Saturday, October 4, 2008

Garden Mistakes Part I


Garden Mistakes I Have Made: Do Not Try This at Home! Part 1 (Picture caption: beautiful irises I killed)

Every gardener makes mistakes. A friend of mine once told me “You have the greenest thumb.” I replied “I’ve killed many plants, I just don’t tell anyone about them.” It’s true, though I will say fewer plants die under my care now than in the past. Partly that is because I have greater knowledge and experience, but I also try very very hard to not buy a plant if I don’t have the proper conditions to grow it. And that is the first mistake I used to make, buying a plant because it was beautiful, without regard to its hardiness or cultural requirements (though I have always checked for zone, that is, will this plant survive my USDA zone?). If a plant needs boggy conditions, I either have to create a bog or I don’t buy it, because I have no wetland areas on my half acre. If a plant needs full sun and I am tapped out of full sun spaces, I don’t buy it either. I also don’t start plants from seed that have little chance to make it in the central VA garden (after the Himalayan poppy incident- a stunner of plant that needs a cool greenhouse to grow here and just flat out died when I transplanted it). A related rule: don’t put a plant that needs regular water out of reach of the hose, or your gorgeous, bi-color ‘come again azalea’ will never come again.

The second major type of mistake I have made is related to the first. That is, a failure to pull out an under-performing plant or refusal to say good bye. (I once heard on the radio a method for treating finicky roses that look awful from black spot- take a garden spade, place it blade down near the root, dig around, pull out the plant and toss it in the trash can). We all have had plants that aren’t really working in the spot they are in, in our microclimate, but we let them go and they continue to look terrible. The underperforming plum tree that was infested with aphids despite all my best efforts (though Surround was not available at the time)? Chop it down. The lilacs that got covered by powdery mildew? Say au revoir. I had some under-performing strawberries and, heart in my throat, I dug them up and replaced them with a more vigorous variety and, voila, much better yield. It was so worth the work. An organic gardener has some good tools at her disposal, but you cannot fix every problem. A corollary rule is: transplant hardy plants to better conditions if they are not doing well in the particular area they are in. I have to do this now, with a flowering Hawthorne that is slowly slipping away in a hot, dry spot, but will thrive in a different spot. Another example is the plant that is growing well (in my case a Chinese Maple), but is getting abused by frequent contact going in and out of the garden.

A third mistake is to plant too few. I learned this important lesson from my friend Jeannie. One day, I was bragging to her how I ordered 100 daffodil bulbs. Later, on a tour of her newly remodeled basement, I discovered that she had purchased over 1,000 bulbs that were stored there. She does have more land than I do, but it was a good lesson. That same season I bought over 600 more spring-flowering bulbs and had a great show the next spring: they were easy to plant, too- dig a trench and toss them in (except for tulips that need to be caged from voles, moles, mice and squirrels). I just ordered 200 mixed daffodils (from my fave Brent and Becky’s bulbs in Glouster, VA) for a flower bed I just expanded, to go with the bulbs I will purchase there on a visit there later this month. A large swathe of daffodils is much better than 10 daff’s (or even 50) sticking up in a clump.

The last mistake involves invasives. Gardeners are an acquisitive bunch, and we have been collecting plants from all over the world and importing them for centuries. Know your plants. Reckless and ignorant importing has lead to the establishment of plants that are invasive, that take over gardens and, far worse, natural habitats. Purple loosestrife is taking over wetlands and crowding out native plants. Bamboo is taking over areas in Florida (which has tremendous problems with invasives). Honey suckle is rampant in American forests. Yet you can buy these plants in some garden centers or plant sales (loosestrife is illegal to sell in some states, but I have seen it at flea markets in one of these states). Edible invasives for the home gardener include Jerusalem artichokes (sun chokes- these are great for diabetics, though, but must be kept in control), all the mints and horseradish (delicious, but watch out!). I blithely ignored it when I read that “obedient plant” is badly named, because it was so darn pretty. I took a pot of it from a friend and I have been pulling it out ever since- I generally approve of “pass along plants” but, know what you are getting and don’t plant invasives.

7 comments:

  1. Thanks for this informative website. I hope you can say more about both site and plant selection(s) -- especially of the edible sort. There's ample room left to till (separate from the much smaller, active veggie area), but my unused land slopes sharply down with a Northern exposure. There's wonderful loamy soil, but it's shallow -- the granite outcroppings are telling. So, my land has "issues," and it's also where the dogs run and dig (terriers all). Hope you can address some of these concerns, and possibilities 'on the cheap!'

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  2. Hi Vicky- I will see what I can come up with. I am more of a vegetable and flower gardener (a "dirt" gardener) than a landscaper, but I'll think on it...
    Judy

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  3. Thank you Judy for some very good advice. I am going to watch for the bamboo that my next door neighbor has growing and is now creeping over my fence. I wish I had caught the English Ivy that is taking over part of my yard and causing me great pains to remove it.

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  4. Hi Maryann,
    Ebglish Ivy is the worst! Watch out for those invasives!
    Judy

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  5. Hi Judy,
    Thanks for the great blog. I just moved into my first house in Richmond, Va and I am very excited about gardening. We want to plant some fruit trees in the backyard (100% sunny backyard) and I was wondering if you could recommend a few fruit trees that might be easy to start with? I was thinking along the lines of pear/cherry/mulberry/apricot... The soil looks red (clay?) but I'm hoping we'll be successful. Thanks!
    Monica

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  6. Hi Monica,
    A 100% sunny back yard? In Richmond? Lucky, lucky you!
    Growing fruits is an adventure and a pleasure and my first impluse is to tell you to start with the easiest: figs and raspberries (I have entries about growing both). If you like these fruits, then you know that you cannot get good ones in the store (both are too fragile and are picked unripe)and they are very expensive. A fig will grow into a good-sized tree, so keep it in bound with pruning (and buy two at least). Nova raspberries are just about pest and disease free (as are figs) and are delicious! Muliberries are easy, but spread rampantly and the birds may get more of the crop than you do!
    In terms of apples and pears, the best advice I can give you is to get ones that are the most disease-resistant you can find. Keiffer and Moonglow pears are highly resistant to fire blight, which is in the region and also affects apples. Liberty and Jonafee apples are also disease resistant, but there are many interesting heritage or heirloom apples available (some through the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants). Gardens Alive! has a good organic spray program should you have any problems.
    One thing I would do first is take a trip to Edible Landscaping in Afton Mountain VA or look on their website (great fig selection there too). They have some unique fruits that grow well organically for them and are kind and patient in answering questions...and passionate and enthusiastic to boot!
    Peaches are a bit more of a challange in this region (same with nectarines, plums and cherries). See my blog entry on peaches for some tips. I have Red Haven and Elberta peaches. We get useable fruit, not lovely to look at, but great to cut up and eat, make jam, freeze and can in syrup.
    For any fruit tree you get, get a dwarf variety, unless you like climbing and pruning. Cherries must be netted, unless you want to feed the birds and not your family. Sour pie cherries are sturdier and are of less interest to birds than sweet cherries.
    Let me know if this helps and if you have more questions!

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  7. Thanks Judy! Your comments were very helpful; I'll let everyone know which fruit trees we select and how it all turns out. Happy Gardening!
    Monica

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