Articles

     My mother often recounted tales of picking wild huckleberries (blueberries) from the fence rows and woodlots of the southern Lancaster County farms my grandfather and his two brothers had basically cleared since moving here in the 1870ies.

     That was 100 years ago. Since then most of the fence rows, many of the woodlots and the huckleberries have disappeared.

     Thirty plus years ago I established a patch of high-bush blueberries which still produce without a commercial level of care. I will confess that I planted maybe three or four plants for every one that ever came into production.

     My mistake was planting them and then trying to change the soil to meet their needs. Blueberries require a soil pH of at least five or lower. It is next to impossible to find that level of soil acidity in southeastern Pennsylvania without significant amendments.

     The memory is foggy but the acreage I brought into production took four to six years before they thrived. I used acidic mulches and fertilizers, sulphur and the pumice from cider making to drive the pH down. Aluminum sulfate also works but back then someone had whispered in my ear something about aluminum toxicity so I avoided it. Most likely not true.

     Three weeks ago I planted a garden patch of blueberries. This time I spent over a year amending the soil with peat moss, bushels of pine needles and several applications of sulfur. Frequent trips were made with the rototiller to thoroughly mix my efforts.

     A soil test will soon tell me my pH and whether I must continue my assault on my natural soil. Regardless, acidic mulch and fertilizers will follow. It’s too early to tell, but the plants look great at this point.

     When I told some friends that I had planted some blueberries they asked if I had dug a great big hole and lined it with Michigan peat. I had not and don’t favor making a special planting hole, but with blueberries it might work. Apparently Michigan peat is lower in pH than Canadian peat. I didn’t know that either.

     Blueberries are easy once you get them started. In the 15 years I operated a commercial patch I don’t remember ever spraying them. Birds like them so either plant some to share or cover with a netting so you get the fruit.

     Pruning is also easy. Blueberries are naturally a multi-stemmed plant. At least five, and no more than seven, stems are desirable. Maintain that number of stems until the plants are mature and bearing fruit. Then each year remove the oldest or worst bearing stem at the ground and save the best of the new shoots that emerged that year. That’s it.

     When I was a child there were a few wild huckleberries in a near-by woods. They disappeared when it was fenced for cattle. Today I will rely on the ones that were planted. Despite what mom used to say, the planted ones taste just as good.

     Serviceberry, Amelanchier sp., is one of my favorite early spring blooming shrubs or small trees. I suppose you could train it to be a standard or single stemmed small tree. Life will be a lot easier if you welcome it as a multi-stemmed shrub that will reach 15 to 20 feet at maturity.

       It is more than prolific white spring flowers. Fall colors are a brilliant orange-red. What I like most is the edible blue fruit that ripens in June. If you want a taste, be prompt. The birds are quick to enjoy a feast. A friend reports that she has seen 11 different species of birds enjoying the fruit on the dozen or so plants she has.
      Talking about serviceberries could be a gateway to several of the hottest debates in gardening today. First debate is about natives and they fit the bill. To extend the debate about natives, some would argue against cultivars and selections in favor of using strict species, as you might find growing in the woods.
       If you plant seeds from any plant, you might see slight differences amongst offspring. On occasion one might stand out and be selected and then propagated vegetatively. The other option is for a breeder to manipulate the pollination process to influence the outcome. In my mind, the former would match the species while the later may not.
       Invasives is another dreaded word in gardening. The serviceberry is touted as a replacement for the Bradford pear. Thirty years or more ago that pear was the answer to street and suburban landscaping. Unfortunately, it has proven to be a weak tree with lots of breakage.
      I would have debated the invasiveness until I recently drove past a field on Rt. 896 in Chester County. Nobody would have planted what I saw. The funny thing with some invasives is that they often behave for years before suddenly becoming problems.
      Since serviceberries bear fruit, the flowers require pollination. Given the type of flower, I must assume that this pollination is carried out by insects. We have all seen reports about the problems with honey bees. Incidentally, they are not a native bee. We have many native bees that also make large contributions to pollination.
      Are our pollinators in trouble? Many think so. Some would tie the decline in honeybees to the over use of pesticides. With our native bees, loss of habitat would also be a villain. It may be time to start thinking about the welfare of pollinators as we plan our landscapes and gardens.
       Hopefully, one favored plant will get you thinking about natives, invasives and pollination as part of your gardening process. By the way, I wish that serviceberry would hold their flowers a bit longer, but fruit bearing plants aren’t about flowers. It’s about fruit to protect their seeds that spark the next generation of their kind.

     The hummingbird was hovering within inches of the spot where it had been last seen the previous fall. There was a problem. In the fall there was a feeder hanging there but it was still in the closet when the bird returned. You will see the most activity when they first arrive and again as they stage for the fall migration in late September and early October.
A report in the last few days had a male hummer as close as Conowingo, Maryland. The males of almost all species arrive first; select a breeding territory and then set about wooing a mate. I would not be surprised if they arrive at my feeder by the time you read this.
      During brood rearing, their diet emphasizes high protein insects at the expense of nectar or sugar water. Thus, you will have fewer birds at the feeder while they raise one, two or occasionally three broods of young.
In general , the spring migration seemed poised to be early. In fact, it did seem to start early before the cool, windy conditions of the last week or so brought things to a halt. Reading the extended forecast suggests that migration could resume with vigor by the time you read this. As a gardener, I scan the forecast for rain, while as a birder I watch for gentle, southerly breezes.
Birds heading north like to ride a breeze from the south. Perhaps the most productive time to look for birds is immediately after a storm brings a sudden change in wind direction. As you would guess, the opposite wind directions dictate the fall migration.
      I started by suggesting that you are almost past due in getting the hummingbird feeder out, but what about feeding the birds in general? First of all, our feeding is not necessary for bird survival. We really just run a convenience store.
Given our mild winter and lack of snowfall, I think most of us saw fewer birds and used less feed this year than usual. Do we stop feeding now or when do we stop?
      My thinking runs something like this. Right now we have lots of hungry birds passing through. Wild seeds are probably near their low ebb as we have tidied our gardens and landscapes. Breeding season is near which puts high demands on the birds. Hatching insects are waiting for the right conditions and may be hit or miss.
      I’m still feeding. Is it necessary? No. Yet each year I seem to get a few rewarding visits from unexpected travelers which makes it all worthwhile. In fact, I feed all year and have had some of my most exciting visitors in August. In reality there is only a few weeks’ lull between when the march north ends and the trek south starts.
      Like the hummingbird I started with, birds remember their friends. My goal is to have a convenience store that is busy year round.

Are you ready for some bugs? Cold winter weather will significantly reduce insect pressure in your garden the following year. Our winter that wasn’t, won’t.

Insects fall into three groups. A few are bad. Many are good. The vast majority have no effect on our gardens or landscapes. So what do we do? Do we tough it out? Do we spray? Do we encourage beneficials? Are there other tricks?

To a point I favor letting Mother Nature let the good and the bad fight it out. Crop rotation and sanitation will help. Most garden crops will succeed without insect control. But then there are beans, potatoes, sweet corn, tree fruits and one of my favorites, eggplants, that quickly succumbed to those little black beetles within weeks/days after planting last spring.

Spraying is an option, but it brings some problems besides health and environmental concerns. Most insecticides available to the general public are broad spectrum killers. Use them and you kill the good with the bad. One thing I can guarantee is that the more you spray the more you need to spray.

Three exceptions to the broad spectrum rule are Bt, horticulture oil and diatomaceous earth. Bt has a long name and is a naturally occurring bacteria that is very effective on young worms if used as a regular preventive. About ten bucks will buy the average gardener a supply that would last at least five years. Unfortunately, it is a living organism that survives just one season.

Another exception is horticulture oil which acts to suffocate its targets. An application to apple or pear trees as the first green appears is at least half your year’s insect control. An application about June 20 will go a long way toward controlling bag worms.

Diatomaceous earth is very finely-ground pieces of seashell deposits which, when eaten by insects, destroys their digestive tract. The pieces, although appearing microscopic, are very sharp. It is spread on the leaves to destroy leaf eating insects. There is also a synthetic form.

Not spraying anywhere, including all that stuff most people put on their lawns, will encourage beneficials. A diverse landscape, not totally manicured, helps spawn home grown ones, too. Can you buy beneficials? Sure, but insects are wanderers and most likely won’t hang around long enough to justify the expense.

You often see marigolds lining vegetable gardens. The smell, it is claimed, repels insects. The heirloom varieties have more odor. Since the smell was deemed undesirable, today’s plant breeders have worked to lessen the smell. Claims are also made for a number of herbs which I have yet to begin to unravel. Herbs in general do attract beneficial insects.

I also have uncovered a source for some naturally occurring products that I haven’t seen since I visited the garden shed as a small child. Seems like temptation to me.

With a wee bit more time this year, 2012 will be the year of experiments. My vegetable garden will be a shining success or an overt disaster. While hoping for the best, I will have fun and perhaps learn something.

Since my knowledge of poinsettias is limited to buying several just after Thanksgiving, setting them around the house and then carrying them to the dumpster sometime in February, I visited one of the larger growers in the Solanco area for a few pointers.
       Poinsettias as a pot crop are relatively new. As recently as the late 1970ies, your choice was red. It was also quite tall and leggy. The Paul Ecke family in California spearheaded bringing poinsettias into the mainstream marketplace.
      Today we have many breeders competing to provide a broad spectrum of colors. The plants are grower friendly, consumer friendly, long lasting and so much easier to care for than they were just a few years ago.
      Growers are experimenting with new forms, like topiaries and miniatures that are very popular. On occasion, some people will buy a white one, spray paint it and add glitter to fit a particular Christmas décor. I’ve got way too much gray hair to warm to that idea.
      Each year there are new varieties. Topping the list this year is ‘Ruby Frost’ with a creamy flower with splashes of pinks and reds.
      Get your poinsettia now, put it most anywhere in your house, water it once or twice before Christmas and it won’t be dumpster ready until well after the New Year. Water it often and I can’t make the same promise. The pot should be light weight and the soil shouldn’t feel wet but don’t let the plant wilt.
      Color will be most intense when temperatures average between 55 and 65 degrees.
If you are bent on keeping it till next year, treat it like any other house plant. In the spring, wait until the danger of frost is past, and put it outside for the summer. In the fall, bring it in and place it in a room that receives only natural light. Your bracts will color by Christmas. If you are as successful as I have been you will head to the dumpster in late November before heading to the greenhouse for a new one.
      Poinsettias are not poisonous. A recent study at Ohio State University showed that a 50 pound child who ate 500 bracts might develop a slight tummy ache. I guess I will believe them, and enjoy the plant and the season rather than weighing myself and collecting more that 2000 bracts to be sure.

Thanks to Marty Henry, Henry’s Greenhouse in Drumore Township