Plants of the Week

07/28/11
Newsletter Topics

#1 - Tips of the Week

#3 - Diseases

#2 - Plants of the Week

#4 - Insects

Plants of the Week

Taken from the B.Y.G.L. (Buckeye Yard and Garden Online) Newsletter
Contributing Authors: Pam Bennett, Joe Boggs, Cindy Meyer, Jim Chatfield, Erik Draper, Dave Dyke, Gary Gao,
David Goerig, Tim Malinich, Becky McCann, Bridget Meiring, Amy Stone and Curtis Young

PERENNIAL - BEEBALM (Monarda dydima).

Beebalm, a member of the mint family, is a necessity in a pollinator garden. Beebalm flowers are full of nectar that is especially attractive to bees, but will often attract hummingbirds and butterflies. This plant can grow up to 24-48" in height and prefers full sun and moist soil. Unfortunately, beebalm tends to be very susceptible to powdery mildew. Locating plants in full sun and following proper spacing for this plant can help keep powdery mildew at bay. Beebalm comes in a variety of different colors including red, rose, pink, violet, and white. Dividing plants every 2-3 years in the spring will help keep the plant healthy. When dividing, dig up plants as soon as plants emerge. Divide the plant into clumps using a sharp knife. Each clump should include a good root system, as well as several good shoots.

WOODY - GINKGO (Ginkgo biloba).

Its fan-shaped leaves are truly unique. This medium to large stately tree is wonderful in the landscape, providing one has the male version! Male cultivars such as 'Autumn Gold', 'Lakeview', and 'Princeton Sentry' are some of the more popular selections. Gingko trees grow to around 50-70' tall and are very adaptable to urban conditions and tough sites. They are used quite often as a street tree as the can take adverse growing conditions such as the strip between the street and sidewalk. The tree's golden yellow leaves tend to drop all of sudden when temperatures change and wind kicks up in the fall. These trees have relatively few problems making them a great choice in the landscape.

VEGETABLE - CUCUMBER (Cucurbita sativus).

Cucumber is a warm season vegetable that grows best during periods of warm days and warms nights. The vines of a standard cucumber grow quickly and require substantial growing space. However, by training vines onto vertical structures and with the development of bush and dwarf varieties, even gardeners with limited space can also enjoy the home grown taste of cucumbers. Cucumbers are usually started by planting seeds directly in the soil after the danger of frost has passed in the spring. The seeds can be planted in hills with 4-5 seeds per hill spaced at 4-5' apart or in rows with plants 2-3' apart and space between rows of 5-6' apart. You can get a jump on the season by starting plants indoors using peat pots or pellets. Like other vine crops it is best to avoid disturbing the cucumber roots when transplanting. A second planting may be done in mid to late summer for a fall harvest. Cucumbers are ready for harvesting 50-70 days from planting. Depending on their use, the cucumber can be picked at any stage of development before the seeds become hard and the cucumber turns yellow.

WEED - QUEEN ANNE'S LACE (Daucus carota).

Queen Anne's lace or wild carrot is the progenitor of production carrots. Although native to Europe, it is now common throughout the northern US, where its white lacy umbels are a familiar sight along roads and in fields.

Queen Anne's lace is a biennial plant. The plant forms a rosette of pinnately compounded leaves the first year, then produces several flowers on tall stems the second year. In its second year, the plant bolts from the taproot (the carrot) to a height of 2-4'. The stems are erect and branched; both stems and leaves are covered with short coarse hairs. The individual ray flowers make a tatted, round umbel. It will flower from late June through September.

Some people eat the young taproot, although it is not as sweet and tender as a carrot. It boasts of several herbal qualities, as the seeds have been used as an antiseptic diuretic, and for the prevention and flushing of urinary stones. The seeds are high in volatile oil and supposedly soothe the digestive system when flatulence arises. The root is used as an antacid for heartburn and gastritis. A poultice of the root has been found useful to treat itchy skin. As with any wildflower though, care should be taken to identify the plant correctly, as it has several toxic relatives, such as poison hemlock.

Many butterflies, wasps, and bees are attracted to the flowers of Queen Anne’s lace so, while often considered a weed, it is frequently planted in wildflower and butterfly gardens. The black swallowtail caterpillar favors Queen Anne's lace and other members of the Umbelliferae family as its food source.