Category: Gardening information

To Do in the Garden: June, 2024

On By durhammastergardenersIn fertilizer, Gardening calendar, Gardening information, lawn care, lawns, pesticides, pruning, Uncategorized

By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

It is June. Another month of constant inconsistency. May was fun…for ducks and kayakers. It would seem that many of the April showers held off until May which has become more the norm than not. At least the drought monitor is all green again. No more yellows or tans until next month. And we are going into summer with a goodly amount of moisture in the soil. The Accidental Cottage Garden (ACG) has been very appreciative of the rain. It is an everchanging garden of delight. Late May brought us crimson clover (Trifolium incarnata), pink dianthus (D. deltoides ‘Bath’s Pink’), tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata), English daisies (Bellis perennis) galore, the daintiest false vervain (Stylodon cerneus), and a few cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus). Some of the most spectacular and prolific bloomers were (and still are) Chinese forget-me-nots (Cynoglossom amabile), and sweet Williams (Dianthus barbatus). Newcomers are butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), blanket flower (Gallardia pulchella), black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia fulgida & R. hirta), Stoke’s aster (Stoksia laevis), ditch lilies (Hemerocallis fulva), Corsica lily (Lilium x ‘Corsica’), and an awesome surprise, doubtful knight’s spur (Consolida ajacis). I’m not sure where the doubt lies, whether ‘tis with the knight or the spur.

Beginning at the top and clockwise: blanket flower (Gallardia pulchella); butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa); Stoke’s aster (Stoksia laevis); Chinese forget-me-nots (Cynoglossom amabile); doubtful knight’s spur (Consolida ajacis); (Image credit: Gary Crispell)

Hmmm. There is a most vocal and threateningly dark cloud to the northwest indicating that I should abandon my heretofore pleasant post on the deck straight forth and relocate to a more substantial environment. I have little confidence in the patio umbrella’s ability to ward off the threatening onslaught. The following is a list of things that need attending to in gardens in general. Please do not try to do all of them at one time. We like you and hope you might return to this post in July. (The onslaught went somewhere else to do its slaughting.)

Lawn Care

There is a myriad of excuses for not having fertilized your warm season grasses (zoysia, Bermuda) before now, but it is time to get over them. “Just do it!,” as in immediately. Now, mark your calendar for September 1. That’s the day you will do your SOIL TEST. It is FREE until the end of November and will tell you how much fertilizer to apply next year thereby eliminating one of the excuses. Besides it will give you some other pertinent information about your soil.1 June is THE month (and really the only month) to fertilize centipede grass. For recommended application rates (when you haven’t done a soil test) the NC State Extension TurfFiles (https://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/) are an excellent resource. Keep on mowing (as if the HOA would let you stop). Warm season grasses should be kept at a height of 1 ½” to 2” and cool season grasses 3” to 4.” Another trick to improve your lawn is core aeration. It will improve water and nutrient movement through the soil getting them to the roots where the plants can use them. The procedure is especially helpful on our clay soils.

Fertilizing

Side dressing the vegetable garden now will result in a better yield later in the season. A balanced fertilizer (10-10-10 or equivalent) will suffice. Dogwoods (Cornus spp) can be fertilized this month.

Planting

Wow! You haven’t planted your veggie garden yet? It is time to move on that with all due haste, friends. Plant selection (and you will need to do plants now) can get a bit sparse even at the big boxes by the end of the month. Besides, if you want tomatoes before Halloween…. To those of you who are already planning your fall/winter garden (I know who you are). You already know it is time to start seeds in the greenhouse (or whatever color house by a bright window). Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, greens of all sorts) can be started now to be transplanted into the garden mid-July (or in six weeks).

Pruning

Do you have some overgrown broadleaf or deciduous evergreens that you have considered to be candidates for the compost pile, but then would have to replace? Try severely cutting them back, like to 18” or so. They almost always come back and then you can control them without a step ladder. Plants are amazing! This procedure is not recommended for rapidly growing teenagers. It is frowned upon by law enforcement authorities to the extent that it will land you in one of their maximum security facilities for a very extended time where they may not allow you to garden and definitely not with sharp implements. Consider the preceding to be a public service bulletin. Continue pinching back chrysanthemums until mid-July for fall blooms. Azaleas, including Encore® and other repeat bloomers, can be pruned until the Fourth of July. The “old wives” who spread this tale were not just making it up. Later trimming can be detrimental to next year’s bloom production.
It is the season for die back on ericaceous (acid loving) plants. Make pruning cuts 6” below the symptoms (wilted and dead leaves and twigs) making sure you sanitize the pruning tool with 10% bleach or 70% alcohol solution between cuts. Burn all clippings.

Spraying

There are insidious organisms lurking about in your garden that you need to be aware of. Some have 6 legs, some eight and some are so small as to require an electron microscope to be seen at all. They all exist for the sole purpose of making your gardening life miserable. Controlling these organisms unfortunately usually involves toxic chemicals applied in liquid form by means of a sprayer of some description. (I apologize for the vagueness there, but there are SO many variables.) There are some general rules (OK, guidelines) for said applications. Always use the appropriate chemical, toxic or not, for the pest to be controlled. Use the least toxic chemical possible. And most importantly READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ON THE LABEL.
Common miscreants to be controlled are lace bugs on azaleas and pyracantha, leaf miners on boxwoods, spider mites predominantly on needle leaf evergreens, but elsewhere, also, bag worms on the same plants, and aphids on anything and everything.

Insects in the garden: Left: Aphids on a tomato leaf; Right: Strip flea beetle. (Image credit: NC Cooperative Extension. Photo taken by Debbie Roos)

The microscopic pest most frequently to cause insomnia is early tomato blight. It first appears on lower leaves as brown spots. Then yellowing will appear around the spots. Eventually the entire leaf will yellow and fall off where the fungal spores will hide until next year. (Crop rotation helps.) There are several fungicides to choose from, some of which are zero days to harvest. The vegetable garden is a veritable smorgasbord for a plethora of critters form the class insecta. Cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, melons) are susceptible to cucumber beetles and squash vine borers (Treat weekly until July.), flea beetles and our ubiquitous friends, the aphids. Continue the never ending spray program on roses, fruit trees, and bunch grapes.

THINGS TO DO TO WILE AWAY A SUMMER DAY IN THE MARVELOUS MONTH THAT FOLLOWS MAY AND WONDEROUSLY INCLUDES THE YEAR’S LONGEST DAY

Enjoy the relative silence that will exist when the raucous cicadas return to their underground domiciles for another 13 years. Enjoy in the evening the garden you have worked so hard in during the day. Granted, it will require something from you again tomorrow, but this evening, enjoy it. Grill out and chill out with friends and family. It’s people and relationships that make the world go ‘round.

people sitting on brown wooden chairs with table covered with white textile

“People who need people are the luckiest people in the world.” Jule Styme
Enjoy June, Y’all!

(Image credit: Photo by cottonbro studio on Pexels.com)

Notes

You can get test kits and instruction sheets from the Durham County Extension Office at 721 Foster St., Durham, or more information by calling (919) 560-0525. If you live in another county, check with your local extension office.

Resources and Additional Information

For more info on caring for your lawn see NC Cooperative Extension’s “Carolina Lawns: A Guide to Maintaining Quality Turf in the Landscape.” https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/carolina-lawns

To learn control strategies for the squash vine pest, see NC Cooperative Extension’s “Beat the Squash Vine Borer” Written By Dustin Adcock and last updated by Molly Alexi. https://stanly.ces.ncsu.edu/2016/06/beat-the-squash-vine-borer-2/

Read about how to control garden pests best using multiple methods in the NC Cooperative Extension’s “Integrated Pest Management.” https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/extension-gardener-handbook/8-integrated-pest-management-ipm

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Climate Change and Native Lawns

On By durhammastergardenersIn Durham NC, garden design, Gardening information, gardening NC, lawns, Natives, Uncategorized

By Eric Wiebe, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

This blog post serves as a follow-up to a previous discussion on climate change and its impact on gardening practices, which can be found here.

Drawing inspiration from a presentation by Ben Bergmann, the Horticulturist at the City of Durham, this article focuses on applying lessons learned from public spaces in Durham to our own yards. Specifically, it addresses the shift away from a turf grass-centric view of yards towards a broader perspective that fosters a healthier relationship with our environment, while also addressing the challenges posed by global climate change.

Rotary Memorial Park, City of Durham. A public space using a diversity of native plants and an inspiration for home gardeners. (Image credit: Eric Wiebe)

The concepts discussed here fall under various names, including native lawns, meadow lawns, and green or sustainable landscaping. While these terms may differ slightly in their goals, they generally advocate for moving away from turf grass-dominated landscapes towards ones that feature native plants and other species requiring less water, chemicals, and maintenance. Alternatives to lawns include a diversity of plants such as bunched grasses, sedges, and forbs. Succulents and cacti can also be used when appropriate.

From Left to Right: 1) Schizachyrium scoparium – Little Bluestem. An example of a grass. (Image Credit: NCSU Plant Toolbox:CC BY-SA 3.0), 2) Carex cherokeensis – Cherokee Sedge. An example of a sedge. (Image credit: NCSU Plant Toolbox CC BY 2.0). 3) Trifolium pratense – Red Clover. An example of a forb. (Image credit: NCSU Plant Toolbox CC BY-SA 3.0).

Plant diversity is key, as each type of plant can serve a different function in the landscape. While grasses and sedges are typically monocots, forbs are dicots without woody stems, such as clover, violets, and asters. Having different plant types allows for various niche situations such as sun exposure, moisture levels, and dry areas.

Two homes in Durham, NC that have replaced the traditional front lawn with various plants including many types of succulents, such as cacti and Euphorbias. (Image credit: Marcia Kirinus)

While designs influenced by these principles may incorporate hardscape elements, they predominantly focus on living plant matter. Incorporating diverse plant life not only expands the aesthetic possibilities but also ensures that other ecological concerns are addressed. For instance, some roots are deep and help stabilize areas prone to erosion, while others enhance water management by absorbing rainfall quickly, thus preventing local flooding. Plants also have a buffering effect on direct and radiant heat, lowering the local temperature around your house. They can support ecosystems, including pollinators, and aid in carbon sequestration by locking carbon in their biomass.

Carbon sequestration, in particular, plays a vital role in addressing climate change by preventing the release or removing carbon from the atmosphere. While it’s true that all plants, including turf grass, sequester carbon, the practices associated with turf lawns are less than ideal. Turf grass clippings, for instance, often end up in landfills where they produce methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Additionally, the maintenance of traditional turf lawns requires significant energy inputs, primarily derived from carbon-intensive processes. Given the current water scarcity in many regions, prioritizing water use is crucial, making the watering of turf grass a less sustainable option.

The overarching goal, therefore, is to prioritize plants that store more biomass over longer lifecycles and to adopt maintenance practices that minimize water, chemical, and energy inputs. While it’s understandable that homeowners may desire some lawn space for various activities, such as recreation or socializing, it’s essential to consider the amount of space actually needed for these purposes.

Structuring your garden with plants for birds. Note all canopy layers serve a function. (Image credit: Audubon Society of Northern Virginia)

Consider opting for a ‘meadow’ lawn instead of a traditional lawn. A meadow lawn is where you let whatever green plants and grasses grow and then mow for walkability. This is one step better than eliminating everything green except fescue. A meadow lawn requires the lowest amount of inputs of water, synthetic chemicals, and power equipment to maintain. Other things you can do if you need lawn space include using the mulch setting on your lawn mower and allowing for the clippings to be reincorporated back into your lawn. A great inspiration for the meadow lawn is given at The Cornell Botanic Gardens. They discuss in deeper context the application of native lawns and provide additional educational materials to get you going on your project.

It’s crucial to ensure that whatever species you choose are well-suited for your local climate and situation. Don’t forget that locally in Durham, NC, our USDA plant hardiness zone shifted from zone 7b to zone 8a. The rest of the country has also shifted, so please see what your new plant hardiness zone is.

In conclusion, by embracing sustainable landscaping practices, we not only contribute to mitigating climate change but also create more engaging and environmentally friendly landscapes around our homes.

We hope the resources provided below will inspire you to explore sustainable planting options for your yard, fostering a more resilient and captivating environment.

Resources and Additional Information:

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