The Garden Post July/August 2002

SUMMER GARDEN PROJECTS

By Jeff Myers

A lot of time and effort goes into the selection, placement and maintenance of the plants in our gardens. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the other elements that keep our gardens going. Getting into the habit of recycling, extending the growing season and maintaining equipment, will keep our gardens going for years to come. Three useful projects are constructing a composting area, building a cold frame and the ongoing maintenance of the garden lawnmower.

Compost is the end result of the breakdown of organic household and garden waste. Creating a homegrown source of this soil conditioner will reduce trash collection and provide a source of nutrients for your plants. Place the composter in an area that is easy to get to and will not cause a problem for the surrounding neighborhood. Fancy bins can be purchased for hundreds of dollars but the same results can be had using wire fencing, cinder blocks or used pallets.
Key points to consider when composting are having a pile at least 3’x3’x3’, adding layers of carbon rich (brown) and nitrogen rich (green) materials, allowing air to flow to the pile and keeping the pile moist.
If you are interested in composting you should attend one of the workshops given by the Penn State Urban Gardening Program and sponsored by the PA Department of Environmental Protection. The 1-1/2 hour long presentation provides step-by-step details on establishing and maintaining compost piles and also gives you a complimentary bin.

Cold frames allow you to extend the growing season into the winter and to get an early start in the spring. Now that the weather is nice, and hopefully you have some extra time on your hands, you can think about using a cold frame. Pick a site that will get full sun during the late fall to early spring. This includes areas normally shaded by deciduous trees during the rest of the year. Having a windbreak like a fence, hedge or building wall on the north side will protect the unit from cold winter winds.
Basically a cold frame is a box with a sloping transparent lid that allows sunlight to enter and traps the heated air. The best cold frames are permanent structures dug into the ground having sides lined with heat retaining materials. Above ground units are more practical for the backyard and community garden. The frame is made of wood or masonry block and topped with a hinged lid. Old windows can be used as tops but you may want to replace the glass with Plexiglas or plastic sheeting if you’re worried about the glass breaking. The slope of the lid should be 35-55 degrees, with the high end on the northern side, to enable it to collect the maximum amount of light.
Place a themometer in the unit to check the temperature. When it gets too hot, prop open the lid to vent the warm air. If you don’t have the time to open and close the lid, you should look for an automatic opener. Nighttime temperatures can be regulated by placing stones, bricks or water jugs in and around the box. These things hold heat which will be released slowly during the night.
Cold frames will allow you to grow spinach, lettuce and other cool season crops well into the winter. Cold sensitive herbs and ornamentals can be carried over in the box. In the early spring, cool crops can be started in the frame and hardened off there. During the summer the lid can be removed and the bed used as a nursery for young plants.

Lawnmower maintenance is not a concern for everyone, but for those of us who use them, we should consider mower maintenance as an ongoing garden project. The next time you bring the machine out, do more than just check the fuel level. Look at the oil level and the condition of the air filter. An inadequate amount of oil or old dirty oil can cause damage to the engine. The air filter keeps dust and grass from getting into the engine. A clogged filter will reduce the efficiency of the mower. Also inspect the blade for wear. It should look like a cutting instrument, not a hammer. Blades that are banged up should be sharpened or replaced. When checking the blade, remember to disconnect the sparkplug to prevent accidental start-up. Read the owners manual to get the manufacturer’s recommendations on oil, filter and sparkplug changes. If you don’t feel comfortable servicing your mower, then have it done by a professional once a year.

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In The Garden

by Jessica Manlin

SQUASH

If you planted summer squash in mid-May, you should have vigorous vines that are beginning to flower. Get ready for pounds and pounds of delicious patty pan, crookneck and zucchini squash. 3-4 strong plants may produce 60 to 75 pounds of summer squash over the season! Winter squash can take up to twice as long to mature, but you will be rewarded with fruits that store well and have a variety of culinary uses.
Maintenance: Water squash plants evenly throughout the season, avoiding leaves. Enrich soil well with compost. Mulching is essential to discourage the rotting of fruit, as well as to conserve moisture. Salt hay and other organic mulches are good, or use black plastic, which keeps out pests and warms the soil. Pinch off little shoots to encourage production of larger fruits.
Pests: The biggest problem with squash is the vine borer, whose worm-like larvae make their homes in squash vines and chew until the whole vine wilts, often killing the entire plant. If you see sawdust-like powder on the vines, the squash vine borer is at work. Slit the infested stems and destroy the larvae, then heap moist soil over the cut vines to encourage rooting. Injecting the stems, or spraying the base of the stems, with bacillus thuringiensis (BTK) or pyrethrin, kills young larvae before they enter the vines. Covering vines with row cover will keep out all pests, but be sure to remove before the plants flower, for pollination. Plant a late crop in early July, when larvae are finished feeding. Radishes planted in the squash patch deter borers. Next year, try “Sweet Mama Hybrid”, which is resistant to the borer. Also, make sure to rotate your squash patch, returning to the first plot every four years.
Harvesting: Pick fruits often to stimulate production of more fruits. Pick summer squash when young and tender: 4-5 inches for crookneck and 4-8 inches for zucchini. For winter squash, harvest when skin is hardened enough that it is difficult to nick with your finger. Leave several inches of stem to prevent rot during storage.
Recipes: Fresh summer squash is delicious sliced into stir-fry with tomatoes and fresh herbs like basil or dill. You can also make bread and butter pickles, substituting zucchini for cucumbers.
Forget to check your zucchini one day and find yourself with baseball bat sized fruits? Zucchini bread is the answer. Save those winter squash seeds for toasting - they are high in zinc, a mineral important for a healthy prostate.

Sandy’s Gingered Squash (from The New Laurel’s Kitchen)
3 cups hot, cooked, mashed, winter squash (Bake squash in halves on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a 425-degree oven until tender.)

1-1/2 teaspoons butter
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons honey
Mix all ingredients, adjusting the amount of lemon and honey as required for balance. (It will depend on how sweet your squash is.) Makes about 3 cups, or 4-6 servings.
Sources: The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control, The New Seed-Starters Handbook, and Organic Vegetable Gardening

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Culinary Herb Corner

by Joe Janulewicz

PEPPERMINT (MENTHA PIPERITA)

Peppermint is a perennial plant with spreading rootstalks and many upright stems two feet in height or more. Its dark green leaves and reddish tinged stems have a characteristic warm, spicy scent. Tiny purplish flowers appear in thick terminal spikes, one to three inches long, in July and August.
One of the most important facts to remember is that peppermint is an invasive perennial, which sends up new plants from their spreading roots. The best advice is to grow it in an empty tree pit surrounded by concrete where it cannot escape.
Peppermint can survive to hardiness zone five. If you are growing it in a container for the Harvest Show, supply humus, rich moist soil in partial shade to full sun. If you run a soil test, the pH reading should be 6.5.
Peppermint does not produce seed. It is a sterile hybrid of Mentha spicata and Mentha aquatica. Peppermint must be propagated by cuttings, division, or layering. In fact, these are the best ways to propagate all the mints. It is the only way you can be sure you will get the plant you want.
Peppermint is, of course, the premier mint for flavoring candy, gum, and other sweets. Commercially prepared oil or extract are better for these uses than anything you might concoct at home from the fresh herb. For most other culinary purposes, garden peppermint is a bit strong.
When do you use it? Harvest only the young leaves; the older leaves and stems tend to be bitter. The young leaves make a fine hot or cold tea, or a garnish for punch or fruit salad. They are also the best mints for making mint water, a more refreshing drink for a hot day than any soft drink or soda.
To make mint water, twist or bruise one clean cup of peppermint. Place in a clean half-gallon container. Fill with fresh, cool water. Chill in a refrigerator. Strain. Serve on ice.

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What's Coming Up By Joe Janulewicz

July 10, 2002 Seed starting and plants program for kids with Jessica Manlin at the Fox Chase Library, 501 Rhawn St. Philadelphia, PA 19111. 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
July 11,2002 Basic Gardening with Mary Buckno at the Fisher Park Community Building (in the park) enter at Spencer and
6th Sts. 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
July 16,2002 Maintaining your summer garden: Pests, drought, weeding with Jessica Manlin at Las Parcelas Gardens,
2138-64 North Palethorpe St. Philadelphia, PA 19122.
6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
August 11, 2002 Salad Greens and Mustard Greens, etc. Workshop with Joe Janulewicz at the Mizpah SDA Church, 4701 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19144. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon.

COMPOST TRAINING
The Philadelphia County Extension Office in cooperation with the Department of Environmental Protection, is offering a series of composting workshops. Each participant will receive a certificate for a free compost bin after the one-hour training. Help reduce the amount of organic matter that goes into landfills and make compost for your garden.

July 10,2002 Compost Training Workshop with Jeff Myers at the Awbury Arboretum Cope House, entrance on Chew Ave. and High St. 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
July 10, 2002 Recycling Workshop with Mary Buckno at the Garden at Palethorpe and Dauphin Sts. 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
July 13, 2002 Composting Training Workshop with Jeff Myers at the Awbury Arboretum Cope House, entrance on Chew Ave. and High St. 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
July 13, 2002 Compost Training workshop with Christine Tilles at the Historic Bartram's Garden, 54th & Lindbergh Blvd. Philadelphia, PA 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
July 14, 2002 Compost Training Workshop with Joe Janulewicz at the Mizpah SDA Church, 4701 Germantown Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19144. Please call (215) 473-8412 to preregister. 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
July 17, 2002 Composting Training Workshop with Jeff Myers at the Wynnefield Branch Free Library, 54th and Overbrook Sts. 5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
July 20, 2002 Compost Training workshop with Christine Tilles at the Horticultural Center, Belmont Ave. and Montgomery Dr. Philadelphia, PA 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
August 5, 2002 Composting Training Workshop with Mary Buckno at the Falls of Schuylkill Branch of the Free Library, 3501 Midvale Ave. 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
August 17, 2002 Composting Training workshop with Mary Buckno at the New Kensington Garden Center, Frankford and Berks Sts. 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
August 19, 2002 Composting Training workshop with Joe Janulewicz at the Nicetown-Tioga Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia. 3720 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140 Please call either (215) 471-2224 or (215) 685-9790 to preregister. 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Call the Garden Phone at (215) 471-2224 to register for classes and workshops.

If you have a strong interest in gardening, a willingness to learn and the desire to help others, you should become a Philadelphia County Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.
Master Gardener activities include: answering horticulture questions, creating demonstration gardens, working with groups on community gardens and beautification projects, teaching plant science to school-age children and much more.
Master Gardeners receive 40+ hours of intensive training in plant science, integrated pest management, pesticide safety, plant propagation, soil science, plant diseases, insect pests and other topics. In return, Master Gardeners must provide fifty hours of volunteer service within Philadelphia County the first year and twenty hours each year thereafter.
To learn more about the Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program please call the Penn State Cooperative Extension, Philadelphia County Urban Gardening Program at (215) 471-2224. Ask for Jeff Myers.

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The Good, The Bad, and The Unusual

By Christine Tilles

A Weed, Flower, Food or Problem Solver, That Is the Question?

My neighbor has masses of honeysuckle in her yard and it smells wonderful in May and June. Nevertheless, I’m trying feverishly to eliminate it from my yard and garden.
A weed becomes invasive when it grows in a manner that has the potential to destroy or compete with a more desirable plant. In the landscape, Japanese honeysuckle, bindweed, morning glory and kudzu can surround a specimen plant or tree, climb over the top, and wrap itself around the individual branches and kill it.

Weeds with no redeeming qualities:
Foxtail, Crabgrass, Johnsongrass, Quackgrass, Bermudagrass, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, HorseNettle and Purple Loosestrife.

Weeds as flowers:
Queen Ann’s Lace, Common Yarrow and Common Teasel.

Weeds as food for humans or insects:
Goldenrod, Chicory, Plantain, Purslane, Stinging Nettle, Tall Ironweed, Yellow Rocket, Winter Cress, Dandelion, Common Yarrow, Garlic Mustard, Queen Ann’s Lace, Wild Mustard, Shepherd’s Purse and Common Milkweed.

Weeds as indicators:
Dandelion - Has a taproot that grows deep in to the soil providing a channel for minerals to percolate up to the surface.
Wild Garlic - Grows best in heavy, fertile soil. Improve soil texture to discourage this weed.
Common Yellow Wood Sorrel - An indicator of dry, bare and acid soil.
Common Pokeweed - Grows in deep well-drained soil. Will not grow in soil that is cultivated.
Prostrate Knotweed - Thrives in hard compacted soil.

SOLUTION:
Identify the weeds in your yard or garden.
Here are two books you may find helpful:
Insect, Disease & Weed I.D. Guide - Cebenko & Martin, Rodale Press.
Scotts Lawns, Your guide to a Beautiful Yard - Christians & Ritchie, Meredith Press.
To eliminate weeds, pull or dig them up removing the root, or in the case of weeds with taproots, as much of the taproot as possible.
Remove weeds while they are young, before they flower when possible. Apply corn gluten; it will coat seeds and prevent germination. Do not apply this product if you plan to direct sow vegetable or flowers seed soon after.
Next cover the soil with landscape cloth, newspaper or cardboard, followed by a 2-3” layer of crushed dry leaves, dry grass clippings, peanut shells, cocoa or buckwheat hulls, spent hops or salt hay. Around ornamentals you can use all of the above as well as shredded barks and wood chips.
A green manure cover crop can be an effective method for suppressing weeds. During the gardening season, grow two - three crops, turning them under in quick succession. At the end of the gardening season, sow a cover crop that will be turned under in the early spring.

ENJOY YOUR GARDEN!

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Did You Know?

By Mary Buckno

Whether I’m on the phone, in the garden or at a party, when horticultural questions come up, I’m the first asked to come up with an answer.
This time of year the number one question is about pruning flowering shrubs. The basic rule of thumb with flowering shrubs is that you prune them after they have bloomed. That works for Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Forsythia, Lilac, and most spring blooming shrubs. The other rule is, do not prune early flowering varieties after August, because the plants are setting flower buds for the next year.
Here are some considerations to summer blooming shrubs: Hydrangea bloom on second year wood. If you want to prune your Hydrangea this summer, you may sacrifice the blooms for next year. The Butterfly bush or Buddleia blooms on new growth, so you can cut the plant down in the spring and still have lovely blooms all summer.
How do we prune? A few tools are necessary. For general pruning, a hedge shears will work. For heavier pruning, you will need a hand held pruners, lopers (which are long handled pruners) and a small hand saw for the larger branches. The hedge shears can be used if you are lowering the height by a couple of inches. If you want to lower the height by more, you will need to cut the branches with a heavier tool. Most shrubs can be cut back drastically without harm to the plant, however if you are in doubt, please call the Garden Phone for verification.
Why do we prune? Pruning rejuvenates older plants and heading back makes the plant thicker or bushier. Just as perennials flower much better when deadheaded, flowering shrubs do better when properly pruned and deadheaded (cutting off spent blooms).
Another question is when to divide irises. I’ve heard many versions, but what works best for me is to divide them shortly after they bloom, about mid-June thru July. By dividing the plants at this time, they will be able to reestablish themselves before cold weather sets in. When dividing irises, look for iris borer in the rhizomes. Iris borer can be very destructive and can kill entire patches in no time. They can be controlled with Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) or mechanically (mashing or crushing the larva when found).
Anytime you transplant a plant, be sure to water it thoroughly, basically flooding the area, even if the ground is moist. The plants need this extra water to settle in the roots, get rid of the air pockets and get growing.