Monthly Archives: July 2010

Ask Monty’s for July 24, 2010: Cannas, Clematis, and Salting Asparagus

By Dennis on July 27, 2010

Ask Monty’s:

 “My cannas leaves seem to be having a problem opening and I’ve noticed that some of them have a rather sticky kind of stringy substance across them.  Not all the leaves are this way as some of the plants in other parts of my yard are looking very good, while others are not.  What could be causing this?”

Don and June

Buckhannon, West Virginia

Don and June:

The leaf roller is about the only thing that bothers cannas.  It’s actually a caterpillar that comes from the skipper moth and prefers to lay her eggs inside young cannas leaves, sewing them shut with that “stringy substance” to protect their larvae.  Once they hatch they will then start feeding on the actual cannas leaves.  You’ll want to gently unfold those young leaves where you can see they are being hindered and you’ll find the pests inside. When I can, I flip them the pests off into the yard where a bird can pick them up for a snack, but if you have a lot of cannas you’ll want to find an insecticide specifically for worm or caterpillars eradication.  If you have leaves that are heavily damaged, remove them and throw in the garbage, not in your compost pile. 

Another note:  After the frost completely kills the plants, remove all the foliage and bag and dispose of them separately so you don’t risk the chance of them over wintering and affecting next year’s plants.  This is particularly important in southern zones where cannas are perennials, as opposed to annuals in the northern climates.

Ask Monty’s:

“Every year I am amazed that my clematis comes up. They’re never spectacular, but they do put forth the effort to flower.  I know they like their “heads in the sun and their feet in the shade” and I have them planted appropriately so.  My problem is that this summer – mid July – the leaves are already starting to turn brown.  Isn’t it a little early for that?

Gayle

Brilliion, Wisconsin

Gayle:

Browning of the leaves is pretty normal particularly after the heat of the summer and once the plant is done blooming. Not too nice to look at, but you can safely prune away the dead leaves and continue to keep the plant well watered and well mulched to keep in the moisture.  If the plants are just beginning to brown, and you are set on reviving them, try applying Monty’s Liquid Carbon to the soil to improve moisture flow into the root zone and to reduce compaction which will allow the roots to spread out and access more moisture and nutrients.  Also start a foliar program with Monty’s 2-15-15. 

If you follow the advice here on our blog you may be wondering why I am recommending the 2-15-15 formula during a ‘growth time’ in the plant’s development cycle.  The reason is your plants are showing signs of stress from heat and drought.  The last thing we want to do is to encourage MORE top-growth when the plant can’t support what it has now.  So by applying the 2-15-15 formula you are signaling the plant to put its energy into developing roots; kinda babying it until it recovers. The plant is also about done for the season, so let’s help it store energy to get through the winter ahead, a high dose of nitrogen right now could keep it from entering dormancy normally and expose the plant to more winter-kill.

If the brown leaves or wilt extends to the actual growing tip and the vine itself becomes brittle or turns almost black, the vine is probably dead as well.  Prune the vine down to the closest living branch area so all the dead material is done away with. Again, if you keep the plant well watered and fed you may continue to see new growth as the summer progresses.

Ask Monty’s:

“I have heard that adding salt to your asparagus beds is supposed to help them.  I have a beautiful wild asparagus bed and would sure like to maintain it as best as I can.  Is there any truth to the salt advice?  Is it just table salt?”

Roland

Crossgate, Kentucky

Roland:

Some people will add sodium chloride rock salt (NaCI) to their asparagus beds after they are at least a year old.  It sounds like your wild bed is already well established – so you can do this.  Apply about two and half pounds per 100 feet either before the spears actually appear in the spring or around July 4 when you’ve already pretty well harvested your crop.  The salt prevents crown and root rot diseases caused by fusarium fungus and actual improves the plants overall growth.  Do not use iodized salt (your common table salt) or rock salt made of calcium chloride (CaCI).  Pickling salt is fine too.

If the thought of adding salt to your plants just sounds to chancey, you may consider using Monty’s Liquid Carbon in the spring and fall. Crown rot and fusarium are what we like to call ‘wet feet’ diseases.  That is, they tend to move in when the roots of the plants are kept excessively moist, either from a wet spring or from over watering. In Kentucky, most gardeners deal with fairly heavy clay soils, so the moisture you receive tends to hang around.  By applying Monty’s Liquid Carbon, you can change the structure of these soils so that they allow the moisture to move more freely through the soil profile which results in better drainage.  Once your drainage situation is under control you will likely see a marked decrease in many of these ‘wet feet’ diseases.

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One Benefit to a Hot, Dry Summer: Blackberries!

By Dennis on July 12, 2010

Having just returned from a weekend evening meal at my in-laws (yes, I truly like my in-laws…i got lucky), blackberries are on my mind.  Why?  Because, for desert I was treated to the best blackberry cobbler, EVER!

It got me to thinking.  Blackberries in my part of the country are usually a June fruit.  In fact, June is usually when I go out and test my luck and my mettle to harvest some of my own out in the wilds.  So why did we have blackberry cobbler with ‘just picked’ blackberries in mid-July.  I wasn’t sure, so I investigated.

The lack of moisture and excessive heat has caused the plants to delay maturation. (Unfortunately, it caused the same problems for my tomatoes…more on that in another blog).  However, since we are dealing with wild blackberries, natural selection has permitted the hardiest of plants to grow…plants ideally suited for our environment.  That means, these wild plants are not afraid of a little hot and dry weather, they just alter their production schedule a bit and proceed on with their reproductive cycle.  They make use of the water that is there, shut down when it is not, and produce their little fruits (and corresponding seeds) when the conditions, not a calendar, tell them to.  These little brambles are truly an inspiration in efficiency and evolution. 

That said, there are plenty of Blackberries (and raspberries) still available in the wild.  In fact, many are just coming on.  In my region, we have had two ‘pickings’.  The first one came on about the normal time in mid-June, but the second flush is just now appearing.  One of the things that I have noticed is that the second flush of fruit is a bit smaller due to the lack of moisture, however, the dry spell has concentrated their sugars to they are much sweeter than normal.  Can anyone say Blackberry Jam!

Today is actually raining for the first time in weeks, but tomorrow I plan on going out in the evening and looking along the hedgerows, highways, and lake front parks that dot our community, I may even wander up into the woodland paths in the mountains.  For a great family outing and a chance to teach your kids about the wonders of nature and where foods come from, I encourage you to seek out blackberries in your area.  A quick call to the county agent or the Department of Fish and Wildlife can inform you if you have wild berries in your area and where the best place to look are located. It will be a fun outing for the family, a low cost activity that the kids will enjoy (especially if properly dressed and prepared), and the rewards will be well worth the effort.  The blackberries are there and ripe for the picking.  I never thought I would say this, but “Thank you, hot, hot dry summer.”

If you would like a primer on where to find and how to harvest fresh picked berries and not pay up to $10 a pound for them, check out this post.

By the way, I am going to be transplanting some berries this fall…wild, thorny berries perfectly suited for my region, not the tame thornless (tasteless) hybrids…along the back edge of my property.  So expect a post on the how-to’s of that a little closer to time.  Transplanting is easy and is best done in Oct-Nov, but more on that later.

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Ask Monty’s for July 12, 2010: White Clover, Tulip Transplants, and Splitting Tomatoes.

By Dennis on July 12, 2010

Ask Monty’s:

“Why do tomatoes split?  Mine are splitting at the seams!”

Radovich                                                                                                                                                                                       Pikeville, Tennessee

Radovich:

Moisture or heat stress is the culprit here – and some varieties are more susceptible than others. When the fruit becomes too plump too quickly they literally burst their skin.  This often happens after a heavy rainfall that occurs after a very dry spell.  Cracks that radiate down from the stem are caused by heat stress.  This occurs during period of hot, bright sunlight and temperatures above 90 degrees. Even moisture is the key, along with good drainage, and a thick layer of mulch to keep the soil cool and moist.  Remove ripe and nearly ripe fruit after a heavy rainfall as a proactive approach to letting them ripen further and split.  Better that than if you let a split tomato go unchecked and be invaded by insects or slugs which can create more problems for your plants.

Ask Monty’s:

“I separated a hug tulip bed last fall from a neighbor and replanted the bulbs in several new areas throughout my landscape.  This spring they feebly came up with very few having more than one leaf and what ones did flower were not spectacular by any means.  Was my transplanting efforts worthless?”

Cindy                                                                                                                                                                                                  Fowler, Indiana

Cindy:

Hang in here.  Your transplants are still “moving in.”  I hope you let what stems and flower there were yellow and die off undisturbed as they store the carbohydrates back into the bulbs as part of their regeneration process.  The bulbs just simply need to get a little larger and a little more situated in their new home before they exhibit the flower power you’re used to.  This could take a year or two, so like I said, hang in there!

Ask Monty’s:

“Is clover damaging to your lawn?  My lawn is experiencing a little more than usual and my husband wants to get rid of it.”

Madison                                                                                                                                                                                        Dubuque, Iowa

Madison:

Some people consider clover a weed, a bad rap it got in the late 1950’s when broadleaf herbicides killed the clover, along with more harmful weeds. The eradication of lawn clover then gave way to a lawn care trend of cloverless yards that homeowners found more desirable.  The advantages of clover in your lawn actually outweighs the disadvantages such as:

  • Cover is draught-tolerant staying green virtually from spring to the first frost.
  • Clover is a built in nitrogen producing fertilizer creating its own nitrogen and fertilizes nearby plants and grass as well.
  • Clover out competes most other weeds and reduces the need for weeding or herbicide use.
  • Clover tolerates poor soil conditions, growing particularly well in poor quality subsoil commonly found around the foundation of new homes.
  • Clover is immune to “dog patches” where female dogs urine discolors lawn grasses, staying green and lush despite the abuse.
  • Clover is inexpensive at about $4 per 4,000 square feet or by just letting it grow and spread.

You cna learn more about the plant, and ways to get rid of it, if htat remains your choice, here.

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Monty’s Rose Care Calendar for July

By Dennis on July 2, 2010

Below are rose care tips from Monty’s namesake and the creator of Monty’s Original Formula, Monty Justice, for the month of June. These tips are based on growth zone 6 and you should adjust the timing for your specific region and conditions.

Resist the temptation to over-water your roses because of the heat.   You can do harm to the vigor of your roses by filling the air spaces in the soil with too much water.  Roses don’t need more water now than earlier in the year unless there are many more leaves to transpire the water in the plant.  

  • They need more frequent watering of both leaves and soil, not more water.  
  • Always water through the leaves of roses prior to continuing the maintenance program.  This will prevent leaf burn and assist the effectiveness of the spray materials.  
  • Very hot temperatures slow down, if not completely stop new rose growth.

When cutting stems for your enjoyment, prune to a heavy stem approximately thigh high through the end of July.  This is completely opposite from what you did in June.  During the active growing season pruning creates vigor.  When new growth matures with thicker stems in September you will have eliminated thin, leggy stems that are not strong enough to hold up the blooms.

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