All For A Garden

What can a gardener do when the weather is anything but typical? Unexpected freezes can devastate landscapes and gardens. How do we protect our plants from freezing and what is the best way to cover and keep plants from freezing? First lets look at how plants react to the cold.

At What Temperature Do Plants Freeze? When cold weather is on its way, your first thought will be at what temperature do plants freeze, or how cold is too cold? There is no easy answer to this. Different plants freeze and die at different temperatures. That is why they are given a hardiness rating.

Some plants produce special hormones that keep them from freezing, and these plants have a lower hardiness rating (meaning they can survive colder weather) than plants who produce less of this hormone. That being said, there is also different definitions of survival. A plant may lose all of its foliage during a freeze and the plant can regrow from the stems or even the roots. So, while the leaves cannot survive a certain temperature, other parts of the plant can.

How to Protect Plants from Freezing

If you are only expecting a light freeze, you may be able to protect plants in a freeze simply by covering them with a sheet or a blanket. This acts like insulation, keeping warm air from the ground around the plant. The warmth may be enough to keep a plant from freezing during a short cold snap.

For added protection when you protect plants in a freeze, place plastic over the sheets or blankets to help keep warmth in. Never cover a plant with just plastic, however, as the plastic will damage the plant. Make sure that a cloth barrier is between the plastic and the plant. Remove the sheets and blanket and plastic first thing in the morning after an overnight cold snap. If you do not do so, condensation can build up and freeze again under the covering, which will damage the plant.

When protecting plants in a longer or deeper freeze, you may have no choice but to expect to sacrifice all or part of the plant hoping that the roots will survive. Start by heavily mulching the roots of the plant with either wood mulch or hay. For added protection, you can nestle gallon jugs of warm water into the mulch each night. This will help drive off some of the cold that can kill the roots.

Insulation Barriers

If you have time before a freeze happens, create insulation barriers around your plants to protect them from freezing. Tie up the plant as neatly as possible. Drive stakes that are as tall as the plant into the ground around the plant. Wrap the stakes in burlap so that the plant appears to be fenced in. Stuff the inside of this fence with hay or leaves. Again, you can place milk jugs of warm water on the inside, at the base of this fence each night to help supplement the heat. A string of Christmas lights (not the LED ones) wrapped around the plant can also help add additional heat. As soon as the freeze passes, remove the covering so that the plant can get the sunlight it needs. Watering the soil (not the leaves or stems of the plants) will also help the soil retain heat and can help the plant’s roots and lower branches survive.

A Freeze Experiment

Shame on me for starting a garden too early! Next weekend temps are predicted to drop to the 20′s. In an attempt to try to save this newly planted garden by setting up an patio umbrella in the center of the garden and draping blankets and plastic to the ground. Hopefully, this will create an impromptu green house. Hanging a low wattage lighting string from the umbrella should help keep the heat in. 

It is nearing March and after several days of rain, and quite a bit of flooding in TN, the sun has come out and I have officially been bitten by the gardening bug!  Although the nights are still too cold, daytime temperatures are starting to warm up.  Every available free moment has been spent spring cleaning, pond maintenance, weeding the beds, planning new projects and just enjoying the sunshine.

Last year, I had to remove a huge diseased pine tree before it could cause any damage by falling over in a wind storm.  It had provided shade to a good portion of the backyard. Now, in its place, I have planted several young saplings, a variety of grasses/reeds, daylillies, and boxwoods, creating yet another garden bed.  Every plant, so far, has been moved from another part of the yard. The trees were gifted by birds or other animals who may have deposited the seed.  I have an oak, 3 cedars, and a surprise sapling.  Can’t wait until I can see the leaves to identify this one.

I also have decided on two projects for this season:

1.) a disappearing waterfall between the bird gardens, and

2.) a hydroponic vegetable system.

Both of these projects require things that I already have as well as some minor purchases to bring them to fruition.

When starting any project you need to first make a plan.  Research can help you decide what you want to do, and to see how others have done it. I like to draw what I envision.  Make a list of the supplies and tools you will need.  I also like to give myself a flexible time line.  Most of my projects take me longer to accomplish in my “old age”. So if I think its going to take a weekend, I plan on two!  I don’t get caught up in how long it is going to take me, rather I celebrate when It has been completed!

Did you see that tiny warning on the label to your garden hose when you bought it? Or did you give it little notice? I never saw it!

On garden hoses with ALUMINUM end fittings/couplers, there is a warning (really small print) on the BACK of the package label that cautions users to remove the hose from the faucet and any attachments a minimum of 3 times a year! You should remove the couplings from ANY Brass connections as often as you can think of it (even if every time you use it). If you do not, the aluminum WILL FUSE to any brass connection!  Even worse, if the faucet is connected to a house hose bib, this fusing will cause a costly repair as the entire faucet body will have to be removed and a new one installed.

I either totally forgot everything I learned in science, or never learned that two different types of metal will fuse together. Galvanic Corrosion, is a condition that occurs between two dissimilar metals pressed together (aluminum coupler (hose) to brass fitting (faucet). Aluminum and brass are far apart on the “dissimilar metals” chart and will corrode/fuse quickly. The more water there is present, the faster the corrosion/fusing.

I discovered this problem myself by leaving a sprayer attached to a hose for a couple of months. When I went to replace the sprayer with a new one I could not remove it from the hose. Pliers, nope; plumbers pipe, no go; heat method (heating one side with hot water so it expands and loosens) I don’t think so! Calling the neighbor, the burly one with muscles, (very embarrassing). Nothing worked. I had to cut the hose beneath the attachment and use a repair kit. 

Repair kits are not created equal either.  Be sure to get the one for the size hose you have.  5/8″ to ¾ “ is also different from lightweight and for light use!  I spent several trips to BOTH Home Depot and Lowes before I got it right.  I got a tad bit smarter and also used a detachable coupling so I can remove the spray head when not using it. Finally, my new sprayer is attached and I can resume watering the garden.

Now what to do about the fused connection between the faucet and the hose bib?  I’m calling a plumber!

With Summer temperatures climbing all over the country, it is so important to stay cool and hydrated.  Your plants need a little hydration too!

Yes, temperatures have been awful, but there are ways to salvage and protect your plants from the blistering heat. Here are some tips for dealing with the heat. Remember to grab a hat, lots of water and sun protection gear of your own before heading into your garden.

1. Water Deep

Deep watering at the base of the plant for a long time is the best way to revive and protect plants, because it coaxes roots deeper into the ground. according to master gardeners, Plants are like people, they get lazy, If they get water for 5 minutes every day, they keep their roots near the surface, so by watering deeply you’re training the plants to send their roots deep in the soil where the water is. In general, deep water most plants once a week. For how long? It depends on your soil, but long enough to saturate the soil a good foot in depth. Vegetables might need deep watering two or three times a week when it’s really hot.  Here is a tip: sink 5-gallon planting containers (the type with drain holes) between plants in the garden and then fill them three times with water, once a week.

If you are watering from the hose, make sure the hose has not been left in the sun, or wait until the water runs cool. Hot water can burn tender roots as sure as sun burns the foliage.

I collect water in rain barrels from the gutters off the roof. This way I use less water especially when there is a ban on water use. If you know a hot spell is on the way, you can also prepare by watering deeply at ground level, ideally at night, when the air is cooler.

2. But don’t Overwater

Plants sometimes wilt from the severe sun, even when they have sufficient water. Test the soil before you water. If a pot feels heavy or the soil feels damp an inch or so under the ground, your plant probably doesn’t need more moisture.

3. Do not water in the sun

As tempting as it sounds, don’t hose down your plants in the middle of the day; those water droplets turn into mini magnifying glasses on the leaves and intensify the heat. I recommend spraying plants to cool them down, but only after the sun sets.

4. Set up Some Shade

Move potted plants into the shade. A big beach umbrella works, as do airy (30% to 40%) shade cloths for gardens . You can also use old bed sheets, rigged-up cheesecloth or propped-up cardboard to give your plants a break from the scorching rays. The key is to make sure your shade props allow air to circulate freely around the plants. Use light color material. If the only cloth you have handy is dark in color, remember that it can absorb heat and can in turn burn any foliage they touch, so keep it several inches above or away from the plants. Make a shade frame out of PVC and drape fabric over it. I sometime use decorative flags as accents in the garden.

5. Don’t remove Damaged Foliage and Wait til fall to Prune

Those brown leaves and branches serve as protection against additional damage and could actually be harboring living tissue, so hands off the pruners, at least for now. Even plants that look OK are going to be stressed in this heat, and pruning just adds to it. Let them grow as they wish and prune when it’s cooler.

6. Prune the Roses

The no-pruning rule doesn’t apply to roses, because they are so susceptible to disease. You don’t want to leave a ton of dead tissue for diseases and insects, so remove withered blooms and branches.

7. Forget the Fertilizer

Root systems suffer in high heat; absorbing fertilizer can do further damage. Straight compost and low-nitrogen (numbers less than 3) organic fertilizers are OK, if they don’t include manure, fish or blood, because those contain salts, which can cause heat stress and burning.

8. Pick Fruit and Vegetables.

Sad to say, those blistered baby tomatoes, peppers, squash and beans aren’t going to miraculously ripen on the vine. Remove them so the mama plants can focus on recovering. Don’t expect more fruit to set until the temperatures dip below 85 to 90 degrees for 10 days in a row.

9. Container Plants

Container plants in the sun may need watering every other to everyday. Try putting potted plants inside larger pots to give them some insulation and shade, but make sure both pots have good drainage. Plants drown in standing water, even when it’s hot.

10. While on Vacation hire a Plant Sitter

Upon returning from even a short time away, expect that your garden may not be as thriving as when you left it.  If your trip will keep you away for a week or more get someone to water your plants.

With the warming season of spring and early summer, comes the increased possibility of encountering young animals from baby birds to lone fawns to baby squirrels in our backyards and neighborhoods.

What should you do–and not do–if you find a baby animal in your yard or neighborhood?

Does it Really Need Help?

For most of us, our first instinct when we encounter a baby wild animal, is to try to rescue it, especially if it’s alone. Before you do anything, make sure it actually needs help. In most cases, it is totally normal for wildlife babies to be on their own. “Rescuing” an animal that doesn’t need rescuing actually decreases its chance of survival.  Usually, the best thing to do is to let nature take its course.

The exception is if an animal is injured as the direct result of human activity, such as getting attacked by a pet, striking a window, hit by a car, or falling from a nest during tree work, or if you’ve witnessed its parent being killed and know for sure that it has been orphaned. In those instances, the ethical thing to do is try to help. Calling a local wildlife rehabilitator should be your first step to provide help for the animal.

Find a Wildlife Rehabilitator 

Do not try to take care of a wild animal yourself. Caring for wildlife is a round-the-clock job  requiring special training to do properly. In fact, you must have a state-issued license to legally keep and care for wild animals.  Well-meaning attempts by untrained people, unfortunately, may result in the death of the animal.

Baby Birds

Baby birds are frequently found on the ground in spring. If the baby bird is featherless or covered in fluffy down, it is a “nestling” and should be returned to the nest if possible. Listen and look for the parents. This can help you find the nest and where you can safely place the nestling.  (Don’t be alarmed if the parents raise a fuss and dive-bomb you; they are just looking after their young!) Touching a nestling will not make the parents reject it.

If the baby bird is fully feathered, it’s called a “fledgling” and it is normal for it to be out of the nest. Fledglings spend several days on the ground hiding in the vegetation until they can fully fly. Their parents continue to feed and protect them.  While this is a dangerous time for young birds, your intervention is not necessary. In fact, by taking fledglings out of the wild you decrease their chances of survival.

When to help: If you see a fledgling in the street or otherwise in harm’s way, try to move it into dense vegetation close to where you discovered it so the parents can look after it.

Squirrels

Squirrels start their families as early as late winter and can have several litters over the spring and summer. They give birth in a leafy nest built in the branches or inside tree cavities. In my own yard, I discovered three baby squirrels that I thought maybe dead or dying, on the ground, under our maple tree. I decided to wait to see what the mother would do.  It was not long after I “left” that the mother came and picked up each one bringing it back into the nest.  

When to help: If you find a baby squirrel on the ground (and If the mother is nowhere to be seen) with its eyes closed or that can’t move, it’s too young to be away from the mother and may be injured, dehydrated or malnourished. Contact a wildlife service immediately and do not try to feed or raise it yourself. Baby squirrels require special care and must be fed a specific formula every few hours around the clock.

“Bambi and Thumper”

If you see a fawn lying alone in your yard, as we did; or baby rabbits in a nest in your lawn, they are usually not orphaned. Mother deer and rabbits leave their young alone for most of the day to avoid attracting predators. Fawns and bunnies have fur which camouflages them and they instinctively remain still and quiet. In our case, the baby fawn was so good at hiding, we often thought it had left the yard.

When to Help: Just observe from a distance. Keep domestic animals and people away and chances are quite likely the mother will be back shortly. As with fledgling birds, “rescuing” baby deer and rabbits by removing them from the wild is unnecessary and reduces their chances of survival.

Ducks and Geese

Baby ducks and geese hatch with their eyes open and they are able to walk, swim and feed themselves immediately, under the watchful eye of their parents who protect them from predators. They leave the nest shortly after hatching and shouldn’t be returned to it.

When to help: If you encounter a lone baby, contact a wildlife rehabilitation service.

Reptiles

Baby snakes, turtles and lizards hatch from their eggs (or are born in the case of some snakes) completely equipped to care for themselves. Leave them right where they are. The best way to help them is to make sure you have plenty of native plants and other sources of cover, such as a brush or rock pile, in your yard to give them places to hide from predators.

When to help: If you find a nest of eggs in your yard (mulch and compost piles are favorite places for reptiles to lay eggs), leave them where they are or contact a wildlife service to relocate them. Embryos attach to the inside of the eggshell shortly after laying and moving the eggs could result in the death of the embryo if not done properly.

Rescuing an Animal

Rescuing any wild animal in need is best left to trained professionals. Moving wildlife is a last resort and should only be attempted if the animal is in clear and imminent danger.

Never Try to Make Wildlife into Pets

While it is very tempting to keep wild animals as pets, (especially ones you’ve helped), they are meant to live wild and free. In fact, there are laws to protect many species from being taken out of the wild by people.

Instead, why not create a wildlife-friendly garden or landscapes in your own yard? In our NJ back yard we followed the National Wildlife Federation: Garden for Wildlife program. Go to “www.nwf.org/garden-for-wildlife” for more on this fun educational garden program.

Five years ago my son and I settled here in Hendersonville, TN. I can’t believe it is that long.  Our new house did have several diseased water Maple trees, threatening to fall over any time.  What it did not have was curb appeal. 

The first thing we did was to remove the trees, and some DIY landscaping.
Originally from New Jersey, we were delighted with some of the plant options available to us here.

Still more to do, but it is a start.

This beautiful Passion flower was one of the first plants that my young son showed an interest in.  He was sure that it was an alien plant because it looked so much like a “space ship with tentacles”. 

If it wasn’t unusual, ate bugs or looked weird, he didn’t think it was a worthy plant to add to his part of the garden.