Please note OVGC members may access The Federated Garden Clubs of CT, Inc. here for information about garden club events around the state, newsletters, awards, and federated schools. To access the members only area, contact a board member for log in information.
MONTHLY HORTICULTURE REPORTS AND GARDEN TIPS
When is the correct time to prune? Some great advice from our March speaker, Felicia Millett, PhD, CT Agriculture Experiment Station
Did you know....Hydrilla is an invasive aquatic weed found here in CT Bev Siegler
In less than 10 years, a small aquarium plant is taking over the Connecticut River. Hydrilla is an invasive aquatic weed from Eurasia. The version found in CT is genetically distinct from elsewhere in the country. It was first detected in Keeney Cove in Glastonbury in 2016. Scientists believe someone dumped a decorative aquarium plant there. It now covers over 1,000 acres of the CT river between Essex and Agawam, MA.
To help control the spread, boat owners are urged to wash down any boat pulled out of any water in the state before relaunch. It propagates through fragmentation. Wherever it breaks off, it can re-root.
In less than 10 years, a small aquarium plant is taking over the Connecticut River. Hydrilla is an invasive aquatic weed from Eurasia. The version found in CT is genetically distinct from elsewhere in the country. It was first detected in Keeney Cove in Glastonbury in 2016. Scientists believe someone dumped a decorative aquarium plant there. It now covers over 1,000 acres of the CT river between Essex and Agawam, MA.
- It forms a mat of vegetation and blocks sunlight from penetrating beneath the water’s surface.
- It kills off plants like eel grass that creates a spawning ground for some fish.
- It can raise the water temperature & reduce water flow to create more mosquito breeding areas.
- It can decrease carbon dioxide in the water & cause growth rates of native plants to slow or stop.
To help control the spread, boat owners are urged to wash down any boat pulled out of any water in the state before relaunch. It propagates through fragmentation. Wherever it breaks off, it can re-root.
Native Plant of the Month: Hamamelis virginiana (Common Witch Hazel) Laura Sorensen
When Halloween comes around, thoughts turn to ghosts, goblins, and witches. In the gardening world, fall foliage is foremost in our minds as flowering plants fade. However, native Hamamelis virginiana or Common Witch Hazel combines all three characteristics with golden autumn foliage, late yellow flowers, and a Halloween name!
Native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida and Texas, Witch Hazel grows in shaded woodlands and woodland edges, and is resistant to most insects and diseases. A small understory tree or multi stemmed shrub, Witch Hazel reaches heights of between 15 and 25 feet with irregular, somewhat twisted branches. Leaves are large ovals with unequal bases and wavy toothed edges. Our native Hamamelis blooms in November while the leaves are still present. The yellow blooms form loose spikes and are mildly fragrant. Small tannish brown seed capsules develop the following year, and then in the fall they shoot their shiny black seeds quite a distance.
Hamamelis’ fall blooms are valuable to late season pollinators including moths, gnats, and small bees. It provides nesting habitats for many bird species, is a larval host for 68 species of moths and butterflies, and the seeds are eaten by small mammals, turkeys, and other birds.
This native tree probably received its common name from early settlers who used its forked branches as dowsing rods to locate water for well digging, “wych” being an early English word for bend. Witch Hazel leaves and bark are used to produce the anti-inflammatory astringent that goes by the same name. Nearly all of the medicinal and cosmetic witch hazel in the world is produced right here in Connecticut by the American Distilling company in East Hampton under the original brand name T.N. Dickenson.
Sources: “Common Witchhazel” University of Maryland Extension, September 12, 2023, extension.umd.edu
Reynolds, Janet, “Connecticut is the witch hazel capital of the world-and it’s harvest time, Connecticut Magazine, Feb. 25, 2021, consider.com
Stritch, Larry ,“Plant of the Week: American Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)”, US Forest Service, fs.usda.gov
When Halloween comes around, thoughts turn to ghosts, goblins, and witches. In the gardening world, fall foliage is foremost in our minds as flowering plants fade. However, native Hamamelis virginiana or Common Witch Hazel combines all three characteristics with golden autumn foliage, late yellow flowers, and a Halloween name!
Native to eastern North America from Nova Scotia to Florida and Texas, Witch Hazel grows in shaded woodlands and woodland edges, and is resistant to most insects and diseases. A small understory tree or multi stemmed shrub, Witch Hazel reaches heights of between 15 and 25 feet with irregular, somewhat twisted branches. Leaves are large ovals with unequal bases and wavy toothed edges. Our native Hamamelis blooms in November while the leaves are still present. The yellow blooms form loose spikes and are mildly fragrant. Small tannish brown seed capsules develop the following year, and then in the fall they shoot their shiny black seeds quite a distance.
Hamamelis’ fall blooms are valuable to late season pollinators including moths, gnats, and small bees. It provides nesting habitats for many bird species, is a larval host for 68 species of moths and butterflies, and the seeds are eaten by small mammals, turkeys, and other birds.
This native tree probably received its common name from early settlers who used its forked branches as dowsing rods to locate water for well digging, “wych” being an early English word for bend. Witch Hazel leaves and bark are used to produce the anti-inflammatory astringent that goes by the same name. Nearly all of the medicinal and cosmetic witch hazel in the world is produced right here in Connecticut by the American Distilling company in East Hampton under the original brand name T.N. Dickenson.
Sources: “Common Witchhazel” University of Maryland Extension, September 12, 2023, extension.umd.edu
Reynolds, Janet, “Connecticut is the witch hazel capital of the world-and it’s harvest time, Connecticut Magazine, Feb. 25, 2021, consider.com
Stritch, Larry ,“Plant of the Week: American Witchhazel (Hamamelis virginiana)”, US Forest Service, fs.usda.gov
Native Plant of the Month: Ceanothus americanus (New Jersey Tea) Laura Sorensen
New Jersey Tea or Mountain Snowball is a low, deciduous multi stemmed shrub native to eastern and central North America. Hardy to zone 4, it grows no more than 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide making it an excellent plant for the home landscape or in pollinator gardens.The leaves are oval and finely serrated. This shrub blooms in spring with long-lasting clusters of small white fragrant flowers. In the wild, New Jersey Tea is found in clearings, prairies, and dry upland forests. It grows in full sun to part shade and is tolerant of drought, rocky soil, and road salt once established. The shrub’s deep roots and habit of blooming on new growth allow it to recover from wildfires. Because of the deep roots, it is difficult to transplant established plants. Propagation is most successful by seed, softwood cuttings, and plugs.
New Jersey Tea is so named because it was considered the best substitute for tea during the Revolutionary War. Its flowers provide nectar for pollinators, the seeds are eaten by birds, and it is a larval host for 44 moths and butterflies including the Mottled Duskywing, Spring Azure, Crocus Geometer, and Cecropia silk moth.
Sources: Ceanothus americanus, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Hayden, W. John, “Wildflower of the Year 2019 New Jersey Tea” Virginia Native Plant Society, February 6, 2019, vnps.org
New Jersey Tea or Mountain Snowball is a low, deciduous multi stemmed shrub native to eastern and central North America. Hardy to zone 4, it grows no more than 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide making it an excellent plant for the home landscape or in pollinator gardens.The leaves are oval and finely serrated. This shrub blooms in spring with long-lasting clusters of small white fragrant flowers. In the wild, New Jersey Tea is found in clearings, prairies, and dry upland forests. It grows in full sun to part shade and is tolerant of drought, rocky soil, and road salt once established. The shrub’s deep roots and habit of blooming on new growth allow it to recover from wildfires. Because of the deep roots, it is difficult to transplant established plants. Propagation is most successful by seed, softwood cuttings, and plugs.
New Jersey Tea is so named because it was considered the best substitute for tea during the Revolutionary War. Its flowers provide nectar for pollinators, the seeds are eaten by birds, and it is a larval host for 44 moths and butterflies including the Mottled Duskywing, Spring Azure, Crocus Geometer, and Cecropia silk moth.
Sources: Ceanothus americanus, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Hayden, W. John, “Wildflower of the Year 2019 New Jersey Tea” Virginia Native Plant Society, February 6, 2019, vnps.org
The Cost of Invasive Species Conservation Report, September, 2023, Katy Hanlon
For the past few years, we have been talking about plants and insects that are invasive pests that at the very least vex us as they detract from our own yards and threaten the health of our ecosystem. Invasives are not just an idle threat. A UN agency, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services issued a report last month that estimated that the global cost of invasive plant and animal species was $423 billion yearly based on 2019 figures. Globally, more than 37,000 alien species have been introduced, mainly by human activity. Of these, 3500 are considered harmful and pose a threat by destroying crops, wiping out native species, polluting waterways, spreading disease, and laying the groundwork for natural disasters. The costs of alien invasives continues to grow, while the resources to intervene are limited. It is not just a problem here. It is a threat that is global, and that is underappreciated, underestimated, and underfunded. What can we do? We can manage invasives in our own spaces; we can use caution not to spread them inadvertently and to use proper disposal methods; we can ask town leaders to work on invasive mitigation on town properties; and we can volunteer with organizations who strive to maintain natural spaces. We can also educate and raise awareness of this immense problem
For the past few years, we have been talking about plants and insects that are invasive pests that at the very least vex us as they detract from our own yards and threaten the health of our ecosystem. Invasives are not just an idle threat. A UN agency, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services issued a report last month that estimated that the global cost of invasive plant and animal species was $423 billion yearly based on 2019 figures. Globally, more than 37,000 alien species have been introduced, mainly by human activity. Of these, 3500 are considered harmful and pose a threat by destroying crops, wiping out native species, polluting waterways, spreading disease, and laying the groundwork for natural disasters. The costs of alien invasives continues to grow, while the resources to intervene are limited. It is not just a problem here. It is a threat that is global, and that is underappreciated, underestimated, and underfunded. What can we do? We can manage invasives in our own spaces; we can use caution not to spread them inadvertently and to use proper disposal methods; we can ask town leaders to work on invasive mitigation on town properties; and we can volunteer with organizations who strive to maintain natural spaces. We can also educate and raise awareness of this immense problem
Broadleaf Helleborine Epipactis helleborine Conservation Report, July, 2023, Katy Hanlon
Broadleaved helleborine is New England’s only widespread non-native orchid. It was discovered in New York in 1879 and has become an aggressive weed in some areas. It seems to be more of a problem in the upper Midwest with Michigan and Minnesota encouraging its demise. In Wisconsin it is on their invasive plant list. It is native to Europe.
Broadleaved helleborine has lance shaped leaves that clasp the stem. Up to 50 irregular flowers can emerge on the stalk. Flowers are ½ to ¾ inch across, the lower petal forming a bowl that is constricted near the tip end; the 2 lateral petals are broadly egg-shaped with pointed tips, and which flare out above the yellowish center column. Petal color is variable and ranges from pale yellow or green to pink to deep reddish purple, usually streaked with darker purple veins. There are three light green sepals, also often with purplish streaks.
It is reported to grow in average soil, and has long roots and will likely grow back if hand pulled. The ones I did pull out had a long white stem, and appear to have broken off at the root.
Has anyone else seen it? It is a mystery to me where it came from, but now I am going to work on not spreading it any further, as it has the potential to become invasive.
Broadleaved helleborine is New England’s only widespread non-native orchid. It was discovered in New York in 1879 and has become an aggressive weed in some areas. It seems to be more of a problem in the upper Midwest with Michigan and Minnesota encouraging its demise. In Wisconsin it is on their invasive plant list. It is native to Europe.
Broadleaved helleborine has lance shaped leaves that clasp the stem. Up to 50 irregular flowers can emerge on the stalk. Flowers are ½ to ¾ inch across, the lower petal forming a bowl that is constricted near the tip end; the 2 lateral petals are broadly egg-shaped with pointed tips, and which flare out above the yellowish center column. Petal color is variable and ranges from pale yellow or green to pink to deep reddish purple, usually streaked with darker purple veins. There are three light green sepals, also often with purplish streaks.
It is reported to grow in average soil, and has long roots and will likely grow back if hand pulled. The ones I did pull out had a long white stem, and appear to have broken off at the root.
Has anyone else seen it? It is a mystery to me where it came from, but now I am going to work on not spreading it any further, as it has the potential to become invasive.
Native Plant of the Month: Viburnum dentatum ‘Arrowwood Viburnum’ Sue Forand
Viburnum dentatum ‘Arrowwood’ is a native deciduous shrub that may grow 5 to 10 feet in height. It can be trimmed and kept smaller. It is native to much of the eastern USA. Hardy from Zones 3 to 8. It has creamy spring blossoms, light green coarsely toothed leaves, and has deep blue fall fruits. The fall foliage is yellow to red to reddish purple. In spring, small white flowers mature in flat-topped clusters up to 4 inches wide. The shrub produces a bluish-black drupe in late summer and early fall. The flowers and fruits attract pollinators and is a wildlife food source (butterflies, bees and songbirds). The flowers are not very fragrant.
This shrub prefers moist well-drained soil. It can be planted in full sun to partial shade and tolerates a variety of soil and pH types. Once established it is heat, drought, and soil compaction tolerant. It can be used as a specimen shrub, a foundation shrub, or hedge and can even be planted along a stream, pond or bog. Truly not a fussy shrub. It’s also deer resistant and not prone to disease.
As the common name suggests, the straight stems of this species were reportedly used for arrow shafts by Native Americans.
Sources: “North Carolina State Extension” https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/viburnum-dentatum/
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden” https://www.bbg.org/article/viburnums
Viburnum dentatum ‘Arrowwood’ is a native deciduous shrub that may grow 5 to 10 feet in height. It can be trimmed and kept smaller. It is native to much of the eastern USA. Hardy from Zones 3 to 8. It has creamy spring blossoms, light green coarsely toothed leaves, and has deep blue fall fruits. The fall foliage is yellow to red to reddish purple. In spring, small white flowers mature in flat-topped clusters up to 4 inches wide. The shrub produces a bluish-black drupe in late summer and early fall. The flowers and fruits attract pollinators and is a wildlife food source (butterflies, bees and songbirds). The flowers are not very fragrant.
This shrub prefers moist well-drained soil. It can be planted in full sun to partial shade and tolerates a variety of soil and pH types. Once established it is heat, drought, and soil compaction tolerant. It can be used as a specimen shrub, a foundation shrub, or hedge and can even be planted along a stream, pond or bog. Truly not a fussy shrub. It’s also deer resistant and not prone to disease.
As the common name suggests, the straight stems of this species were reportedly used for arrow shafts by Native Americans.
Sources: “North Carolina State Extension” https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/viburnum-dentatum/
“Brooklyn Botanic Garden” https://www.bbg.org/article/viburnums
Native Plant of the Month: Vaccinium spp. (Blueberry) Laura Sorensen
If your goal is to plant more native species, sometimes it’s helpful to think outside the box when making choices. People think of blueberries solely as a food crop, and a delicious one at that, but blueberry bushes make an excellent landscape shrub.
Trouble-free and easy to grow, blueberries have tiny white bell-shaped flowers in April followed by purple fruits in late June through August. Their stunning fall foliage color rivals that of the invasive Burning Bush Euonymus, and they are often suggested as a replacement for that problematic shrub. Ranging in height from 18 inches to 6 feet, there are choices among blueberry varieties that will fit in any size landscape, and they can even be grown in containers. Blueberries are easy to find for sale locally or online. If not grown as a food crop, they need almost no care besides modest annual pruning. Blueberries thrive in Connecticut’s acidic soil and are best suited for full sun. Since they are shallow rooted, they benefit from mulch and supplemental watering in dry periods.
There are many library and online sources of information about growing blueberries for food which detail the specifics of variety choice, culture, pruning, and harvesting. In my experience, blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in a small yard. Four bushes produce enough for a family to enjoy, and varying the species can provide a long harvest period. Netting is a must to keep the critters from getting the berries before you do.
Blueberry species native to our area include Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), Blueridge blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) as well as Deerberry and Cranberry. These shrubs are attractive to pollinators, act as larval hosts for as many as 276 species of moths and butterflies, and provide food for birds and small mammals. What other landscape shrub can boast all these benefits?
Sources:National Wildlife Federation Plant Finder “Cranberry, Blueberry” nwf.org, UMass Extension Center for Agriculture “Blueberries as Landscape Plants” ag.umass.edu
If your goal is to plant more native species, sometimes it’s helpful to think outside the box when making choices. People think of blueberries solely as a food crop, and a delicious one at that, but blueberry bushes make an excellent landscape shrub.
Trouble-free and easy to grow, blueberries have tiny white bell-shaped flowers in April followed by purple fruits in late June through August. Their stunning fall foliage color rivals that of the invasive Burning Bush Euonymus, and they are often suggested as a replacement for that problematic shrub. Ranging in height from 18 inches to 6 feet, there are choices among blueberry varieties that will fit in any size landscape, and they can even be grown in containers. Blueberries are easy to find for sale locally or online. If not grown as a food crop, they need almost no care besides modest annual pruning. Blueberries thrive in Connecticut’s acidic soil and are best suited for full sun. Since they are shallow rooted, they benefit from mulch and supplemental watering in dry periods.
There are many library and online sources of information about growing blueberries for food which detail the specifics of variety choice, culture, pruning, and harvesting. In my experience, blueberries are one of the easiest fruits to grow in a small yard. Four bushes produce enough for a family to enjoy, and varying the species can provide a long harvest period. Netting is a must to keep the critters from getting the berries before you do.
Blueberry species native to our area include Highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), Lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium), Blueridge blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum) as well as Deerberry and Cranberry. These shrubs are attractive to pollinators, act as larval hosts for as many as 276 species of moths and butterflies, and provide food for birds and small mammals. What other landscape shrub can boast all these benefits?
Sources:National Wildlife Federation Plant Finder “Cranberry, Blueberry” nwf.org, UMass Extension Center for Agriculture “Blueberries as Landscape Plants” ag.umass.edu
Native Plant of the Month: Fothergilla major and Fothergilla gardenii Sue Forand
Fothergilla is a native of southeast United States. Even though it’s not a true native of Connecticut, it does very well in zones 5 to 8. The reason I picked this native is because we can certainly start considering these natives for Connecticut due to climate change. Plants native to our south have potential to do very well in this region.
Fothergilla (sometimes referred to as bottlebrush shrub) is a deciduous shrub in the same family as Witch Hazel (Hamamelidaceae family). It does well in full sun to part shade. The greenish white flowers are petal-less and are formed with many aromatic stamens 1-2 inches long resembling a bottlebrush. They appear in April/May on the tips of branches before the foliage emerges. The blooms support pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. Fothergilla have multi-season interest in the garden with fragrant spring blooms, bluish-green leaves in the summer, and spectacular fall colors ranging from yellow, orange, scarlet to reddish purple. The fruits are small green capsules that mature to olive-brown and are somewhat insignificant.
Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf) 3’-6’ high by 2’-6’ wide. Fothergilla major (large) can reach 4’-15’ high by 6’-12’ wide.
Sources: “University of Maryland Extension” https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fothergilla
“Ohio State University” https://plantfacts.osu.edu/tmi/Plantlist/fo_denii.html
“Missouri Botanical Garden” https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=245773&isprofile=0&
Fothergilla is a native of southeast United States. Even though it’s not a true native of Connecticut, it does very well in zones 5 to 8. The reason I picked this native is because we can certainly start considering these natives for Connecticut due to climate change. Plants native to our south have potential to do very well in this region.
Fothergilla (sometimes referred to as bottlebrush shrub) is a deciduous shrub in the same family as Witch Hazel (Hamamelidaceae family). It does well in full sun to part shade. The greenish white flowers are petal-less and are formed with many aromatic stamens 1-2 inches long resembling a bottlebrush. They appear in April/May on the tips of branches before the foliage emerges. The blooms support pollinators, especially bees and butterflies. Fothergilla have multi-season interest in the garden with fragrant spring blooms, bluish-green leaves in the summer, and spectacular fall colors ranging from yellow, orange, scarlet to reddish purple. The fruits are small green capsules that mature to olive-brown and are somewhat insignificant.
Fothergilla gardenii (dwarf) 3’-6’ high by 2’-6’ wide. Fothergilla major (large) can reach 4’-15’ high by 6’-12’ wide.
Sources: “University of Maryland Extension” https://extension.umd.edu/resource/fothergilla
“Ohio State University” https://plantfacts.osu.edu/tmi/Plantlist/fo_denii.html
“Missouri Botanical Garden” https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=245773&isprofile=0&
Native Plant of the Month: Salix discolor (Pussy Willow) Laura Sorensen
The silky gray catkins of Salix discolor, or Pussy Willow, are a familiar sign of spring. A small shrub with an open habit, Pussy Willow has small oval leaves that are dark green above and silvery white below, turning gold in the fall. Unpruned it may reach heights of 15-25 feet. This plant is native in a wide area of North America and is hardy from zones 2b to 7b. It is low maintenance, tolerant of a wide range of soil pH, and resistant to browsing by deer. Once established, Pussy Willow is drought tolerant. The shrub reproduces by seed, but more effectively by suckering, layering, or stem cuttings. You will find Pussy Willow in moist to wet areas in full sun to part shade, especially along streams and riverbanks where their spreading shallow root systems prevent erosion. In the home landscape they can be pruned each year after flowering and used as a fast-growing deciduous hedge, or as a small specimen tree. The shrub is dioescious meaning that there are male and female plants. While both produce catkins, the male catkins are those commonly used for spring decorations. Willows as a group are very valuable to insects and wildlife, and the early spring bloom of the Pussy Willow is a important source of pollen and nectar to a wide variety of bees. Pussy Willow is host to 18 different species of butterflies and moths including the cecropia and the Io moths, the eastern tiger swallowtail and the mourning cloak butterflies .
Sources: Garland, Kate, The University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard, “Staff Favorites-Pussy Willow (Salix discolor”), March 1, 2016, extension.umaine.edu; Moore, Melissa, NH Audubon Society, “Plant Profile: Pussy Willow”, April 7, 2021, nhaudubon.org
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, “Salix discolor”, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Wheeler, Justin, Xerces Society, “Plants for Pollinators: Pussy Willow”, March 1, 2017, xerces.org
The silky gray catkins of Salix discolor, or Pussy Willow, are a familiar sign of spring. A small shrub with an open habit, Pussy Willow has small oval leaves that are dark green above and silvery white below, turning gold in the fall. Unpruned it may reach heights of 15-25 feet. This plant is native in a wide area of North America and is hardy from zones 2b to 7b. It is low maintenance, tolerant of a wide range of soil pH, and resistant to browsing by deer. Once established, Pussy Willow is drought tolerant. The shrub reproduces by seed, but more effectively by suckering, layering, or stem cuttings. You will find Pussy Willow in moist to wet areas in full sun to part shade, especially along streams and riverbanks where their spreading shallow root systems prevent erosion. In the home landscape they can be pruned each year after flowering and used as a fast-growing deciduous hedge, or as a small specimen tree. The shrub is dioescious meaning that there are male and female plants. While both produce catkins, the male catkins are those commonly used for spring decorations. Willows as a group are very valuable to insects and wildlife, and the early spring bloom of the Pussy Willow is a important source of pollen and nectar to a wide variety of bees. Pussy Willow is host to 18 different species of butterflies and moths including the cecropia and the Io moths, the eastern tiger swallowtail and the mourning cloak butterflies .
Sources: Garland, Kate, The University of Maine Cooperative Extension: Garden and Yard, “Staff Favorites-Pussy Willow (Salix discolor”), March 1, 2016, extension.umaine.edu; Moore, Melissa, NH Audubon Society, “Plant Profile: Pussy Willow”, April 7, 2021, nhaudubon.org
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, “Salix discolor”, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Wheeler, Justin, Xerces Society, “Plants for Pollinators: Pussy Willow”, March 1, 2017, xerces.org
Native Plant of the Month: Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia Creeper) Laura Sorensen
Also known as American Ivy or Woodbine, Virginia Creeper is a deciduous vine that can grow 30- 50 feet. It can be identified by its palmately shaped, toothed, compound leaves composed of five leaflets. It climbs by means of tendrils ending in adhesive discs. In winter, you can recognize Virginia Creeper growing up a tree trunk by the aerial roots that are thick like strands of spaghetti, unlike those of poison ivy which resemble fine hairs.
Native to eastern and central North America from southern Canada to eastern Mexico, Virginia Creeper is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. Although the best fall color is achieved in full sun, this plant is tolerant of deep shade and drought. Its small green flowers are attractive to pollinators, and the resulting blue berries provide food for birds and other wildlife. In the landscape it is useful as a shady ground cover. Although the tendrils of this vine can mar painted surfaces, it is attractive grown on fences, trellises, and masonry walls. Since it is hardier than Boston Ivy and Japanese Ivy with a range of zones 3-9, it is often used as a substitute for those vines. Unlike the invasive Oriental Bittersweet, Virginia Creeper does not strangle saplings and trees, and is not harmful to the trees it climbs. It is not browsed by deer and is susceptible to few pests and diseases.
Although the berries are mildly toxic to mammals, and the leaves and sap can be irritating to some sensitive people, Virginia Creeper does not need to be avoided like the similarly appearing poison ivy. Just remember, “Leaves of three, let it be. Leaves of five, let it thrive.”
Sources: Burnham, Robyn, University of Michigan, “Climbers, Parthenocissus quinquefolia” July 29, 2013, climbers.lsa.umich.edu
Mahr, Susan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quincquefolia, hort.extension.wisc.edu
Also known as American Ivy or Woodbine, Virginia Creeper is a deciduous vine that can grow 30- 50 feet. It can be identified by its palmately shaped, toothed, compound leaves composed of five leaflets. It climbs by means of tendrils ending in adhesive discs. In winter, you can recognize Virginia Creeper growing up a tree trunk by the aerial roots that are thick like strands of spaghetti, unlike those of poison ivy which resemble fine hairs.
Native to eastern and central North America from southern Canada to eastern Mexico, Virginia Creeper is tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions. Although the best fall color is achieved in full sun, this plant is tolerant of deep shade and drought. Its small green flowers are attractive to pollinators, and the resulting blue berries provide food for birds and other wildlife. In the landscape it is useful as a shady ground cover. Although the tendrils of this vine can mar painted surfaces, it is attractive grown on fences, trellises, and masonry walls. Since it is hardier than Boston Ivy and Japanese Ivy with a range of zones 3-9, it is often used as a substitute for those vines. Unlike the invasive Oriental Bittersweet, Virginia Creeper does not strangle saplings and trees, and is not harmful to the trees it climbs. It is not browsed by deer and is susceptible to few pests and diseases.
Although the berries are mildly toxic to mammals, and the leaves and sap can be irritating to some sensitive people, Virginia Creeper does not need to be avoided like the similarly appearing poison ivy. Just remember, “Leaves of three, let it be. Leaves of five, let it thrive.”
Sources: Burnham, Robyn, University of Michigan, “Climbers, Parthenocissus quinquefolia” July 29, 2013, climbers.lsa.umich.edu
Mahr, Susan, University of Wisconsin-Madison, “Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quincquefolia, hort.extension.wisc.edu
Native Plant of the Month: Physostegia virginiana (Obedient Plant) Sue Forand
Obedient plant is a herbaceous perennial native plant to North America that can be found from Quebec to parts of Florida and New Mexico (zones 3-9). It gets to be 2-4 feet tall and 3 feet wide and may require staking. It likes full sun but can tolerate part shade. It performs well in average, moist, acidic, and well-draining soil. It blooms from late summer to October. The flowers bloom from bottom to top on each spike. It can be divided in either spring or fall. It can also be propagated by stem cuttings in early summer. A bonus, it’s not favored by deer.
I wanted to do my report on this plant because I feel that it has gotten a false reputation as being invasive when in fact it’s not listed on the Connecticut Invasive Plant List. Having said that, the Obedient plant can be vigorous (it’s in the mint family - Lamiaceae) which makes it a perfect candidate for a naturalized, wild, or prairie gardens where the quick spreading plant is a good thing. Divisions every 2-3 years will help in controlling it. If you don’t want it to spread, you can always plant it in a pot but you’ll have to bring the pot inside your garage to protect it from winter weather as you would do with any other potted perennials.
Sources: “Connecticut Invasive Plant List” (October 2018),“The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (page 290)
“Gardening with Perennials” Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley (page 135),https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g620
Obedient plant is a herbaceous perennial native plant to North America that can be found from Quebec to parts of Florida and New Mexico (zones 3-9). It gets to be 2-4 feet tall and 3 feet wide and may require staking. It likes full sun but can tolerate part shade. It performs well in average, moist, acidic, and well-draining soil. It blooms from late summer to October. The flowers bloom from bottom to top on each spike. It can be divided in either spring or fall. It can also be propagated by stem cuttings in early summer. A bonus, it’s not favored by deer.
I wanted to do my report on this plant because I feel that it has gotten a false reputation as being invasive when in fact it’s not listed on the Connecticut Invasive Plant List. Having said that, the Obedient plant can be vigorous (it’s in the mint family - Lamiaceae) which makes it a perfect candidate for a naturalized, wild, or prairie gardens where the quick spreading plant is a good thing. Divisions every 2-3 years will help in controlling it. If you don’t want it to spread, you can always plant it in a pot but you’ll have to bring the pot inside your garage to protect it from winter weather as you would do with any other potted perennials.
Sources: “Connecticut Invasive Plant List” (October 2018),“The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (page 290)
“Gardening with Perennials” Edited by Fern Marshall Bradley (page 135),https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=g620
Native Plant of the Month: Eutrochium spp. (Joe Pye Weed) Laura Sorensen
If you have the space to let it shine, Joe Pye Weed is a long blooming native perennial that attracts many pollinators and provides nectar for several species of butterflies. A member of the aster family formerly named Eupatorium, the plant was recategorized as Eutrochium and includes several species native to Connecticut, including Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe Pye Weed), Eutrochium dubium (Coastal Joe Pye Weed), Eutrochium fistulosum, (Hollow Joe Pye weed), and Eutrochium purpureum (Purple Joe Pye Weed). Reaching heights up to 8 feet, Joe Pye makes a statement in the back of the border or in large landscapes. The lance shaped leaves are arranged in whorls along strong stems. Huge domed or flat composite flowers composed of several smaller pinkish-lavender florets appear in July and continue through late summer. The taller species can be cut back in June to control height and promote bushiness. Several shorter cultivars have been introduced that are more backyard friendly, and have different color flowers including white, darker purple and pink. Eutrochium prefers full sun to part sun and evenly moist soil. In the wild it can be found along waterways and swampy areas and is hardy to zone 2. The only major problem for this native plant is powdery mildew, though some species and cultivars are resistant to the fungus. Joe Pye is seldom browsed by deer. Consider making room in your garden for this striking plant.
Sources: Eutrochium maculatum, North Carolina Extension Gardener, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Hawke, Richard, “A Comparative Study of Joe-Pye Weeds and Their Relatives”, Chicago Botanic Gardens, 2014, citeseerx.ist.psu.edu; Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Outdoor Learning Lab, Greenfield Community College, gcc.mass.edu
If you have the space to let it shine, Joe Pye Weed is a long blooming native perennial that attracts many pollinators and provides nectar for several species of butterflies. A member of the aster family formerly named Eupatorium, the plant was recategorized as Eutrochium and includes several species native to Connecticut, including Eutrochium maculatum (Spotted Joe Pye Weed), Eutrochium dubium (Coastal Joe Pye Weed), Eutrochium fistulosum, (Hollow Joe Pye weed), and Eutrochium purpureum (Purple Joe Pye Weed). Reaching heights up to 8 feet, Joe Pye makes a statement in the back of the border or in large landscapes. The lance shaped leaves are arranged in whorls along strong stems. Huge domed or flat composite flowers composed of several smaller pinkish-lavender florets appear in July and continue through late summer. The taller species can be cut back in June to control height and promote bushiness. Several shorter cultivars have been introduced that are more backyard friendly, and have different color flowers including white, darker purple and pink. Eutrochium prefers full sun to part sun and evenly moist soil. In the wild it can be found along waterways and swampy areas and is hardy to zone 2. The only major problem for this native plant is powdery mildew, though some species and cultivars are resistant to the fungus. Joe Pye is seldom browsed by deer. Consider making room in your garden for this striking plant.
Sources: Eutrochium maculatum, North Carolina Extension Gardener, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Hawke, Richard, “A Comparative Study of Joe-Pye Weeds and Their Relatives”, Chicago Botanic Gardens, 2014, citeseerx.ist.psu.edu; Spotted Joe Pye Weed, Outdoor Learning Lab, Greenfield Community College, gcc.mass.edu
Native Plant of the Month: Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly milkweed or Butterfly weed) Sue Forand
Butterfly weed is a beautiful native herbaceous perennial plant in the Apocynaceae family. It is native to eastern and southern North America (zones 4-9). It grows to 2-3 feet high. It blooms June to August with clusters of bright orange flowers beloved by many types of butterflies including Monarch butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
It likes full sun (can tolerate part-shade but will emerge later). Well-draining soil is essential. It prefers acid soil. It can be slow to establish but once it takes hold it is long-lived. Propagation is usually done by seeds as it can be difficult to divide because of its long tap root. Divisions should only be done in the spring. Fortunately, it seldom needs to be thinned out. Each plant produces seed pods which contain many seeds. It’s a very low maintenance plant. Butterfly weed is drought tolerant and also deer and rabbit resistant.
If you have any interest in doing winter sowing in milk jugs, this is a very good seed to use as the seeds need to be stratified in order to germinate.
Sources: “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (page 168);“Eyewitness Garden Handbooks - Perennials (page 145); https://plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/plant/Asclepias-tuberosa
Native Plant of the Month: Geranium maculatum or Spotted Cranesbill Laura Sorensen
If you spot the occasional lavender pink flower blooming in May or June in open woodlands, along woodland edges, and near shady paths, you are likely seeing our native geranium. There are six species of cranesbill geraniums native to our part of Connecticut, of which Geranium maculatum or spotted cranesbill is the showiest. This native perennial grows from 12 to 28 inches tall and spreads from 12 to 18 inches wide. The deep green leaves are palmately lobed, coarsely toothed, and are found in opposite pairs. Both stems and leaves are hairy. The 5 petaled flowers are arranged in loose clusters of 2 to 5. They have darker striped markings which insects use as a guide to reach the pollen. After a month-long bloom period, seed capsules resembling a crane’s head form. Besides self- seeding, the plants spread by underground rhizomes.
Geranium maculatum needs little care, has few insect pests, spreads slowly, and is never invasive. It is occasionally browsed by deer. Spotted cranesbill is lovely in the woods, but massed, it makes a beautiful shady groundcover or border plant. It grows well in part shade but will bloom more heavily given more sun. The plants sometimes go dormant in dry periods.
Many native pollinators, including bumble bees, solitary bees, ants, beetles, and syrphid flies, visit spotted geranium. Besides their value to pollinators, native geraniums are used as host plants by 26 species of butterflies and moths.
Sources: Mahr, Susan, “Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum” University of Wisconsin, Madison, hort.extension.wisc.edu; Geranium, Native Plant Finder, nwf.org
Native Plant of the Month: Baptisia australis (False indigo or wild indigo) Sue Forand
Baptisia australis is a perennial herbaceous plant (dies back to the ground in the winter) in the Fabaceae family. It is native to eastern and central North America (zones 3-9). It grows to 3-4 feet high and wide. It forms a shrub sized clump of upright blue flower stalks that bloom late spring to early summer for 2-3 weeks. There are others that bloom in yellow (B. sphaerocarpa) and also white (B.alba). After the flowers are done, this plant is still quite attractive with its blue/green foliage (looks like the leaves on pea plants). It forms a dark brown/black seed pod which is sometimes used in flower arrangements.
It likes full sun to part shade. Rich, moist, well-draining soil is preferred. It’s not a fussy plant and can live for years without having to be divided. It may need staking (like peonies) especially if it’s grown in a shadier area. It can also be cut back by ⅓ after bloom time but that will eliminate the seed pods. It is slow to establish but low maintenance once it takes hold.
Normally it is difficult to transplant. It has a very deep tap root and extensive root system. Need to keep roots undisturbed, so you’ll need to take a lot of the soil when transplanting. Spring or fall transplanting works but preference would be spring.
Very few problems with pests (sometimes get weevils in the seed pod) and deer do not like this plant.
If you want to experiment starting from seeds, it can take as much as 3-4 years before it flowers. The seeds will need at least 4 weeks of cold stratification or scarification for best germination.
Very good plant to use as a backdrop to your perennial garden and looks nice individually or in a small group.
Sources: “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
"Gardening with Perennials” A Rodale Garden Book edited by Fern Marshall Bradley
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blue-false-indigo-baptisia-australis/
March 2, 2022 was World Water Day Katy Hanlon
Unfun fact: An estimated 4 billion people, or half the world’s population, already experience severe water scarcity for at least one month a year. We should be grateful that we live in a water rich area, but we should not take our water for granted and do what we can to protect our shared resource.
Which brings up lawns. Shrinking the lawn is a positive conservation step that can be taken. But fact is, we all have some lawn. How we tend it can have an environmental impact. Whether we care for our lawn or outsource it, here are some steps that can be taken:
Cut the grass no shorter than two inches, this reduces the need for watering
Do not bag clippings, keep clippings on the lawn so they will naturally feed the lawn and reduce the need for fertilizer.
Apply little or no fertilizer and only when absolutely necessary: These steps will protect local waters from excess nitrogen will causes algae blooms that smother fish.
Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadblow and Shadbush are the descriptive names for our native Amelanchier. Serviceberry is a deciduous, multi-stemmed understory tree or tall, open shrub. It is native to a broad swath of eastern North America from Maine to Florida and west to Iowa and Louisiana. There are three main species of Amelanchier native to our part of Connecticut, all hardy to zone 4. These are Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), common serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), and running serviceberry (Amelanchier stolonifera). Canadian serviceberry grows 6-10 feet tall and prefers somewhat boggy areas. Common serviceberry is typically 15-25 feet tall and prefers sunny or partially shaded woodlands. Running serviceberry grows 4-6 feet high, prefers drier conditions, and forms large clumps of suckering stems.
A member of the rose family and closely related to apples, Amelanchier blooms near Easter in March or April about the time the shad return to their spawning grounds. In June, it produces small red berries favored by birds. Although the white or sometimes pale pink blossoms only last a week, Amelanchier has four seasons of interest. In summer, its small, oval leaves provide dappled shade, and its open growth habit has a pleasing architectural form. It stars in the fall with gold to red foliage, and has textured bark to provide winter interest.
Besides its value to birds and mammals who enjoy the berries, pollinators and beneficial insects are attracted to the small white blooms, and 114 species of butterflies and moths use this shrub as a larval host. The berries are also edible to humans and can be used in jams, jellies, and pies. In colonial times, the wood was used for arrows and tool handles. This is truly a valuable native species both to wildlife and to the home gardener.
Sources: Amelanchier, National Wildlife Foundation Native Plant Finder, nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants/136 ; Amelanchier, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Serviceberry, Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center, hgic.clemson.edu, March 25, 2010
Native Plant of the Month: Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) Sue Forand
This multi-stemmed deciduous shrub is a favorite of many because of its winter interest but is also very attractive to wildlife throughout the seasons. The mid to late spring flat-top white flowers attract pollinators and the dense foliage is wonderful for wildlife nesting later in the season. It is also a great larval host. The milky white colored fruit which is technically a drupe (fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central seed) looks like a berry and is quite attractive on top of being a wildlife food source. The leaves are oval shaped tapering to a point. Fall colors can range from orange to reddish purple. The bark is thin and smooth - no spines, prickles, or thorns. Branches are often used to make baskets.
The Red Twig Dogwood is native to most of North America. It has a rapid growth rate and can reach 6’ to 9’ tall and wide. Prune oldest canes each year for best twig color. It has a suckering habit and sends out stems from the roots; therefore, it can spread quite easily. It prefers full sun/partial shade and it’s very adaptable to a range of soils but generally likes wet conditions. Perfect for wetlands, near river banks, etc. Good for naturalizing, stabilizing embankments, or mass plantings.
Sources: North Carolina Extension Gardener, https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-sericea;
Go Botany, https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/swida/sericea/; University of Massachusetts -Amherst,https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/dogwood
Native Plant of the Month: Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) Laura Sorensen
Even in the depths of winter, a walk through local woodlands will find the deep green fronds of Christmas Fern poking through the snow. Fronds of our native Christmas Fern remain green all year long. They can be found in small clumps and large groups throughout Connecticut woods. Sources vary in explanation for the common name of the fern Polystichum acrostichoides. Some attribute the name to the slight resemblance individual leaflets bear to a Christmas stocking. A more logical explanation is that the fern is green during the Christmas season, and so is available for seasonal decorations.
The dark green fronds of this fern are about 4 inches wide and up to 3 feet long. They are stiff and leathery in texture with a pointed tip. An Eastern North American native, Christmas Ferns can be found in shaded woodlands from New Brunswick to North Carolina. They prefer neutral soils and moderate moisture but are drought resistant. Individual plants are clump forming and spread quite slowly. When grown in a mass, their fronds and detritus from previous seasons’ fronds help to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Christmas ferns provide shelter and protected nesting sites for several ground feeding and ground nesting birds. They are seldom bothered by insects and are not browsed by deer or rabbits. Christmas ferns can be a trouble-free part of your shady garden.
“Plant Names Tell Their Stories-Christmas Ferns”, University of Pennsylvania, Morris Arboretum, December 2020, https://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/morrisarboretum-blog/421-plant-names-tell-their-stories-native-christmas-fern.html
“Christmas Fern”, Penn State Departmental Web Space, November 2018, https://www.dept.psu.edu/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/christmasfern.htm
Native Plant of the Month- Goldenrod (Solidago ssp.) Laura Sorensen
There are few native plants as instantly recognizable or as beneficial to wildlife in the fall as our native goldenrods. Their cheerful golden flowers brighten fields and roadsides from August to October, providing a last source of nectar for pollinators before winter. Commonly confused with wind pollinated and sneeze producing ragweed, Goldenrod does not cause allergies. In fact, the two plants look nothing like each other, as ragweed does not produce yellow flowers.
Goldenrods are perennials that are easy to propagate and transplant. They tend to be drought tolerant and are widely adaptable. There are over 100 native species of Goldenrod with widely varied forms and cultural needs. You can find species that suit many garden requirements, from full sun to shade and from dry to wet.
The flower of a Goldenrod is composite, which means there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of tiny flowers clustered together to produce their beautiful display. They are attractive to a wide variety of pollinators. Goldenrods are host plants for 123 butterfly and moth larvae. They also provide shelter and forage for stem borers, beetles, wasps, and flies. The insects they harbor plus their seeds and foliage provide food for birds and mammals.
There are 26 species of Goldenrod that are native to Connecticut. A few notable examples are the scented Licorice Goldenrod (Solidago odora), Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea) which blooms a month earlier than other species, White Goldenrod (Solidago bicolor) also called Silverrod, and Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) which blooms heavily in the shade.
Sources: Cooper, Pamm, “The Remarkable World of Some New England Goldenrods”, ladybug.uconn.edu Pankau, Ryan, “Goldenrods for Landscaping”, Extension.illinois.edu, Sep. 12, 2020 Powel, Benjamin, “Native Notes-Goldenrod,” Hgic.clemson.edu, Sep. 29, 2020
Why I Choose Native Plants Laura Sorensen
Like most gardeners, my first motivation for gardening was creating beauty in my surroundings. The most important characteristic of any plant I chose was its appearance. Over time, my growth as a gardener led me to learn about the environment as a whole, interactive system, each part dependent on the other. As I learned about food webs, species diversity, and climate change, my gardening focus changed from how my plants looked to how my garden could support a healthy ecosystem. This led to an appreciation of native plants and their place in maintaining that ecosystem.
Why do I choose native plants to support my backyard ecosystem as opposed to plants introduced from other locations? Native plants evolved over millennia along with the organisms they support. They are part of a web of energy exchange that starts with the sun and ends with meat eaters, including humans. Many insects and other organisms evolved to specialize on just one species of plant. Without that plant, they cannot complete their life cycles. As we lose each insect, the other organisms that depend on them are affected, from other insects, through birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, right up to humans. You cannot remove one member of a food web without affecting all the other members. Non-native plants are less likely to benefit native insects. Previously, plants that insects left alone were very desirable in my garden. Now when I see holes in leaves, I know that I am doing my small part to support life on earth. Without native plants and the creatures they support, our yards become an ecological desert.
While some non-natives are both attractive to and nutritious for bees, pollinators are not the only species of insect needing support. If a plant provides pollen and nectar but its leaves are not a host to any other insect, it is only doing half the job we need it to do. Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) is a common example. The flowers of this non-native species do attract butterflies, but no butterfly or moth native to the US uses it as a host plant. The butterfly cannot reproduce and complete its life cycle with Butterfly Bush as its only choice.
Aside from their critical role in food webs, native plants are important to a healthy environment in other ways. Their presence in the environment ensures the biodiversity of plant species that introduced plants threaten. Their deep root systems act as sponges to hold water and as filters to clean water of pollutants. They clean our air by sequestering atmospheric pollutants. Native plants prevent soil erosion, create topsoil, and build fertility.
Native plants benefit the gardener as well. Since they have adapted to live in this exact region, native plants are generally easier to establish than introduced plants and require less maintenance. Since they require less water, less pruning, and no fertilizer, native plants cost less to raise and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Given the right setting, native plants will thrive without help from us.
We needn’t sacrifice beauty for biodiversity. Native plants are beautiful in themselves. Many commonly cultivated plants began as natives, but were bred for specific characteristics such as size, color, growth habit, and convenience to commercial growers. In the process, some cultivars lost their usefulness to the creatures that depend on them. By changing foliage or flower color, plants become less recognizable or appetizing to insects. Altering flower shape can make it impossible for pollinators to access pollen. Many modern garden plants are bred to be sterile to avoid unwanted seedlings and keep characteristics true, but sterile plants are useless to pollinators. In general, the more the native plant has been altered, the less useful they are to insects.
Each gardener needs to consider their gardening goals. In expanding our goals beyond gardening for our own enjoyment alone to gardening for the greater natural world, we can make a difference that extends beyond our own landscapes. The plant choices we make as gardeners can have an impact on the biodiversity of species in our area, and ultimately, on the health of our planet.
Sources: Lorimer, Uli, Planting a Species or a Cultivar-Will It Make a Difference? Native Plant Trust spring-summer 2021
Native Plants and Biodiversity, Illinois Extension, https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2019-05-10-native-plants-and-biodiversity White, Annie S., From Nursery to Nature: Are native cultivars as valuable to pollinators as native species? February 8, 2013, https://pollinatorgardens.org/2013/02/08/my-research/
Why Use Native Plants? Penn State Extension https://extension.psu.edu/why-use-native-plants
Native Pycanthemum (Mountain Mint) Laura Sorensen
Pycanthemum (Mountain Mint) is a 2-3 ft upright native perennial in the mint family which is beloved by pollinators, and is the host plant for five native butterflies and moths. Pycanthemum is not as aggressive as some mints. It grows in open, sunny, moist fields and along forest edges, and is tolerant of different soils and acidity. Once established, mountain mint is drought resistant. Blooming for up to three months beginning in June, pycanthemum has tiny pink and white tubular flowers, which, in some species, are surrounded by showy silvery bracts. The aromatic foliage is not browsed by deer, and is said to repel mosquitoes when rubbed on the skin. Pycnanthemum is a larval host for 5 species of moths and butterflies, including Chionodes pseudofondella, for which it is the only host plant.
Native species of Mountain Mint in this area: Sources: Crawford, Bruce, Mountain Mint-Truly a Gardeners Mint, https://njaes.rutgers.edu/plant-of-the-month/pycnanthemum.php
National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder, https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants/279
pest by any other name, Garlic Mustard exemplifies the term invasive plant. It is originally from Europe, grows rampantly, sets seed vigorously, and prevents other plants from growing. It is found in great numbers in shady woodlands, disturbed sites and along roadsides in 30 US states where it chokes out native tree seedlings and wildflowers. The roots of the plants exude a chemical which inhibits the growth of vital soil fungi. The leaves also produce a chemical that kills native butterfly larvae that attempt to feed on them.
As a biennial, Garlic Mustard puts forth a low rosette of round, toothed, green leaves its first year. When crushed, these have a strong garlic smell. The leaves remain green over the winter, allowing them to emerge quickly once temperatures warm, thus getting a jump on native species. In April to June of its second year the plant produces small white flowers on 1-4-foot-long stalks with triangular leaves. These are followed by 2-3-inch-long narrow seed pods. The pods pop open later in the summer, dispersing the seeds far and wide. A single plant can produce as many as 8000 seeds. The seeds remain dormant up to 20 months before germinating and can remain viable for 5 years. The plant also develops a tap root which can send up additional stalks.
Once entrenched in a woodland, Garlic Mustard is nearly impossible to eliminate. However, in the home landscape and in the early stages, control is possible. Although it seems an insurmountable task when faced with hundreds of plants, hand pulling is an effective solution. Plants can be pulled at any time, taking care not to disturb the soil and bring seeds to the soil surface where they can germinate. Avoid spreading garlic mustard seeds by carefully bagging any plants that have seed pods. Cutting blooming plants before they set seed takes advantage of their biennial life cycle, as once it has bloomed, the plant dies. Both hand pulling and cutting must be repeated until the seedbank is eliminated. Prescribed burns done in the spring two years in succession can eliminate larger stands of the plant and does not disturb the soil to bring new seeds to the surface.
Garlic Mustard is edible as a salad green and is high in vitamins A and C. However, the damage it causes to Connecticut forests outweighs any value it has as a food source.
Sources:Cipwig.uconn.edu/garlic-mustard-2/# https://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/garlicmustard.htm
Invasive Species: Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Laura Sorensen
Japanese barberry is a popular deciduous landscape shrub. You can find it all over the state, both in commercial landscapes around shopping malls and businesses and in the home landscape. Unfortunately, you can also find it throughout the woods here in Connecticut. A prolific seed producer, it has been spread far and wide by birds and other creatures that feast on its red berries.
Why is this spread a concern? Japanese barberry is an invasive plant; an alien plant which does not naturally grow in a country or region, which is highly adaptable and spreads quickly, with few if any native enemies, and which displaces native plants and disrupts native ecosystems in the landscape. The shrub grows so readily in Connecticut that valuable native plants cannot compete and are gradually eliminated from the woods.
Another reason to fear the spread of this invasive shrub is its function as a nursery for harmful ticks. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has found through tick sampling in Connecticut forests, that areas infested with Japanese barberry have a much higher tick count than do areas without barberry. The prickly bushes provide a safe hiding place for both the ticks and the rodents they feed on. Deer do not browse the plant, so they remain growing when other potential hiding places are eaten and eliminated. The shrubs also create a microclimate in which temperature and relative humidity swings are controlled, providing an ideal habitat for ticks.
You can recognize Japanese barberry by its densely branched form with alternate small oval leaves in shades from chartreuse, to deep green to maroon. It grows from 2 feet up to 8 feet tall and has sharp spines. Inconspicuous flowers in March and April result in bright red berries that persist through the winter. Stems root easily, so one shrub can quickly form a dense thicket. Hiking through the woods even in the middle of winter, the shrub is easily identified by its sharp thorns and red berries. In spring it is often the first plant to form leaves, so if you see a flush of green in an otherwise bare woods in early spring, it is likely Japanese barberry.
Unfortunately, although many states have banned the sale of these plants, Connecticut has not. In 2010, the nursery trade association found them to be so profitable that they persuaded the legislature not to ban their sale by volunteering to stop the sale of the most invasive varieties. Thus you can still find the shrubs for sale at big box stores and less reputable nurseries. Dr. Mark Brand of UCONN has developed a sterile variety which is the only variety that is safe to purchase. However, with the new understanding of the link between barberry and high tick populations, it makes no sense to plant these shrubs in our landscapes, despite claims that they are sterile or less invasive. So it is up to knowledgeable gardeners to refuse to buy them, to remove them whenever possible, and to spread the word about their danger to the wild landscape and role in spreading tick borne diseases.
Removal of Japanese barberry is best accomplished using protective clothing because of the thorns and the possibility of ticks in the area. They can be pulled by hand if care is taken to capture any seeds. Frequent cutting alone will not usually kill the plant, but will prevent them from setting seed. Since they green up so early in the spring, it is easy to identify them and to use spot herbicides to kill the plants. Controlled burns or directed flame is another method that has been found to be effective when done by professionals.
Sources: https://cipwg.uconn.edu/japanese-barberry/ https://extension.psu.edu/the-invasive-japanese-barberry
https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/connecticut-barberry-phase-out/
https://blog-yard-garden-news.extension.umn.edu/2016/04/japanese-barberry-infestations-and.html
Alien Invader: The Spotted Lantern Fly Laura Sorensen
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station recently reported that one Spotted Lantern Fly was found in Southbury, Connecticut this fall. A single fly had also been found in Farmington in 2018, but no other Spotted Lantern Flies were reported in the interim. This pest was first identified in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to more counties in Pennsylvania, and to New Jersey, Virginia, and Delaware.
Originally from Asia, Spotted Lantern Fly adults are about one inch long with colorful black, yellow and red wings. When closed, the wings are a dull brown that blends in with bark. Both adults and nymphs injure plants by sucking sap from stems and leaves. Their primary host is the Tree of Heaven, (Ailanthus altissima) but they feed on a wide variety of species, including grape vines, fruit trees, and forest trees, putting our Connecticut forests and orchards at risk. They leave behind a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew, which attracts other insects and promotes the growth of sooty mold. Even when the tree or vine is not killed outright, the insect damage and sooty mold makes the crop unusable.
The Spotted Lantern Fly lays its eggs on both plant and non-plant material, so it can spread when vehicles, lawn furniture, and nursery stock are transported from infested areas.
If you find this insect, take photos and carefully note its location. Report your find to [email protected] or send a dead specimen using the CAES Spotted Lantern Fly sample submission form found on the CAES website. If you know of a stand of Ailanthus (10 or more), report this to [email protected].
Sources:
https://news.psu.edu/story/585958/2019/08/30/impact/penn-state-asks-visitors-help-stop-spread-spotted-lanternfly
https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=608416&deepNav_GID=1631
‘Natural’ Pesticide Issues Reprinted with permission from Sarah Bailey, State Coordinator, UConn Extension Master Gardener Programr Article was originally published by UConn Extension, 6/14/2019
Lots of homemade weed-killer “recipes” are cropping up on social media, usually containing some combination of vinegar, Epsom salts, and Dawn dishwashing soap. These are often accompanied by a comment such as “no need for pesticides or herbicides!” It may feel good to use familiar household items to control pests and weeds in your garden, but it’s important to understand the science behind such mixes – and the potential risks. First and foremost, these mixtures ARE pesticides or herbicides. They are intended to kill a pest, in this case weeds. Now, let’s look at the science: Vinegar is an acid. At the right concentration, it damages by burning any part of a plant it comes in contact with. If the plant is in the ground, it does NOT get the root; many plants will grow back. It is non-selective, meaning it will damage any plant it touches, including desired ones. Household vinegar is 5% acetic acid; to be effective on anything other than tiny seedlings the concentration needs to be at least 10%. Horticultural-grade vinegar is 20% and can carry a “Danger – caustic” signal word, which is stronger than many other herbicides on the market. Salts work by desiccating plants – again, all parts of the plant it touches. Salts, however, build up in the soil and can harm desired plants nearby. Since most homemade recipes need repeated application to be effective, the salts will build up. Epsom salts are touted because they contain magnesium instead of sodium, but too much magnesium will interfere with phosphorus uptake. Dawn detergent is not a naturally-occurring substance. It, like any soap, is used as a sticker agent, helping the other materials stay on the plant longer. It contains methylisothiazolinone, which has acute aquatic toxicity and 1,4-dioxane, which is a known groundwater contaminant with carcinogenic properties. These may be do-it-yourself recipes, but they definitely are not natural. An additional issue with home recipes is the variability of the mix. Many don’t even have specific measurements. Also, because home remedies are often perceived as “safer”, a person may choose to increase the concentrations, changing the potential environmental risk. Many of these recipes do indeed kill – or at least reduce – weeds and unwanted vegetation. But they also have collateral impacts, some of which may be significant. The garden center shelves have changed in the last several years. There are now many naturally-derived pesticides on the market, which have been tested for effectiveness, are labelled as to their environmental impact and deliver a consistent product every time. They generally are safer to use and pose less environmental risk than many of the older synthetic materials – the same goal of homemade mixes. Look for products that are OMRI-certified. The Organic Materials Review Institute(OMRI) is a nonprofit organization that provides an independent review of products, such as fertilizers and pest controls that are intended for use in organic production. For more information, please contact the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program. Find the location nearest you at https://mastergardener.uconn.edu/ or email Sarah.Bailey@ uconn.edu.
Restoring the Little Things That Run the World
Doug Tallamy (reprinted with permission from the author)
In 1987, E.O. Wilson challenged conventional wisdom by claiming that insects were the little things that ran the world. If insects were to disappear, he explained, so would nearly all flowering plants and the . food webs they support. This loss, in turn, would cause the extinction of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals: in effect, nearly all of the earth's terrestrial animal life. The loss of insects would also end
rapid decomposition of organic matter. and thus shut down nutrient cycling. And - oh, yes - humans would be among the species unable to survive in a world without insects.
Though sobering, Wilson's dire predictions were considered little more than theoretical musings in 1987 because few people were worried that insects would ever decline, let alone fall below functional levels. In fact, we were far more interested in discovering new ways to kill them in our homes, lawns, crops, and forests than in thinking about how we might coexist with these essential creatures. Unfortunately, we are now learning that our global war on insects has been enormously successful. Insects populations are a fraction of what they need to be to sustain viable ecosystems, and they are still declining rapidly because their ecological importance has been unappreciated and their needs ignored.
The UN's Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has found one million species to be at imminent risk of extinction, most of which are, in fact, insects. Industrial agriculture, millions of miles of road hazards, unnecessary night lights, overuse of pesticides, habitat elimination, tens of millions of acres of sterile lawn, and the widespread replacement of the native plant communities that generate insects with introduced "pest-free" ornamentals that do not, have caused a 45% decline in insect populations just in the last 40 years. Headlines like "The Insect Apocalypse is Here" are alerting us to the mess we have made of insect populations and thus the ecosystems we depend on,
but there is little discussion about what can be done to reverse this hazardous trend.
The good news is that there is nothing inevitable about insect declines! We can and must restore insects to our landscapes, and we have to do it now. And by we, I mean you. More than 85% of the U.S. east of the Mississippi river, and 83% of the entire coterminous U.S. is privately owned, and landowners must now take a leading role in the future of conservation. We can no longer ignore private holdings if conservation is to succeed. Our parks and preserves are vital, for they are where biodiversity is huddling; but, as the statistics are showing, they are not large enough and are too isolated from each other to sustain for much longer the plants and animals that run our ecosystems. Even if you don't own a
precious piece of our biosphere, public parks desperately need volunteers to help manage their acreage. Here are seven things we all can do to help our beleaguered insect populations:
1) Cut your lawn area in half. We have converted an area the size of New England into this ecologically destructive status symbol. Lawn fails to support diverse food webs and vital pollinator communities, it degrades our watersheds, and it is the worst plant choice for sequestering carbon. Restrict your lawn to the areas where you regularly walk.
2) Remove invasive plants from your property, and resist the temptation to buy new ones at your local nursery. By definition, these plants are ecological tumors that spread to natural areas, where they displace the valuable native plant communities that support insects.
3) Plant more of the native plants that support the most insect species. In general, native plants support the life cycles of 10-100 times more insect species than non-native plants, and a few native plants serve as host plants for 10-100 times more insects than most other native plants.
You can find out which plants are best at fueling food webs in your county by visiting the Native Plant Finder at the National Wildlife Federation website.
4) Minimize insecticide use. Homeowners use more insecticides than agriculture does, and nearly
all of this use is unnecessary.
5) Oppose mosquito fogging in your community. Contrary to what many fogging companies tell you, the pyrethroids used to knock down adult mosquitoes kill nearly all of the insects they contact. Mosquitoes are best controlled in the larval stage with targeted products like mosquito dunks
(Bacillus thurengiensis) that kill nothing else.
6) Build pollinator gardens with specialist pollinators in mind. We need diverse pollinator communities not only because they are important to human crops, but because they pollinate 80% of all plants and 90% of all flowering plants. If we were to lose our pollinators, we would
lose 80-90% of the plant species on the planet. This, of course is not an option we can live with. Although declines in honey bee populations have gotten a lot of press, we have 4000 species of native bees that pollinated the vast majority of the plants in North America before we introduced
the honey bee from Europe. Most of these native bees are suffering from our tendency to replace blooming native plants with lawn and concrete. Plants like goldenrod, asters, sunflowers, violets, evening primrose, and native willows are best at supporting native bee specialists, and
they attract generalist pollinators like honeybees and bumblebees as well.
7) Put motion sensors on your security lights. Lights draw insects in all night long, exhausting them and making them easy prey for bats and birds .. If each of the millions of lights we turn on in this country, mostly out of habit, kills just a few insects each night...well, you can do the math.
We can no longer leave conservation to the conservationists; there simply are not enough of them. We must accept that along with land ownership comes the responsibility of stewarding the life associated with that land. For all we know, it may be all of the life in the universe, an awesome responsibility indeed. But the task is not as enormous as it seems. Just take care of the life on your property. Such a goal is far more manageable than trying to save the entire planet. You will not reverse insect declines by yourself, but if we each do our own small part, not only will we successfully restore insect populations, we will create the largest collective conservation effort in history; one that can and must succeed for our own good.
Fungus Gnats Laura Sorensen
If you keep houseplants, root cuttings or start plants from seeds, you may have battled fungus gnats (Bradysia species). Fungus gnats are tiny (1/8 inch), mosquito-like insects that are found in and around the potting soil of houseplants at home and in greenhouses.
You may notice the adult gnat sitting on the surface of the soil and flying around your plants. The adults themselves are harmless, but their larvae can damage plants. They lay their eggs in the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil. The gnats are attracted to moist soil containing high amounts of peat moss or organic matter and the fungus that grows on it. One adult gnat can lay up to 200 eggs. Larvae emerge after about a week and feed below the surface on organic matter and on the root hairs of plants. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable, but cuttings and established plants can also be damaged. Signs of damage include stunting, and wilted and yellow leaves. House plants with succulent stems such as pointsettias, African violets and coleus are common hosts.
Fungus gnats can colonize the soil of houseplants that have summered outdoors and be introduced to your home when the plants are brought inside. They may also arrive in commercial potting soil or in homemade soil mixtures that contain compost. Once in your home, they can overwinter in stored potting soil, becoming active when the soil is moistened for use, or they can colonize plumbing drains.
The first plan of attack is prevention. Inspect new plants and those plants brought indoors in the fall. Repot affected plants in new potting soil. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings. Keep stored potting soil covered and dry. Wash used pots. Storing pots left with plant, soil and bulb remains can provide a breeding medium for gnats. Control of adults is safely achieved with yellow sticky traps placed near plants or horizontally on the surface of the soil. This reduces the number of eggs laid. Larvae may be controlled with Bti (Bacillus Thuringiensis israeliensis), a biological agent that kills larval forms of mosquitos and gnats. It is available to the public as Gnatrol and Mosquito Bits. Spread the bits on the surface of the soil where the bacillus will be gradually watered in, or place some in your watering can to disperse the bacillus in the water. Bti applied through watering must be repeated as frequently as every three to five days to achieve complete control. As always, it is important to read the label and follow the directions of any pesticide you use.
A soil drench of beneficial nematodes or predatory Hypoaspis mites is another control for fungus gnats. These must be ordered live and used immediately upon delivery.
Sources: Fungus Gnats, University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management Program, http://ipm.uconn.edu/documents/raw2/Fungus%20Gnats/Fungus%20Gnats.php?aid=207 Nielsen, G. R., Fungus Gnats, University of Vermont Extension, http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/pubs/el50.htm
Rhododendrons by Laura Sorensen
You don’t need a thermometer to tell that it’s really cold outside. Just look at the leaves of your rhododendrons. Rhododendron leaves curl and droop in response to low temperatures. One widely accepted theory is that this is the plant’s way of reducing moisture loss when ground water is unavailable due to frozen soil. The fact that Rhododendrons close their leaf stomata (pores that open and close allowing water to escape and the exchange of gases) during the winter, thus preventing transpiration, seems to disprove this theory. Leaf drooping also occurs in response to temperature regardless of the availability of groundwater.
Scientists are discovering that different factors are at work. They have come to view leaf curling and leaf drooping as two distinct plant behaviors.
Rhododendrons evolved as understory shrubs protected and shaded by the forest canopy. When this canopy is absent, as in winter when the trees are bare, the more intense sunlight can lead to leaf scorch. Leaf drooping reduces the surface area exposed to sunlight, thus reducing leaf scorch. When scientists forced leaves to remain horizontal, they sustained permanent sun damage which reduced the leaf’s ability to photosynthesize during the growing season.
Leaf curling serves the plant in a different way. As we know from freezing our garden produce, freezing plant tissue causes ice to build up in plant cells. Freezing followed by rapid thawing allows this ice to damage the cells, but slow thawing can reduce cell damage. Leaf curling allows the rhododendron to do just that. The leaves freeze in the cold temperatures of winter, but thaw much more slowly if the leaf is curled. This behavior protects the shrub from the daily freeze thaw cycle which would otherwise cause winter kill.
These two leaf movements are an important part of the winter hardiness of rhododendrons.
Sources: http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/12/11/why-do-rhododendron-leaves-droop-and-curl-in-the-winter?rq=rhododendron
Houseplant Care Laura Sorensen
Right now, our gardening dreams are just that, dreams. However, there is one garden task we can undertake now as the days get longer but temperatures are still too cold to garden outdoors, and that is spring houseplant care.
Early spring is a good time to evaluate the health of our houseplants. Most houseplants do little active growing during the winter, but as the light through our windows begins to intensify, they resume growing. Check to see if your plants need to be repotted by inspecting the roots and the consistency of the potting soil. If the soil has broken down to where it drains too quickly and provides few nutrients or if roots have expanded to fill the pot, it is time to repot. Choose a pot that is one size larger than the current container so that roots have room to grow but there is not so much room that the extra volume of soil will hold excess moisture and cause rotting. Watering needs may increase in the spring. As growth picks up we can also increase the amount of fertilizer we give our plants. Water most plants when the soil is dry a half inch below the surface. Unless your potting soil already contains a time release fertilizer, it is generally best to fertilize houseplants regularly but at diluted strength. “Weekly, weakly” is a good fertilizer guide. Pick off dead and yellowed leaves and prune leggy plants to encourage new spring growth. Spring is also a good time to propagate houseplants, either by taking cuttings or by dividing.
In late spring, you may find that some plants need to be moved to different locations. Windows that were the correct brightness in the low light days of winter may be too bright in spring, causing sun scalding. If you want to move houseplants outdoors for the summer, make the change when the temperature outdoors is similar to indoors and after all chance of frost. Consider acclimating plants to the outdoors by gradually increasing the length of time they spend outside and bringing them in at night. This will ensure an easy transition for the plants. Never place houseplants in full sun. Outdoor light is much stronger than indoor light, so a shaded, sheltered location is best. Your houseplants will thrive all summer on the north side of a building or under shade trees.
Sources: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp/palette/100418.html http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/houseplant-fertilization-recommendations.php
Connecticut Has New Recycling Guidelines Laura Sorensen
We all want to recycle, and we know we should recycle. Recycling benefits the environment by conserving resources and saving energy, and by decreasing greenhouse gases and pollutants. Recycling paper saves mature trees, trees which have been called “the lungs of the earth.” Besides these obvious benefits are the less well known economic benefits. Recycling costs less than either land filling or incineration. Its benefit to the Connecticut economy is estimated to be over $700 million annually in both cost savings and job creation. However, despite these advantages many citizens do not recycle, in part because of confusion about what and how to recycle household waste.
In the past, what could and could not be recycled curbside was determined town by town and carrier by carrier which caused confusion among consumers. Now, Connecticut has developed universal residential recycling guidelines which apply to all recycling centers and communities in the state. According to Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Robert Klee, this is part of the state’s new goal of 60 % diversion of materials from the waste stream by 2024. Achieving that goal is expected to save an additional $40 million per year in waste disposal fees.
The DEEP has created a helpful guide which can be found at www.recyclect.com There you will find a “RecycleCT Wizard” where you can enter the specific material and immediately find out if it can be recycled. For items that cannot be recycled curbside such as latex paint and mattresses, there is information about alternative recycling locations or proper disposal.
In general, items that can be recycled should be empty, rinsed, clean and open. Items should be deposited individually and not be shredded, boxed, bagged or bundled.
Including the wrong items can cause equipment to jam and can slow down the recycling process, thereby reducing the economic benefit of recycling. Improper handling such as shredding paper can reduce the value of the final recycled product. This is important because the objective is not just to dispose of recyclable trash, but to produce a recycled product that has value. If the recycling waste stream is contaminated by items that are not acceptable or are soiled, they will be diverted to the landfill, but by a costlier route than if they had been sent directly to the trash.
Visit www.recyclect.com to learn more about the universal residential recycling guidelines.
Sources: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at www.ct.gov/deep Recyle CT Foundation at www. recyclect.com
Bulbs! by Laura Sorensen
This fall while you are shopping the sales for bargains on spring blooming bulbs for your garden, why not plan to bring spring indoors during the cold, dark days of winter. October is the perfect time to begin forcing bulbs for indoor blooms.
To ensure plentiful blooms, purchase the largest, plumpest bulbs you can find. Place them close together with the pointy side up in a pot with drainage holes. A typical 6 inch pot can hold 3 large, 6 medium or 15 small bulbs set close together. Plant them with 1-2 inches of potting soil beneath the bulbs and another 2 inches of soil on top. You can add bone meal to the potting soil at this time. Water generously, then sink the pot into the garden so that the top of the pots are about 3 inches below soil level. Add a layer of shredded leaves or mulch and perhaps a covering of chicken wire to keep animals from digging in the pots.
After 12-16 weeks of cold temperatures (35 to 50 degrees), you can dig up your pots and bring them into a cool but not cold area such as an unheated garage or cool basement. Begin to water the pots, being careful not to overwater, until you see the green tips of the bulbs appear. Be patient. Exposing the pots to warm temperatures to hasten growth will result in tall, leggy plants. Once growth appears, move the pot into a sunny window. Most bulbs will bloom in 3-4 weeks.
When the blooms have finished, the bulbs can be planted outdoors where they will build strength and eventually bloom again. Purchase fresh bulbs each year for forcing and do not attempt to force these same bulbs again.
With a little planning, you can enjoy beautiful spring bulbs indoors while your garden is still sleeping under the snow.
Sources: Forcing Bulbs, ladybug.uconn.edu Coppa, Greg, “A Pot of Prevention”, Horticulture Magazine, Sep./Oct. 2017
Attracting Pollinators Laura Sorensen
We’ve all heard the plea by wildlife enthusiasts to plant more native plants. If we want to attract birds, butterflies and other pollinators, we need to carefully consider what plants are most beneficial, but choosing native plants for our landscapes can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming.
The National Wildlife Federation has created a new tool which lists native plants that are best at supporting butterfly and moth species and thus the birds that feed on them. Based on the research of Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware, the list is organized by zip code. Information is given for flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs. Native species are listed in order of the number of butterfly and moth species which use it as a host plant. For example, the aster is host to 79 different butterfly and moth species, while oaks host 352 different species.
Although the plant finding tool is a work in progress and is continually being updated, it is usable in its present form. The site can be found at www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/
Gardening Smartly: Does Everything Need to be Perfect Laura Sorensen
The time has come for many of us to consider our aching backs and sore knees and find a new, easier way to garden. We love our gardens and want them to continue to bloom but no longer have the energy or strength to garden the way we did in the past. Should we downsize our gardens? Pave everything in concrete? Turn the beds back into lawn? Move to a condo? Fortunately, it is not necessary to take such drastic action.
Several steps can reduce the amount of work needed to maintain a garden. First, take a look at your garden and set some priorities. Keep the gardens that are most visible from the house or your seating area, but consider eliminating or reducing beds out of view. Then think about which plants give you the most bang for your buck. Keep plants that have a long bloom time, clean foliage and require little care. Eliminate plants that need staking, constant deadheading, frequent watering, tend to have pest or disease problems and that need to be divided often. Having the same number of plants but fewer varieties will reduce the work needed to keep the garden looking good. Native plants tend to do well in our gardens without added fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. Spring bulbs, once planted, give many years of flowers with virtually no work. If you choose wisely, shrubs can give color with flowers, foliage and berries. Just avoid shrubs that need frequent pruning. Consider grouping plants with similar water needs and using a drip irrigation system to reduce toting watering cans and heavy hoses.
Second, consider changing your standards. Do you really need to deadhead all those flowers? Perhaps deadheading can be limited to flowers near your front door or path and let the rest go. Embrace imperfection-a more naturalized garden using ground covers and mulch instead of trimmed edges and constant weeding may give just as much pleasure with less upkeep. Don’t insist on removing every last leaf from your lawn and garden beds. Once the lawn has been mowed a few times, those leaves will be chopped up fine and will break down into the soil. Tolerate a little insect and disease damage.
Finally, mulch is a great labor saver. Although laying the mulch can be a big job, once the garden is mulched your weeding and watering will be greatly reduced.If you are like me, not quite ready to throw in the towel but seeing the need to make changes, there are some books to point the way to gardening without breaking your back.
The Downsized Veggie Garden by Kate Copsey (2016), St. Lynn’s Press, Portland, OR Easy Care Native Plants by Patricia Taylor (1996), Henry Holt and Co., New York, NY Gardening for a Lifetime by Sidney Eddison (2010), Timber Press, Portland, OR
How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back by Ruth Stout (1959) Exposition Press, New York, NY (out of print but available on Amazon) Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza (1998), Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA 50 High Impact, Low Care Garden Plants by Tracy Disabato-Aust (2008), Timber Press, Portland, OR
Attracting Hummingbirds Christie Kuriger
Hummingbirds will soon be back for the season, so be ready! Best to get your feeder out by mid April and be patient. It is best to hang your feeder(s) in the same spot as last year since they are creatures of habit and return to places where they are most comfortable. They like to feed at least 3-4 feet above the ground and have a tree or branch nearby for them to perch on. They are known to live at least 12 years, so you will have a tiny feathered friend for a while if you treat them well.
They are one of the world’s smallest birds ranging between 3 and 5 inches. Hummingbirds are named due to the sound created by their wings and when in flight, they can have up to 100 wing beats per second. They live only in the Americas from southern Alaska to Central America and migrate each fall to winter over in Mexico or Central America. There are over 325 species of hummingbirds. Contrary to what you may think, they spend most of their day sitting or perching and not flying. They build nests about the size of half a walnut shell to several centimeters in diameter and some species use spider silk to bind their nest together and make it flexible for their growing young. The incubation period for most species is between 14 and 23 days.
Feeding hummingbirds is fun! Make your own nectar using 1 part granulated sugar to 4 parts water. There is no need to put red food coloring into the nectar as it is not necessary and may actually be harmful to them. Bring to a boil, stir for a few minutes and then let cool and use. Refrigerate unused nectar for future use. If you purchase nectar, be sure to use clear nectar. Be sure to change the nectar every few days and rinse out the feeder thoroughly before refilling.
Brightly colored feeders and flowers nearby the feeder will attract them. They feed on the nectar of flowers and choose those with the highest sugar content but they also need the portions, amino acids and vitamins from eating insects. Their bills are specialized so that they can feed on flowers specific to their habitat and they drink with their tongue by rapidly lapping nectar. They protect their food sources fiercely since they can starve easily. They can slow down their metabolism so they don’t need to eat as much-especially at night or when food is not readily available-similar to hibernation, called torpor.
Hummingbirds like brightly colored, tubular shaped flowers especially red blossoms. A sample of some of their preferred flowers are bee balm, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, columbines, dallies, lupines, foxgloves, hollyhocks, cleomes, impatiens, petunias and many more!
If you would like to follow the hummingbird migration, go to www.birdfeeders.com/hummingbird-migration or hummingbirds.net.
Crazy Snake Worms Laura Sorensen
Crazy Snake Worms, Alabama Jumpers, Jersey Wrigglers- all names for the aggressively invasive earthworm Amynthas agrestis. Since the earthworms native to the northeast were all killed by the last glacial period, the species now common to this area are thought to have been brought to North America from Europe by the colonists. Amynthas, which was first noted in the nursery trade about 50 years ago, came from Korea and Japan.
Besides being non-native, snake worms share several characteristics with other invasive species. With two hatchings per year, they reproduce on a larger scale than do other worms. They are also parthenogenetic, which means they can reproduce without a mate. Because of this, Amynthas crowd out other species of worms, quickly becoming the most commonly found and sometimes the only worm species found in an area. By altering the organic composition and structure of the soil, they make conditions inhospitable for native woodland species such as trillium, trout lily, and sugar maples. This allows plant invasives such as Japanese Barberry to take hold. With less vegetation, birds and other animals that rely on groundcover to hide their nests are affected. Snake worms change the landscape by rapidly consuming all soil organic matter, including wood chips and shredded bark mulch. Unlike common earthworms which stay underground, snake worms feed on organic matter both below and on the surface of the soil. They leave the soil dry and crumby and unable to sustain plant life.
Amynthas are 3-8 inches long and dark gray. They can be distinguished from benign worm species by a smooth white band (clitellum) which encircles the body near one end, although this is not noticeable until June or July. They are also identified by their behavior. They snake along the top of the soil and wriggle frantically when touched or held, sometimes losing their tails in an effort to escape. Snake worms are spread by moving mulch, leaves and soil, by fishermen using them as bait, by sharing plants from infected gardens, and from infected nursery stock.
As yet, there is no treatment for Amynthas that does not kill other insects and aquatic life. Their eggs can survive our northern winters, though they are killed in the high heat of commercial composting. As responsible gardeners, the safest course is to be on the lookout, be choosy about purchased soil and compost, and avoid sharing plants from infested areas.
Sources: Blog.uvm.edu/jgorres/amynthas/ www.uvm.edu/~entlab/Greenhouse%20IPM/Workshops/2014/InvasiveEarthworms
www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/leaf/Documents/Crazy%20worms%20fact%20sheet
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2017/05/asian-jumping-worms
Yellow Nutsedge-a Perennial Weed Laura Sorensen
Yellow nutsedge, (Cyperus esculentus) is a perennial weed found in turf grass and gardens. It resembles grass and can be mistaken for young daylilies, but it is a sedge. It can be identified and distinguished from grass by its triangular shaped stem which is arranged in groups of threes. The leaves are hairless, shiny, and light yellowish green with long tapered tips. Nutsedge emerges in late April or May and is active during the heat of summer when turf is growing more slowly, continuing growth through fall.
Nutsedge can grow golden seed heads, but it reproduces primarily by underground tubers. These tubers can be spread in topsoil and persist when the weed is pulled. Although the top part of the weed is killed by frost, the tubers persist and will regrow in spring.
When removing nutsedge, it is important to dig the whole plant so as to get rid of the tubers. Young plants have not yet developed tubers, so early control is important. The best control in lawns is a healthy dense turf that can compete with the weed. Mowing too low and overwatering lawns encourages the growth of nutsedge.
There are many herbicides available for control of nutsedge, but even with these toxic chemicals, control is difficult. If you must use herbicides, be sure to read the label carefully. Proper use will include early application before tubers have formed and continued use for more than a year to reduce the tuber population.
Source: Patton, Aaron and Weisenberger, Dan, Yellow Nutsedge Control, Perdue Extension, https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-19-w.pdf https://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/cypes.htm
What’s a Shield Bug? Laura Sorensen
As temperatures drop this fall, you may begin to see some unwanted garden visitors in your home. The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stal), also known as a shield bug, begins to look for hiding places to survive the winter. They enter your home through cracks around windows, in siding and through tears in window screens. Though not harmful to people or pets, it is a nuisance when they turn up in the most unlikely places in your home throughout the winter.
Introduced from Asia in the ‘90’s, these insects were first spotted in Connecticut in 2011. About 5/8 inch long, they are shield shaped, brown with lighter spots on the legs and antennae. They are a sucking insect, damaging plants and crops by piercing tissues and sucking out the contents. Stink bugs feed on a wide variety of food crops and ornamental plants. In my garden they have mostly damaged beans and tomatoes. Symptoms include distorted fruits and vegetables, blemishes, internal rot and sunken spots.
Insecticides are of limited benefit. In the home garden the best approach is hand picking. Since their natural defense is to drop, hold a container filled with soapy water below the insect and brush the surface until it falls into the can to drown. If possible, looks for their entrance points and seal or repair any openings. If you find them in the house, don’t crush them as this releases a strong odor. You can vacuum up large numbers, but then dispose of the vacuum bag to avoid smelling up the house.
Sources: http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/brown-marmorated-stinkbug.php
https://extension.psu.edu/brown-marmorated-stink-bug https://njaes.rutgers.edu/stink-bug/identify.php
Butterfly weed is a beautiful native herbaceous perennial plant in the Apocynaceae family. It is native to eastern and southern North America (zones 4-9). It grows to 2-3 feet high. It blooms June to August with clusters of bright orange flowers beloved by many types of butterflies including Monarch butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
It likes full sun (can tolerate part-shade but will emerge later). Well-draining soil is essential. It prefers acid soil. It can be slow to establish but once it takes hold it is long-lived. Propagation is usually done by seeds as it can be difficult to divide because of its long tap root. Divisions should only be done in the spring. Fortunately, it seldom needs to be thinned out. Each plant produces seed pods which contain many seeds. It’s a very low maintenance plant. Butterfly weed is drought tolerant and also deer and rabbit resistant.
If you have any interest in doing winter sowing in milk jugs, this is a very good seed to use as the seeds need to be stratified in order to germinate.
Sources: “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (page 168);“Eyewitness Garden Handbooks - Perennials (page 145); https://plantfinder.nativeplanttrust.org/plant/Asclepias-tuberosa
Native Plant of the Month: Geranium maculatum or Spotted Cranesbill Laura Sorensen
If you spot the occasional lavender pink flower blooming in May or June in open woodlands, along woodland edges, and near shady paths, you are likely seeing our native geranium. There are six species of cranesbill geraniums native to our part of Connecticut, of which Geranium maculatum or spotted cranesbill is the showiest. This native perennial grows from 12 to 28 inches tall and spreads from 12 to 18 inches wide. The deep green leaves are palmately lobed, coarsely toothed, and are found in opposite pairs. Both stems and leaves are hairy. The 5 petaled flowers are arranged in loose clusters of 2 to 5. They have darker striped markings which insects use as a guide to reach the pollen. After a month-long bloom period, seed capsules resembling a crane’s head form. Besides self- seeding, the plants spread by underground rhizomes.
Geranium maculatum needs little care, has few insect pests, spreads slowly, and is never invasive. It is occasionally browsed by deer. Spotted cranesbill is lovely in the woods, but massed, it makes a beautiful shady groundcover or border plant. It grows well in part shade but will bloom more heavily given more sun. The plants sometimes go dormant in dry periods.
Many native pollinators, including bumble bees, solitary bees, ants, beetles, and syrphid flies, visit spotted geranium. Besides their value to pollinators, native geraniums are used as host plants by 26 species of butterflies and moths.
Sources: Mahr, Susan, “Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum” University of Wisconsin, Madison, hort.extension.wisc.edu; Geranium, Native Plant Finder, nwf.org
Native Plant of the Month: Baptisia australis (False indigo or wild indigo) Sue Forand
Baptisia australis is a perennial herbaceous plant (dies back to the ground in the winter) in the Fabaceae family. It is native to eastern and central North America (zones 3-9). It grows to 3-4 feet high and wide. It forms a shrub sized clump of upright blue flower stalks that bloom late spring to early summer for 2-3 weeks. There are others that bloom in yellow (B. sphaerocarpa) and also white (B.alba). After the flowers are done, this plant is still quite attractive with its blue/green foliage (looks like the leaves on pea plants). It forms a dark brown/black seed pod which is sometimes used in flower arrangements.
It likes full sun to part shade. Rich, moist, well-draining soil is preferred. It’s not a fussy plant and can live for years without having to be divided. It may need staking (like peonies) especially if it’s grown in a shadier area. It can also be cut back by ⅓ after bloom time but that will eliminate the seed pods. It is slow to establish but low maintenance once it takes hold.
Normally it is difficult to transplant. It has a very deep tap root and extensive root system. Need to keep roots undisturbed, so you’ll need to take a lot of the soil when transplanting. Spring or fall transplanting works but preference would be spring.
Very few problems with pests (sometimes get weevils in the seed pod) and deer do not like this plant.
If you want to experiment starting from seeds, it can take as much as 3-4 years before it flowers. The seeds will need at least 4 weeks of cold stratification or scarification for best germination.
Very good plant to use as a backdrop to your perennial garden and looks nice individually or in a small group.
Sources: “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust
"Gardening with Perennials” A Rodale Garden Book edited by Fern Marshall Bradley
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/blue-false-indigo-baptisia-australis/
March 2, 2022 was World Water Day Katy Hanlon
Unfun fact: An estimated 4 billion people, or half the world’s population, already experience severe water scarcity for at least one month a year. We should be grateful that we live in a water rich area, but we should not take our water for granted and do what we can to protect our shared resource.
Which brings up lawns. Shrinking the lawn is a positive conservation step that can be taken. But fact is, we all have some lawn. How we tend it can have an environmental impact. Whether we care for our lawn or outsource it, here are some steps that can be taken:
Cut the grass no shorter than two inches, this reduces the need for watering
Do not bag clippings, keep clippings on the lawn so they will naturally feed the lawn and reduce the need for fertilizer.
Apply little or no fertilizer and only when absolutely necessary: These steps will protect local waters from excess nitrogen will causes algae blooms that smother fish.
- Only apply around Mother’s Day and Labor Day not after September, not during hot summer months. Only use organic slow-release fertilizer
- Do not apply fertilizer before a rain storm because the rain will just wash it off of the lawn and into local waterways
- Do not over water after you apply fertilizer because that to will wash the fertilizer off the lawn.
Serviceberry, Juneberry, Shadblow and Shadbush are the descriptive names for our native Amelanchier. Serviceberry is a deciduous, multi-stemmed understory tree or tall, open shrub. It is native to a broad swath of eastern North America from Maine to Florida and west to Iowa and Louisiana. There are three main species of Amelanchier native to our part of Connecticut, all hardy to zone 4. These are Canadian serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), common serviceberry (Amelanchier arborea), and running serviceberry (Amelanchier stolonifera). Canadian serviceberry grows 6-10 feet tall and prefers somewhat boggy areas. Common serviceberry is typically 15-25 feet tall and prefers sunny or partially shaded woodlands. Running serviceberry grows 4-6 feet high, prefers drier conditions, and forms large clumps of suckering stems.
A member of the rose family and closely related to apples, Amelanchier blooms near Easter in March or April about the time the shad return to their spawning grounds. In June, it produces small red berries favored by birds. Although the white or sometimes pale pink blossoms only last a week, Amelanchier has four seasons of interest. In summer, its small, oval leaves provide dappled shade, and its open growth habit has a pleasing architectural form. It stars in the fall with gold to red foliage, and has textured bark to provide winter interest.
Besides its value to birds and mammals who enjoy the berries, pollinators and beneficial insects are attracted to the small white blooms, and 114 species of butterflies and moths use this shrub as a larval host. The berries are also edible to humans and can be used in jams, jellies, and pies. In colonial times, the wood was used for arrows and tool handles. This is truly a valuable native species both to wildlife and to the home gardener.
Sources: Amelanchier, National Wildlife Foundation Native Plant Finder, nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants/136 ; Amelanchier, North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, plants.ces.ncsu.edu; Serviceberry, Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center, hgic.clemson.edu, March 25, 2010
Native Plant of the Month: Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) Sue Forand
This multi-stemmed deciduous shrub is a favorite of many because of its winter interest but is also very attractive to wildlife throughout the seasons. The mid to late spring flat-top white flowers attract pollinators and the dense foliage is wonderful for wildlife nesting later in the season. It is also a great larval host. The milky white colored fruit which is technically a drupe (fleshy fruit with thin skin and a central seed) looks like a berry and is quite attractive on top of being a wildlife food source. The leaves are oval shaped tapering to a point. Fall colors can range from orange to reddish purple. The bark is thin and smooth - no spines, prickles, or thorns. Branches are often used to make baskets.
The Red Twig Dogwood is native to most of North America. It has a rapid growth rate and can reach 6’ to 9’ tall and wide. Prune oldest canes each year for best twig color. It has a suckering habit and sends out stems from the roots; therefore, it can spread quite easily. It prefers full sun/partial shade and it’s very adaptable to a range of soils but generally likes wet conditions. Perfect for wetlands, near river banks, etc. Good for naturalizing, stabilizing embankments, or mass plantings.
Sources: North Carolina Extension Gardener, https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cornus-sericea;
Go Botany, https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/swida/sericea/; University of Massachusetts -Amherst,https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/dogwood
Native Plant of the Month: Christmas Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) Laura Sorensen
Even in the depths of winter, a walk through local woodlands will find the deep green fronds of Christmas Fern poking through the snow. Fronds of our native Christmas Fern remain green all year long. They can be found in small clumps and large groups throughout Connecticut woods. Sources vary in explanation for the common name of the fern Polystichum acrostichoides. Some attribute the name to the slight resemblance individual leaflets bear to a Christmas stocking. A more logical explanation is that the fern is green during the Christmas season, and so is available for seasonal decorations.
The dark green fronds of this fern are about 4 inches wide and up to 3 feet long. They are stiff and leathery in texture with a pointed tip. An Eastern North American native, Christmas Ferns can be found in shaded woodlands from New Brunswick to North Carolina. They prefer neutral soils and moderate moisture but are drought resistant. Individual plants are clump forming and spread quite slowly. When grown in a mass, their fronds and detritus from previous seasons’ fronds help to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion. Christmas ferns provide shelter and protected nesting sites for several ground feeding and ground nesting birds. They are seldom bothered by insects and are not browsed by deer or rabbits. Christmas ferns can be a trouble-free part of your shady garden.
“Plant Names Tell Their Stories-Christmas Ferns”, University of Pennsylvania, Morris Arboretum, December 2020, https://cms.business-services.upenn.edu/morrisarboretum-blog/421-plant-names-tell-their-stories-native-christmas-fern.html
“Christmas Fern”, Penn State Departmental Web Space, November 2018, https://www.dept.psu.edu/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/christmasfern.htm
Native Plant of the Month- Goldenrod (Solidago ssp.) Laura Sorensen
There are few native plants as instantly recognizable or as beneficial to wildlife in the fall as our native goldenrods. Their cheerful golden flowers brighten fields and roadsides from August to October, providing a last source of nectar for pollinators before winter. Commonly confused with wind pollinated and sneeze producing ragweed, Goldenrod does not cause allergies. In fact, the two plants look nothing like each other, as ragweed does not produce yellow flowers.
Goldenrods are perennials that are easy to propagate and transplant. They tend to be drought tolerant and are widely adaptable. There are over 100 native species of Goldenrod with widely varied forms and cultural needs. You can find species that suit many garden requirements, from full sun to shade and from dry to wet.
The flower of a Goldenrod is composite, which means there are hundreds and perhaps thousands of tiny flowers clustered together to produce their beautiful display. They are attractive to a wide variety of pollinators. Goldenrods are host plants for 123 butterfly and moth larvae. They also provide shelter and forage for stem borers, beetles, wasps, and flies. The insects they harbor plus their seeds and foliage provide food for birds and mammals.
There are 26 species of Goldenrod that are native to Connecticut. A few notable examples are the scented Licorice Goldenrod (Solidago odora), Early Goldenrod (Solidago juncea) which blooms a month earlier than other species, White Goldenrod (Solidago bicolor) also called Silverrod, and Bluestem Goldenrod (Solidago caesia) which blooms heavily in the shade.
Sources: Cooper, Pamm, “The Remarkable World of Some New England Goldenrods”, ladybug.uconn.edu Pankau, Ryan, “Goldenrods for Landscaping”, Extension.illinois.edu, Sep. 12, 2020 Powel, Benjamin, “Native Notes-Goldenrod,” Hgic.clemson.edu, Sep. 29, 2020
Why I Choose Native Plants Laura Sorensen
Like most gardeners, my first motivation for gardening was creating beauty in my surroundings. The most important characteristic of any plant I chose was its appearance. Over time, my growth as a gardener led me to learn about the environment as a whole, interactive system, each part dependent on the other. As I learned about food webs, species diversity, and climate change, my gardening focus changed from how my plants looked to how my garden could support a healthy ecosystem. This led to an appreciation of native plants and their place in maintaining that ecosystem.
Why do I choose native plants to support my backyard ecosystem as opposed to plants introduced from other locations? Native plants evolved over millennia along with the organisms they support. They are part of a web of energy exchange that starts with the sun and ends with meat eaters, including humans. Many insects and other organisms evolved to specialize on just one species of plant. Without that plant, they cannot complete their life cycles. As we lose each insect, the other organisms that depend on them are affected, from other insects, through birds, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, right up to humans. You cannot remove one member of a food web without affecting all the other members. Non-native plants are less likely to benefit native insects. Previously, plants that insects left alone were very desirable in my garden. Now when I see holes in leaves, I know that I am doing my small part to support life on earth. Without native plants and the creatures they support, our yards become an ecological desert.
While some non-natives are both attractive to and nutritious for bees, pollinators are not the only species of insect needing support. If a plant provides pollen and nectar but its leaves are not a host to any other insect, it is only doing half the job we need it to do. Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) is a common example. The flowers of this non-native species do attract butterflies, but no butterfly or moth native to the US uses it as a host plant. The butterfly cannot reproduce and complete its life cycle with Butterfly Bush as its only choice.
Aside from their critical role in food webs, native plants are important to a healthy environment in other ways. Their presence in the environment ensures the biodiversity of plant species that introduced plants threaten. Their deep root systems act as sponges to hold water and as filters to clean water of pollutants. They clean our air by sequestering atmospheric pollutants. Native plants prevent soil erosion, create topsoil, and build fertility.
Native plants benefit the gardener as well. Since they have adapted to live in this exact region, native plants are generally easier to establish than introduced plants and require less maintenance. Since they require less water, less pruning, and no fertilizer, native plants cost less to raise and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Given the right setting, native plants will thrive without help from us.
We needn’t sacrifice beauty for biodiversity. Native plants are beautiful in themselves. Many commonly cultivated plants began as natives, but were bred for specific characteristics such as size, color, growth habit, and convenience to commercial growers. In the process, some cultivars lost their usefulness to the creatures that depend on them. By changing foliage or flower color, plants become less recognizable or appetizing to insects. Altering flower shape can make it impossible for pollinators to access pollen. Many modern garden plants are bred to be sterile to avoid unwanted seedlings and keep characteristics true, but sterile plants are useless to pollinators. In general, the more the native plant has been altered, the less useful they are to insects.
Each gardener needs to consider their gardening goals. In expanding our goals beyond gardening for our own enjoyment alone to gardening for the greater natural world, we can make a difference that extends beyond our own landscapes. The plant choices we make as gardeners can have an impact on the biodiversity of species in our area, and ultimately, on the health of our planet.
Sources: Lorimer, Uli, Planting a Species or a Cultivar-Will It Make a Difference? Native Plant Trust spring-summer 2021
Native Plants and Biodiversity, Illinois Extension, https://extension.illinois.edu/blogs/garden-scoop/2019-05-10-native-plants-and-biodiversity White, Annie S., From Nursery to Nature: Are native cultivars as valuable to pollinators as native species? February 8, 2013, https://pollinatorgardens.org/2013/02/08/my-research/
Why Use Native Plants? Penn State Extension https://extension.psu.edu/why-use-native-plants
Native Pycanthemum (Mountain Mint) Laura Sorensen
Pycanthemum (Mountain Mint) is a 2-3 ft upright native perennial in the mint family which is beloved by pollinators, and is the host plant for five native butterflies and moths. Pycanthemum is not as aggressive as some mints. It grows in open, sunny, moist fields and along forest edges, and is tolerant of different soils and acidity. Once established, mountain mint is drought resistant. Blooming for up to three months beginning in June, pycanthemum has tiny pink and white tubular flowers, which, in some species, are surrounded by showy silvery bracts. The aromatic foliage is not browsed by deer, and is said to repel mosquitoes when rubbed on the skin. Pycnanthemum is a larval host for 5 species of moths and butterflies, including Chionodes pseudofondella, for which it is the only host plant.
Native species of Mountain Mint in this area: Sources: Crawford, Bruce, Mountain Mint-Truly a Gardeners Mint, https://njaes.rutgers.edu/plant-of-the-month/pycnanthemum.php
National Wildlife Federation Native Plant Finder, https://www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/Plants/279
- basil mountain mint (Pycnanthemum clinopodioides)
- clustered mountain mint (Pycnanthemum muticum)
- hoary mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum var. incanum)
- narrowleaf mountain mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium)
pest by any other name, Garlic Mustard exemplifies the term invasive plant. It is originally from Europe, grows rampantly, sets seed vigorously, and prevents other plants from growing. It is found in great numbers in shady woodlands, disturbed sites and along roadsides in 30 US states where it chokes out native tree seedlings and wildflowers. The roots of the plants exude a chemical which inhibits the growth of vital soil fungi. The leaves also produce a chemical that kills native butterfly larvae that attempt to feed on them.
As a biennial, Garlic Mustard puts forth a low rosette of round, toothed, green leaves its first year. When crushed, these have a strong garlic smell. The leaves remain green over the winter, allowing them to emerge quickly once temperatures warm, thus getting a jump on native species. In April to June of its second year the plant produces small white flowers on 1-4-foot-long stalks with triangular leaves. These are followed by 2-3-inch-long narrow seed pods. The pods pop open later in the summer, dispersing the seeds far and wide. A single plant can produce as many as 8000 seeds. The seeds remain dormant up to 20 months before germinating and can remain viable for 5 years. The plant also develops a tap root which can send up additional stalks.
Once entrenched in a woodland, Garlic Mustard is nearly impossible to eliminate. However, in the home landscape and in the early stages, control is possible. Although it seems an insurmountable task when faced with hundreds of plants, hand pulling is an effective solution. Plants can be pulled at any time, taking care not to disturb the soil and bring seeds to the soil surface where they can germinate. Avoid spreading garlic mustard seeds by carefully bagging any plants that have seed pods. Cutting blooming plants before they set seed takes advantage of their biennial life cycle, as once it has bloomed, the plant dies. Both hand pulling and cutting must be repeated until the seedbank is eliminated. Prescribed burns done in the spring two years in succession can eliminate larger stands of the plant and does not disturb the soil to bring new seeds to the surface.
Garlic Mustard is edible as a salad green and is high in vitamins A and C. However, the damage it causes to Connecticut forests outweighs any value it has as a food source.
Sources:Cipwig.uconn.edu/garlic-mustard-2/# https://www.psu.edu/dept/nkbiology/naturetrail/speciespages/garlicmustard.htm
Invasive Species: Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) Laura Sorensen
Japanese barberry is a popular deciduous landscape shrub. You can find it all over the state, both in commercial landscapes around shopping malls and businesses and in the home landscape. Unfortunately, you can also find it throughout the woods here in Connecticut. A prolific seed producer, it has been spread far and wide by birds and other creatures that feast on its red berries.
Why is this spread a concern? Japanese barberry is an invasive plant; an alien plant which does not naturally grow in a country or region, which is highly adaptable and spreads quickly, with few if any native enemies, and which displaces native plants and disrupts native ecosystems in the landscape. The shrub grows so readily in Connecticut that valuable native plants cannot compete and are gradually eliminated from the woods.
Another reason to fear the spread of this invasive shrub is its function as a nursery for harmful ticks. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station has found through tick sampling in Connecticut forests, that areas infested with Japanese barberry have a much higher tick count than do areas without barberry. The prickly bushes provide a safe hiding place for both the ticks and the rodents they feed on. Deer do not browse the plant, so they remain growing when other potential hiding places are eaten and eliminated. The shrubs also create a microclimate in which temperature and relative humidity swings are controlled, providing an ideal habitat for ticks.
You can recognize Japanese barberry by its densely branched form with alternate small oval leaves in shades from chartreuse, to deep green to maroon. It grows from 2 feet up to 8 feet tall and has sharp spines. Inconspicuous flowers in March and April result in bright red berries that persist through the winter. Stems root easily, so one shrub can quickly form a dense thicket. Hiking through the woods even in the middle of winter, the shrub is easily identified by its sharp thorns and red berries. In spring it is often the first plant to form leaves, so if you see a flush of green in an otherwise bare woods in early spring, it is likely Japanese barberry.
Unfortunately, although many states have banned the sale of these plants, Connecticut has not. In 2010, the nursery trade association found them to be so profitable that they persuaded the legislature not to ban their sale by volunteering to stop the sale of the most invasive varieties. Thus you can still find the shrubs for sale at big box stores and less reputable nurseries. Dr. Mark Brand of UCONN has developed a sterile variety which is the only variety that is safe to purchase. However, with the new understanding of the link between barberry and high tick populations, it makes no sense to plant these shrubs in our landscapes, despite claims that they are sterile or less invasive. So it is up to knowledgeable gardeners to refuse to buy them, to remove them whenever possible, and to spread the word about their danger to the wild landscape and role in spreading tick borne diseases.
Removal of Japanese barberry is best accomplished using protective clothing because of the thorns and the possibility of ticks in the area. They can be pulled by hand if care is taken to capture any seeds. Frequent cutting alone will not usually kill the plant, but will prevent them from setting seed. Since they green up so early in the spring, it is easy to identify them and to use spot herbicides to kill the plants. Controlled burns or directed flame is another method that has been found to be effective when done by professionals.
Sources: https://cipwg.uconn.edu/japanese-barberry/ https://extension.psu.edu/the-invasive-japanese-barberry
https://www.gardencentermag.com/article/connecticut-barberry-phase-out/
https://blog-yard-garden-news.extension.umn.edu/2016/04/japanese-barberry-infestations-and.html
Alien Invader: The Spotted Lantern Fly Laura Sorensen
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station recently reported that one Spotted Lantern Fly was found in Southbury, Connecticut this fall. A single fly had also been found in Farmington in 2018, but no other Spotted Lantern Flies were reported in the interim. This pest was first identified in Berks County, Pennsylvania in 2014 and has since spread to more counties in Pennsylvania, and to New Jersey, Virginia, and Delaware.
Originally from Asia, Spotted Lantern Fly adults are about one inch long with colorful black, yellow and red wings. When closed, the wings are a dull brown that blends in with bark. Both adults and nymphs injure plants by sucking sap from stems and leaves. Their primary host is the Tree of Heaven, (Ailanthus altissima) but they feed on a wide variety of species, including grape vines, fruit trees, and forest trees, putting our Connecticut forests and orchards at risk. They leave behind a sweet, sticky substance called honeydew, which attracts other insects and promotes the growth of sooty mold. Even when the tree or vine is not killed outright, the insect damage and sooty mold makes the crop unusable.
The Spotted Lantern Fly lays its eggs on both plant and non-plant material, so it can spread when vehicles, lawn furniture, and nursery stock are transported from infested areas.
If you find this insect, take photos and carefully note its location. Report your find to [email protected] or send a dead specimen using the CAES Spotted Lantern Fly sample submission form found on the CAES website. If you know of a stand of Ailanthus (10 or more), report this to [email protected].
Sources:
https://news.psu.edu/story/585958/2019/08/30/impact/penn-state-asks-visitors-help-stop-spread-spotted-lanternfly
https://www.ct.gov/deep/cwp/view.asp?a=2697&q=608416&deepNav_GID=1631
‘Natural’ Pesticide Issues Reprinted with permission from Sarah Bailey, State Coordinator, UConn Extension Master Gardener Programr Article was originally published by UConn Extension, 6/14/2019
Lots of homemade weed-killer “recipes” are cropping up on social media, usually containing some combination of vinegar, Epsom salts, and Dawn dishwashing soap. These are often accompanied by a comment such as “no need for pesticides or herbicides!” It may feel good to use familiar household items to control pests and weeds in your garden, but it’s important to understand the science behind such mixes – and the potential risks. First and foremost, these mixtures ARE pesticides or herbicides. They are intended to kill a pest, in this case weeds. Now, let’s look at the science: Vinegar is an acid. At the right concentration, it damages by burning any part of a plant it comes in contact with. If the plant is in the ground, it does NOT get the root; many plants will grow back. It is non-selective, meaning it will damage any plant it touches, including desired ones. Household vinegar is 5% acetic acid; to be effective on anything other than tiny seedlings the concentration needs to be at least 10%. Horticultural-grade vinegar is 20% and can carry a “Danger – caustic” signal word, which is stronger than many other herbicides on the market. Salts work by desiccating plants – again, all parts of the plant it touches. Salts, however, build up in the soil and can harm desired plants nearby. Since most homemade recipes need repeated application to be effective, the salts will build up. Epsom salts are touted because they contain magnesium instead of sodium, but too much magnesium will interfere with phosphorus uptake. Dawn detergent is not a naturally-occurring substance. It, like any soap, is used as a sticker agent, helping the other materials stay on the plant longer. It contains methylisothiazolinone, which has acute aquatic toxicity and 1,4-dioxane, which is a known groundwater contaminant with carcinogenic properties. These may be do-it-yourself recipes, but they definitely are not natural. An additional issue with home recipes is the variability of the mix. Many don’t even have specific measurements. Also, because home remedies are often perceived as “safer”, a person may choose to increase the concentrations, changing the potential environmental risk. Many of these recipes do indeed kill – or at least reduce – weeds and unwanted vegetation. But they also have collateral impacts, some of which may be significant. The garden center shelves have changed in the last several years. There are now many naturally-derived pesticides on the market, which have been tested for effectiveness, are labelled as to their environmental impact and deliver a consistent product every time. They generally are safer to use and pose less environmental risk than many of the older synthetic materials – the same goal of homemade mixes. Look for products that are OMRI-certified. The Organic Materials Review Institute(OMRI) is a nonprofit organization that provides an independent review of products, such as fertilizers and pest controls that are intended for use in organic production. For more information, please contact the UConn Extension Master Gardener Program. Find the location nearest you at https://mastergardener.uconn.edu/ or email Sarah.Bailey@ uconn.edu.
Restoring the Little Things That Run the World
Doug Tallamy (reprinted with permission from the author)
In 1987, E.O. Wilson challenged conventional wisdom by claiming that insects were the little things that ran the world. If insects were to disappear, he explained, so would nearly all flowering plants and the . food webs they support. This loss, in turn, would cause the extinction of reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals: in effect, nearly all of the earth's terrestrial animal life. The loss of insects would also end
rapid decomposition of organic matter. and thus shut down nutrient cycling. And - oh, yes - humans would be among the species unable to survive in a world without insects.
Though sobering, Wilson's dire predictions were considered little more than theoretical musings in 1987 because few people were worried that insects would ever decline, let alone fall below functional levels. In fact, we were far more interested in discovering new ways to kill them in our homes, lawns, crops, and forests than in thinking about how we might coexist with these essential creatures. Unfortunately, we are now learning that our global war on insects has been enormously successful. Insects populations are a fraction of what they need to be to sustain viable ecosystems, and they are still declining rapidly because their ecological importance has been unappreciated and their needs ignored.
The UN's Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services has found one million species to be at imminent risk of extinction, most of which are, in fact, insects. Industrial agriculture, millions of miles of road hazards, unnecessary night lights, overuse of pesticides, habitat elimination, tens of millions of acres of sterile lawn, and the widespread replacement of the native plant communities that generate insects with introduced "pest-free" ornamentals that do not, have caused a 45% decline in insect populations just in the last 40 years. Headlines like "The Insect Apocalypse is Here" are alerting us to the mess we have made of insect populations and thus the ecosystems we depend on,
but there is little discussion about what can be done to reverse this hazardous trend.
The good news is that there is nothing inevitable about insect declines! We can and must restore insects to our landscapes, and we have to do it now. And by we, I mean you. More than 85% of the U.S. east of the Mississippi river, and 83% of the entire coterminous U.S. is privately owned, and landowners must now take a leading role in the future of conservation. We can no longer ignore private holdings if conservation is to succeed. Our parks and preserves are vital, for they are where biodiversity is huddling; but, as the statistics are showing, they are not large enough and are too isolated from each other to sustain for much longer the plants and animals that run our ecosystems. Even if you don't own a
precious piece of our biosphere, public parks desperately need volunteers to help manage their acreage. Here are seven things we all can do to help our beleaguered insect populations:
1) Cut your lawn area in half. We have converted an area the size of New England into this ecologically destructive status symbol. Lawn fails to support diverse food webs and vital pollinator communities, it degrades our watersheds, and it is the worst plant choice for sequestering carbon. Restrict your lawn to the areas where you regularly walk.
2) Remove invasive plants from your property, and resist the temptation to buy new ones at your local nursery. By definition, these plants are ecological tumors that spread to natural areas, where they displace the valuable native plant communities that support insects.
3) Plant more of the native plants that support the most insect species. In general, native plants support the life cycles of 10-100 times more insect species than non-native plants, and a few native plants serve as host plants for 10-100 times more insects than most other native plants.
You can find out which plants are best at fueling food webs in your county by visiting the Native Plant Finder at the National Wildlife Federation website.
4) Minimize insecticide use. Homeowners use more insecticides than agriculture does, and nearly
all of this use is unnecessary.
5) Oppose mosquito fogging in your community. Contrary to what many fogging companies tell you, the pyrethroids used to knock down adult mosquitoes kill nearly all of the insects they contact. Mosquitoes are best controlled in the larval stage with targeted products like mosquito dunks
(Bacillus thurengiensis) that kill nothing else.
6) Build pollinator gardens with specialist pollinators in mind. We need diverse pollinator communities not only because they are important to human crops, but because they pollinate 80% of all plants and 90% of all flowering plants. If we were to lose our pollinators, we would
lose 80-90% of the plant species on the planet. This, of course is not an option we can live with. Although declines in honey bee populations have gotten a lot of press, we have 4000 species of native bees that pollinated the vast majority of the plants in North America before we introduced
the honey bee from Europe. Most of these native bees are suffering from our tendency to replace blooming native plants with lawn and concrete. Plants like goldenrod, asters, sunflowers, violets, evening primrose, and native willows are best at supporting native bee specialists, and
they attract generalist pollinators like honeybees and bumblebees as well.
7) Put motion sensors on your security lights. Lights draw insects in all night long, exhausting them and making them easy prey for bats and birds .. If each of the millions of lights we turn on in this country, mostly out of habit, kills just a few insects each night...well, you can do the math.
We can no longer leave conservation to the conservationists; there simply are not enough of them. We must accept that along with land ownership comes the responsibility of stewarding the life associated with that land. For all we know, it may be all of the life in the universe, an awesome responsibility indeed. But the task is not as enormous as it seems. Just take care of the life on your property. Such a goal is far more manageable than trying to save the entire planet. You will not reverse insect declines by yourself, but if we each do our own small part, not only will we successfully restore insect populations, we will create the largest collective conservation effort in history; one that can and must succeed for our own good.
Fungus Gnats Laura Sorensen
If you keep houseplants, root cuttings or start plants from seeds, you may have battled fungus gnats (Bradysia species). Fungus gnats are tiny (1/8 inch), mosquito-like insects that are found in and around the potting soil of houseplants at home and in greenhouses.
You may notice the adult gnat sitting on the surface of the soil and flying around your plants. The adults themselves are harmless, but their larvae can damage plants. They lay their eggs in the top 2 to 3 inches of the soil. The gnats are attracted to moist soil containing high amounts of peat moss or organic matter and the fungus that grows on it. One adult gnat can lay up to 200 eggs. Larvae emerge after about a week and feed below the surface on organic matter and on the root hairs of plants. Seedlings are particularly vulnerable, but cuttings and established plants can also be damaged. Signs of damage include stunting, and wilted and yellow leaves. House plants with succulent stems such as pointsettias, African violets and coleus are common hosts.
Fungus gnats can colonize the soil of houseplants that have summered outdoors and be introduced to your home when the plants are brought inside. They may also arrive in commercial potting soil or in homemade soil mixtures that contain compost. Once in your home, they can overwinter in stored potting soil, becoming active when the soil is moistened for use, or they can colonize plumbing drains.
The first plan of attack is prevention. Inspect new plants and those plants brought indoors in the fall. Repot affected plants in new potting soil. Allow the top few inches of soil to dry out between waterings. Keep stored potting soil covered and dry. Wash used pots. Storing pots left with plant, soil and bulb remains can provide a breeding medium for gnats. Control of adults is safely achieved with yellow sticky traps placed near plants or horizontally on the surface of the soil. This reduces the number of eggs laid. Larvae may be controlled with Bti (Bacillus Thuringiensis israeliensis), a biological agent that kills larval forms of mosquitos and gnats. It is available to the public as Gnatrol and Mosquito Bits. Spread the bits on the surface of the soil where the bacillus will be gradually watered in, or place some in your watering can to disperse the bacillus in the water. Bti applied through watering must be repeated as frequently as every three to five days to achieve complete control. As always, it is important to read the label and follow the directions of any pesticide you use.
A soil drench of beneficial nematodes or predatory Hypoaspis mites is another control for fungus gnats. These must be ordered live and used immediately upon delivery.
Sources: Fungus Gnats, University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management Program, http://ipm.uconn.edu/documents/raw2/Fungus%20Gnats/Fungus%20Gnats.php?aid=207 Nielsen, G. R., Fungus Gnats, University of Vermont Extension, http://pss.uvm.edu/ppp/pubs/el50.htm
Rhododendrons by Laura Sorensen
You don’t need a thermometer to tell that it’s really cold outside. Just look at the leaves of your rhododendrons. Rhododendron leaves curl and droop in response to low temperatures. One widely accepted theory is that this is the plant’s way of reducing moisture loss when ground water is unavailable due to frozen soil. The fact that Rhododendrons close their leaf stomata (pores that open and close allowing water to escape and the exchange of gases) during the winter, thus preventing transpiration, seems to disprove this theory. Leaf drooping also occurs in response to temperature regardless of the availability of groundwater.
Scientists are discovering that different factors are at work. They have come to view leaf curling and leaf drooping as two distinct plant behaviors.
Rhododendrons evolved as understory shrubs protected and shaded by the forest canopy. When this canopy is absent, as in winter when the trees are bare, the more intense sunlight can lead to leaf scorch. Leaf drooping reduces the surface area exposed to sunlight, thus reducing leaf scorch. When scientists forced leaves to remain horizontal, they sustained permanent sun damage which reduced the leaf’s ability to photosynthesize during the growing season.
Leaf curling serves the plant in a different way. As we know from freezing our garden produce, freezing plant tissue causes ice to build up in plant cells. Freezing followed by rapid thawing allows this ice to damage the cells, but slow thawing can reduce cell damage. Leaf curling allows the rhododendron to do just that. The leaves freeze in the cold temperatures of winter, but thaw much more slowly if the leaf is curled. This behavior protects the shrub from the daily freeze thaw cycle which would otherwise cause winter kill.
These two leaf movements are an important part of the winter hardiness of rhododendrons.
Sources: http://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/2017/12/11/why-do-rhododendron-leaves-droop-and-curl-in-the-winter?rq=rhododendron
Houseplant Care Laura Sorensen
Right now, our gardening dreams are just that, dreams. However, there is one garden task we can undertake now as the days get longer but temperatures are still too cold to garden outdoors, and that is spring houseplant care.
Early spring is a good time to evaluate the health of our houseplants. Most houseplants do little active growing during the winter, but as the light through our windows begins to intensify, they resume growing. Check to see if your plants need to be repotted by inspecting the roots and the consistency of the potting soil. If the soil has broken down to where it drains too quickly and provides few nutrients or if roots have expanded to fill the pot, it is time to repot. Choose a pot that is one size larger than the current container so that roots have room to grow but there is not so much room that the extra volume of soil will hold excess moisture and cause rotting. Watering needs may increase in the spring. As growth picks up we can also increase the amount of fertilizer we give our plants. Water most plants when the soil is dry a half inch below the surface. Unless your potting soil already contains a time release fertilizer, it is generally best to fertilize houseplants regularly but at diluted strength. “Weekly, weakly” is a good fertilizer guide. Pick off dead and yellowed leaves and prune leggy plants to encourage new spring growth. Spring is also a good time to propagate houseplants, either by taking cuttings or by dividing.
In late spring, you may find that some plants need to be moved to different locations. Windows that were the correct brightness in the low light days of winter may be too bright in spring, causing sun scalding. If you want to move houseplants outdoors for the summer, make the change when the temperature outdoors is similar to indoors and after all chance of frost. Consider acclimating plants to the outdoors by gradually increasing the length of time they spend outside and bringing them in at night. This will ensure an easy transition for the plants. Never place houseplants in full sun. Outdoor light is much stronger than indoor light, so a shaded, sheltered location is best. Your houseplants will thrive all summer on the north side of a building or under shade trees.
Sources: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp/palette/100418.html http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/houseplant-fertilization-recommendations.php
Connecticut Has New Recycling Guidelines Laura Sorensen
We all want to recycle, and we know we should recycle. Recycling benefits the environment by conserving resources and saving energy, and by decreasing greenhouse gases and pollutants. Recycling paper saves mature trees, trees which have been called “the lungs of the earth.” Besides these obvious benefits are the less well known economic benefits. Recycling costs less than either land filling or incineration. Its benefit to the Connecticut economy is estimated to be over $700 million annually in both cost savings and job creation. However, despite these advantages many citizens do not recycle, in part because of confusion about what and how to recycle household waste.
In the past, what could and could not be recycled curbside was determined town by town and carrier by carrier which caused confusion among consumers. Now, Connecticut has developed universal residential recycling guidelines which apply to all recycling centers and communities in the state. According to Commissioner of Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Robert Klee, this is part of the state’s new goal of 60 % diversion of materials from the waste stream by 2024. Achieving that goal is expected to save an additional $40 million per year in waste disposal fees.
The DEEP has created a helpful guide which can be found at www.recyclect.com There you will find a “RecycleCT Wizard” where you can enter the specific material and immediately find out if it can be recycled. For items that cannot be recycled curbside such as latex paint and mattresses, there is information about alternative recycling locations or proper disposal.
In general, items that can be recycled should be empty, rinsed, clean and open. Items should be deposited individually and not be shredded, boxed, bagged or bundled.
Including the wrong items can cause equipment to jam and can slow down the recycling process, thereby reducing the economic benefit of recycling. Improper handling such as shredding paper can reduce the value of the final recycled product. This is important because the objective is not just to dispose of recyclable trash, but to produce a recycled product that has value. If the recycling waste stream is contaminated by items that are not acceptable or are soiled, they will be diverted to the landfill, but by a costlier route than if they had been sent directly to the trash.
Visit www.recyclect.com to learn more about the universal residential recycling guidelines.
Sources: Department of Energy and Environmental Protection at www.ct.gov/deep Recyle CT Foundation at www. recyclect.com
Bulbs! by Laura Sorensen
This fall while you are shopping the sales for bargains on spring blooming bulbs for your garden, why not plan to bring spring indoors during the cold, dark days of winter. October is the perfect time to begin forcing bulbs for indoor blooms.
To ensure plentiful blooms, purchase the largest, plumpest bulbs you can find. Place them close together with the pointy side up in a pot with drainage holes. A typical 6 inch pot can hold 3 large, 6 medium or 15 small bulbs set close together. Plant them with 1-2 inches of potting soil beneath the bulbs and another 2 inches of soil on top. You can add bone meal to the potting soil at this time. Water generously, then sink the pot into the garden so that the top of the pots are about 3 inches below soil level. Add a layer of shredded leaves or mulch and perhaps a covering of chicken wire to keep animals from digging in the pots.
After 12-16 weeks of cold temperatures (35 to 50 degrees), you can dig up your pots and bring them into a cool but not cold area such as an unheated garage or cool basement. Begin to water the pots, being careful not to overwater, until you see the green tips of the bulbs appear. Be patient. Exposing the pots to warm temperatures to hasten growth will result in tall, leggy plants. Once growth appears, move the pot into a sunny window. Most bulbs will bloom in 3-4 weeks.
When the blooms have finished, the bulbs can be planted outdoors where they will build strength and eventually bloom again. Purchase fresh bulbs each year for forcing and do not attempt to force these same bulbs again.
With a little planning, you can enjoy beautiful spring bulbs indoors while your garden is still sleeping under the snow.
Sources: Forcing Bulbs, ladybug.uconn.edu Coppa, Greg, “A Pot of Prevention”, Horticulture Magazine, Sep./Oct. 2017
Attracting Pollinators Laura Sorensen
We’ve all heard the plea by wildlife enthusiasts to plant more native plants. If we want to attract birds, butterflies and other pollinators, we need to carefully consider what plants are most beneficial, but choosing native plants for our landscapes can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming.
The National Wildlife Federation has created a new tool which lists native plants that are best at supporting butterfly and moth species and thus the birds that feed on them. Based on the research of Dr. Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware, the list is organized by zip code. Information is given for flowers, grasses, trees, and shrubs. Native species are listed in order of the number of butterfly and moth species which use it as a host plant. For example, the aster is host to 79 different butterfly and moth species, while oaks host 352 different species.
Although the plant finding tool is a work in progress and is continually being updated, it is usable in its present form. The site can be found at www.nwf.org/NativePlantFinder/
Gardening Smartly: Does Everything Need to be Perfect Laura Sorensen
The time has come for many of us to consider our aching backs and sore knees and find a new, easier way to garden. We love our gardens and want them to continue to bloom but no longer have the energy or strength to garden the way we did in the past. Should we downsize our gardens? Pave everything in concrete? Turn the beds back into lawn? Move to a condo? Fortunately, it is not necessary to take such drastic action.
Several steps can reduce the amount of work needed to maintain a garden. First, take a look at your garden and set some priorities. Keep the gardens that are most visible from the house or your seating area, but consider eliminating or reducing beds out of view. Then think about which plants give you the most bang for your buck. Keep plants that have a long bloom time, clean foliage and require little care. Eliminate plants that need staking, constant deadheading, frequent watering, tend to have pest or disease problems and that need to be divided often. Having the same number of plants but fewer varieties will reduce the work needed to keep the garden looking good. Native plants tend to do well in our gardens without added fertilizer, pesticides and irrigation. Spring bulbs, once planted, give many years of flowers with virtually no work. If you choose wisely, shrubs can give color with flowers, foliage and berries. Just avoid shrubs that need frequent pruning. Consider grouping plants with similar water needs and using a drip irrigation system to reduce toting watering cans and heavy hoses.
Second, consider changing your standards. Do you really need to deadhead all those flowers? Perhaps deadheading can be limited to flowers near your front door or path and let the rest go. Embrace imperfection-a more naturalized garden using ground covers and mulch instead of trimmed edges and constant weeding may give just as much pleasure with less upkeep. Don’t insist on removing every last leaf from your lawn and garden beds. Once the lawn has been mowed a few times, those leaves will be chopped up fine and will break down into the soil. Tolerate a little insect and disease damage.
Finally, mulch is a great labor saver. Although laying the mulch can be a big job, once the garden is mulched your weeding and watering will be greatly reduced.If you are like me, not quite ready to throw in the towel but seeing the need to make changes, there are some books to point the way to gardening without breaking your back.
The Downsized Veggie Garden by Kate Copsey (2016), St. Lynn’s Press, Portland, OR Easy Care Native Plants by Patricia Taylor (1996), Henry Holt and Co., New York, NY Gardening for a Lifetime by Sidney Eddison (2010), Timber Press, Portland, OR
How to Have a Green Thumb Without an Aching Back by Ruth Stout (1959) Exposition Press, New York, NY (out of print but available on Amazon) Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza (1998), Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA 50 High Impact, Low Care Garden Plants by Tracy Disabato-Aust (2008), Timber Press, Portland, OR
Attracting Hummingbirds Christie Kuriger
Hummingbirds will soon be back for the season, so be ready! Best to get your feeder out by mid April and be patient. It is best to hang your feeder(s) in the same spot as last year since they are creatures of habit and return to places where they are most comfortable. They like to feed at least 3-4 feet above the ground and have a tree or branch nearby for them to perch on. They are known to live at least 12 years, so you will have a tiny feathered friend for a while if you treat them well.
They are one of the world’s smallest birds ranging between 3 and 5 inches. Hummingbirds are named due to the sound created by their wings and when in flight, they can have up to 100 wing beats per second. They live only in the Americas from southern Alaska to Central America and migrate each fall to winter over in Mexico or Central America. There are over 325 species of hummingbirds. Contrary to what you may think, they spend most of their day sitting or perching and not flying. They build nests about the size of half a walnut shell to several centimeters in diameter and some species use spider silk to bind their nest together and make it flexible for their growing young. The incubation period for most species is between 14 and 23 days.
Feeding hummingbirds is fun! Make your own nectar using 1 part granulated sugar to 4 parts water. There is no need to put red food coloring into the nectar as it is not necessary and may actually be harmful to them. Bring to a boil, stir for a few minutes and then let cool and use. Refrigerate unused nectar for future use. If you purchase nectar, be sure to use clear nectar. Be sure to change the nectar every few days and rinse out the feeder thoroughly before refilling.
Brightly colored feeders and flowers nearby the feeder will attract them. They feed on the nectar of flowers and choose those with the highest sugar content but they also need the portions, amino acids and vitamins from eating insects. Their bills are specialized so that they can feed on flowers specific to their habitat and they drink with their tongue by rapidly lapping nectar. They protect their food sources fiercely since they can starve easily. They can slow down their metabolism so they don’t need to eat as much-especially at night or when food is not readily available-similar to hibernation, called torpor.
Hummingbirds like brightly colored, tubular shaped flowers especially red blossoms. A sample of some of their preferred flowers are bee balm, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, columbines, dallies, lupines, foxgloves, hollyhocks, cleomes, impatiens, petunias and many more!
If you would like to follow the hummingbird migration, go to www.birdfeeders.com/hummingbird-migration or hummingbirds.net.
Crazy Snake Worms Laura Sorensen
Crazy Snake Worms, Alabama Jumpers, Jersey Wrigglers- all names for the aggressively invasive earthworm Amynthas agrestis. Since the earthworms native to the northeast were all killed by the last glacial period, the species now common to this area are thought to have been brought to North America from Europe by the colonists. Amynthas, which was first noted in the nursery trade about 50 years ago, came from Korea and Japan.
Besides being non-native, snake worms share several characteristics with other invasive species. With two hatchings per year, they reproduce on a larger scale than do other worms. They are also parthenogenetic, which means they can reproduce without a mate. Because of this, Amynthas crowd out other species of worms, quickly becoming the most commonly found and sometimes the only worm species found in an area. By altering the organic composition and structure of the soil, they make conditions inhospitable for native woodland species such as trillium, trout lily, and sugar maples. This allows plant invasives such as Japanese Barberry to take hold. With less vegetation, birds and other animals that rely on groundcover to hide their nests are affected. Snake worms change the landscape by rapidly consuming all soil organic matter, including wood chips and shredded bark mulch. Unlike common earthworms which stay underground, snake worms feed on organic matter both below and on the surface of the soil. They leave the soil dry and crumby and unable to sustain plant life.
Amynthas are 3-8 inches long and dark gray. They can be distinguished from benign worm species by a smooth white band (clitellum) which encircles the body near one end, although this is not noticeable until June or July. They are also identified by their behavior. They snake along the top of the soil and wriggle frantically when touched or held, sometimes losing their tails in an effort to escape. Snake worms are spread by moving mulch, leaves and soil, by fishermen using them as bait, by sharing plants from infected gardens, and from infected nursery stock.
As yet, there is no treatment for Amynthas that does not kill other insects and aquatic life. Their eggs can survive our northern winters, though they are killed in the high heat of commercial composting. As responsible gardeners, the safest course is to be on the lookout, be choosy about purchased soil and compost, and avoid sharing plants from infested areas.
Sources: Blog.uvm.edu/jgorres/amynthas/ www.uvm.edu/~entlab/Greenhouse%20IPM/Workshops/2014/InvasiveEarthworms
www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/leaf/Documents/Crazy%20worms%20fact%20sheet
https://hortnews.extension.iastate.edu/2017/05/asian-jumping-worms
Yellow Nutsedge-a Perennial Weed Laura Sorensen
Yellow nutsedge, (Cyperus esculentus) is a perennial weed found in turf grass and gardens. It resembles grass and can be mistaken for young daylilies, but it is a sedge. It can be identified and distinguished from grass by its triangular shaped stem which is arranged in groups of threes. The leaves are hairless, shiny, and light yellowish green with long tapered tips. Nutsedge emerges in late April or May and is active during the heat of summer when turf is growing more slowly, continuing growth through fall.
Nutsedge can grow golden seed heads, but it reproduces primarily by underground tubers. These tubers can be spread in topsoil and persist when the weed is pulled. Although the top part of the weed is killed by frost, the tubers persist and will regrow in spring.
When removing nutsedge, it is important to dig the whole plant so as to get rid of the tubers. Young plants have not yet developed tubers, so early control is important. The best control in lawns is a healthy dense turf that can compete with the weed. Mowing too low and overwatering lawns encourages the growth of nutsedge.
There are many herbicides available for control of nutsedge, but even with these toxic chemicals, control is difficult. If you must use herbicides, be sure to read the label carefully. Proper use will include early application before tubers have formed and continued use for more than a year to reduce the tuber population.
Source: Patton, Aaron and Weisenberger, Dan, Yellow Nutsedge Control, Perdue Extension, https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ay/ay-19-w.pdf https://oak.ppws.vt.edu/~flessner/weedguide/cypes.htm
What’s a Shield Bug? Laura Sorensen
As temperatures drop this fall, you may begin to see some unwanted garden visitors in your home. The brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys Stal), also known as a shield bug, begins to look for hiding places to survive the winter. They enter your home through cracks around windows, in siding and through tears in window screens. Though not harmful to people or pets, it is a nuisance when they turn up in the most unlikely places in your home throughout the winter.
Introduced from Asia in the ‘90’s, these insects were first spotted in Connecticut in 2011. About 5/8 inch long, they are shield shaped, brown with lighter spots on the legs and antennae. They are a sucking insect, damaging plants and crops by piercing tissues and sucking out the contents. Stink bugs feed on a wide variety of food crops and ornamental plants. In my garden they have mostly damaged beans and tomatoes. Symptoms include distorted fruits and vegetables, blemishes, internal rot and sunken spots.
Insecticides are of limited benefit. In the home garden the best approach is hand picking. Since their natural defense is to drop, hold a container filled with soapy water below the insect and brush the surface until it falls into the can to drown. If possible, looks for their entrance points and seal or repair any openings. If you find them in the house, don’t crush them as this releases a strong odor. You can vacuum up large numbers, but then dispose of the vacuum bag to avoid smelling up the house.
Sources: http://www.ladybug.uconn.edu/FactSheets/brown-marmorated-stinkbug.php
https://extension.psu.edu/brown-marmorated-stink-bug https://njaes.rutgers.edu/stink-bug/identify.php
