netting.

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Walk into any supermarket, hardware, store, or general store and you will usually see shelves loaded with fertilizer, pest control
, pesticides, etc. The list goes on and on. People are, however, focusing more and more on health issues from looking for natural ways to encourage a healthy lawn to washing fruit thoroughly before eating.

How many times have you set your lawnmower at its lowest setting to cut your grass as short as possible? You are doing this for basically two reasons: cutting less often and shaving off those unsightly weeds, right?

Did you know that shorter grass encourages weed growth? If you will adjust your mower blades to around 3 inches and make sure they are sharpened, you will actually discourage weed growth and pests! Instead of raking the grass clippings, leave them unless they are very long. They actually work as a natural fertilizer.

It makes since that the more grass coverage you have, the less weeds there are to deal with. Keeping that in mind in the spring and fall, sprinkle grass seeds liberally on bare areas in your yard, so that you choke out any unwanted weeds. You will need to first loosen the soil and spread some type of organic filler like peat moss. Make sure you walk over the area that you have just seeded to flatten the seeds into the earth. If you know a good rain is on the way, this would be the perfect time to plant and then let the rain wash the seeds into the earth.

If you are having a fungus problem, look in your kitchen cabinet or pantry for the answer. Vinegar has so many uses and killing fungus is one of them. Add about 3 or 4 tablespoons per gallon of water and use a sprayer to cover problem areas. Water your lawn in the early morning hours. If you wait till the cool of the evening, the water will not have the opportunity to go through its natural evaporation process, thus encouraging fungal growth. Another way to control fungus is to apply liquid seaweed. It is chocked full of the nutrients that lawns need. Apply it monthly for the full benefits of this cure-all. It is very inexpensive!

Not sure about the health of your soil? Dig for worms! That’s right! Earth worms are a great indicator of the health of your soil. The general rule is that you should find at least 8 to 10 earthworms in a square foot of soil. Earthworms are natural aerators. They do the work for you!

If your soil seems unhealthy, take it to your local county extension service. Many times you can find help at your local cooperative store, also. If the soil is too acidic, you may need to add lime, another inexpensive treatment. If it is too alkaline, then sulfur may be what you need. Your extension agent can test your soil for you and make recommendations.

Composting is an easy way to harvest more nutrients for your soil, and it is recycling, too! If you have a vegetable garden, use your mower to mulch the left over stalks, plants and bushes. Make sure you save any pea shells or bean shells to throw into the mix. Mow them several times to make the pieces smaller, then leave them in the garden through the winter and let nature do its work! You can add various leftovers from the kitchen such as egg shells, potato and carrot peels, fruit peels and cores, etc.

Before you get ready to work on your lawn in the spring, spread your compost pile out a little and mow over it again. Now, spread your compost over your lawn. Less trash for you, and vitamins for your grass! Make sure to save enough to pile around various plantings that you have added to your lawn and flower gardens.

There are many ways to control those pesky insects that invade your beautiful lawn. One simple way is to combine some dishwasher liquid with water and spray your shrubs and grass that have problem areas. Grubs and other insects hate this simple combination. You can also steep approximately 2 tablespoons of rosemary into a half pint of water for about 20 minutes, let cool, and apply to problem areas. Place birdbaths and birdfeeders in your yard to encourage birds to visit and dine on your area pests.

Some insects are good insects, and you want to attract them. Praying mantis and ladybugs eat the insects that attack your plants and lawn. Refrain from using any type of pesticide so that you encourage these bugs to take up residence in your yard. Various types of flowers such as daisies, marigolds, and sunflowers, and herbs such as dill provide food and a place for the good insects to live and flourish. As you can see, there are many ways to have a beautiful lawn without sacrificing the health of you, your family, and your pets.

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Proper Leaf Cleanup

Trees are beautiful because of their leaves, but it is inevitable that leaves fall. Historically, homeowners have raked up the leaves, bagged them and thrown them out with the garbage. Now, that is no longer possible.

We need to remember that eons ago, no one raked leaves. Before people stepped in. leaves fell to the forest floor where they mixed with the twigs and were stirred up by small animals. They provided natural mulch in the winter and then broke down, enriching the soil and fertilizing the trees the rest of the year. We need to take a cue from nature and use leaves in our yards as much as possible.

Different parts of your landscape have different needs. You can use leaves all over your yard, but there are some inappropriate places to put them as well.

If you are trying to grow grass on your lawn, allowing the leaves to remain where they fall is not practical. The weight of the wet leaves can suffocate grass and moisture will build up under the leaves and cause a host of fungal diseases. If you have a mulching lawn mower, use it to cut the grass and chop the leaves at the same time. But, if you end up with more than one-fourth to three-eights inch on your lawn, it’s time to go to Plan B.

Put the bagger on your lawn mower and collect the chopped leaves and grass clippings. Then, place them around your shrubs for winterizing mulch. In the past, I didn’t like to recommend using leaves as mulch because they tended to compress and mat down, but when they’re chopped, they tend to loft up slightly. This allows air circulation and prevents them from compacting as quickly into an imperious layer that limits water and air from reaching plant roots. Chopped leaves will also biodegrade more rapidly.

If you mulch your shrubs and still have leaves left, put a four inch layer over your garden and spade it under. This will provide nutrients for next growing season. You can do the same in flowerbeds.

For areas of ground cover, don’t try to remove all leaves. Allowing some to work down into the soil will add nutrients to the soil in these beds as well. Now, don’t allow the entire tree to shed all its leaves on one bed of ground cover. The plants may suffocate and dies. For these areas, I like to use an electric or gas powered vacuum-type leaf remover and take most of the leaves from the bed without having to continually stomp through it or damage plants with a rake.

If you still have some leaves left, add them to your compost pile. Don’t forget to turn it. If you have children, you might want to leave one big pile of leaves in the yard until it really gets cold. Leaf piles, as you may remember, are great for jumping in, throwing around and just generally having a lot of fun with.

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• Proper Leaf Cleanup
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Maintaining A Compost Heap

Many people who maintain gardens have a large amount of organic waste, from grass clippings to leaves and dead plants. Unfortunately, many waste money and time having these wastes transported to a landfill. It isn’t just a waste of good compost; it’s a waste of everything that goes into the process of transporting it (the garbage man’s time, the money you pay for the removal, etc). It is truly a travesty.

All this garbage that people are trying to get rid of can be a better supplement for your garden than any fertilizer or chemical. If you properly facilitate the decomposition of all of the garbage, it will alter chemically until it is in such a state that it can be nothing but beneficial nutrition for other plants. Therefore you can turn all the stuff you would have thrown away into top grade fertilizer for your garden.

Usually compost is maintained in a pile somewhere in your backyard. Usually the thought of a compost heap brings disturbing images to ones mind; heaps of rotten garbage emitting a horrid odor. However, if you maintain it correctly you’ll be able to produce great compost without producing an offensive odor. When I first began my compost pile in an effort to improve environmental health, I made several major errors. These included preventing the pile from the oxygen it truly needed, and keeping it to dry. It ended up decomposing in a very non-beneficial way, and producing an odor so foul that I had government agents knocking at my door.

When you are choosing your spot where you will be putting all of these materials, you should aim for a higher square footage. Having a really deep pile of compost is not a good idea, because generally the deeper sections won’t be exposed to anything that is required for the process to work. It is better to spread it all out over a large area. If you have a shed or a tool shack of some sort, it is a possibility to spread it over the roof (with boards to keep it from falling off, of course). I have seen this done several times, and it helps keep the pile out of the way while still maintaining a large square footage.

A compost heap can consist of any organic garbage from your yard, garden or kitchen. This includes leaves, grass, any leftover food that won’t be eaten, or newspaper (no more than a fifth of your pile should consist of newspaper, due to it having a harder time composting with the rest of the materials). Usually if you have a barrel devoted to storing all of these things, it will fill up within several weeks. It is quite easy to obtain compost, but the hard part truly comes in getting it to compost.

After you have begun to get a large assortment of materials in your compost heap, you should moisten the whole pile. This encourages the process of composting. Also chop every element of the pile into the smallest pieces possible. As the materials start to compress and meld together as they decompose, frequently head outside and aerate the pile. You can use a shovel to mix it all up, or an aeration tool to poke dozens of tiny holes into it. Doing this will increase the oxygen flow to each part of the pile, and oxygen is required for any decomposition to take place.

If maintaining a compost pile sounds like something that would interest you, start considering the different placement options. The hardest part about maintaining a pile is choosing a spot that provides enough square footage without intruding on the rest of your yard or garden. While usually you can prevent the horrible odors that most people associate with compost heaps, it’s still not a pleasant thing to have to look at whenever you go for a walk in your garden.

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