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Denny's Soapbox |
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Updates on This and That – What’s happening in your landscape
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| PERENNIAL - PEONY (Paeonia spp.). The common garden peony grows to around 3' tall and about as wide. The foliage is a nice dark green and barring any disease problems in the early spring, looks good all summer long in the perennial border. The blooms appear in mid- to late May and last for around 2 weeks depending upon the temperature. The flowers are up to 6" across and come in a wide variety of colors; there are also single and double flowering cultivars. Some peonies need support to stay upright since their blooms can be too heavy. Many cultivars have blooms with incredible fragrance as well. Deadhead the blooms by cutting the bloom stems below the level of the foliage once the blooms have faded. If plants gets lanky or floppy during the growing season, shear the plants about 1/3 of the way back. VEGETABLE - CHIVES (Allium schoenoprasum). Every vegetable garden should have chives in it; well maybe not in it, but close to it since chives is a bulb-producing, herbaceous, perennial plant. The foliage can be described as clumps of green, hollow, tubes reaching 12" in height with a mild onion-like flavor. Chives are not only cultivated for their culinary uses but also for their ornamental value. Clumps of chives are used effectively as a border in gardens. This classic garden herb also produces a striking bloom that lasts from late spring through mid summer. However, one precaution is that chives seed very easily, therefore one should remove seed heads before seed dispersal. Chives are easy to grow either from seed or divided clumps. This plant tolerates most growing situations and it seems to have few if any insect or disease challenges. Frequent trimming of foliage keeps the plant fresh and tender, as well as adding great flavor if chopped up on a baked potato. VEGETABLE GARDENING 101 - DON'T OVERCROWD THE PLANTS. One of the common mistakes in vegetable gardening is not leaving enough space between plants. Overcrowding plants reduces yield, decreases quality, and increases the potential for disease problems. A typical spacing for tomatoes is 24-36" between plants. The spacing for peppers is 18-24". Bush beans are spaced at 2-4" between plants. For more information on this topic refer to OSU Extension FactSheets at [ http://ohioline.osu.edu/lines/vegie.html ]. CRABGRASS. This weed has germinated and is being found in many lawns, especially in the areas where crabgrass most commonly and easily establishes. These areas are along sidewalks, streets, driveways and other thin areas in the lawn. These sites are where sunlight can directly penetrate to the soil which is required for crabgrass seed germination. The time for the use of pre-emergent crabgrass materials is past. However, there are a number of post-emergent materials that can be utilized to manage this plant if desired. Check with your local year-round garden center. MUSHROOM MANIA. Many species of mushrooms grow or expand rapidly, to seemingly appear out of nowhere overnight and astound all who notice the addition to the landscape. These fruiting bodies can pop up anywhere in the landscape, including in middle of the lawn growing from a buried dead tree root hidden underneath the turf. All that is required is a stash of dead organic matter. In reality, most species of mushrooms take several days to form and develop the mushroom-like fruiting body, although they are able to expand rapidly by absorbing fluids. This is why the cool, moist weather seems to bring out the best—in mushroom formation! TINY HYDRANGEA BLOOMS – Mother Nature continues to keep us guessing. Large leaf (Macrophylla) types are loaded with bloom – very small blooms. Endless Summer and others normally have bloom clusters of 6 inches or more in diameter. This year 2 inches to date, no answer. Stay tuned. |
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