Protecting Your Fruit Trees from Pests By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo:  Joyce D'Agostino

Many of us who have fruit trees on our property have planted them in order to enjoy the harvests. In the front range of Colorado, choosing the right variety will ensure that your tree is best suited for the climate and will produce harvests. 

Once your trees have bloomed and the pollinators have done their work you will begin to see developing fruit. The next step may be how to protect that fruit from weather, pests and animals so that the fruit matures and harvests are possible. In addition to storm damage such as high winds and hail, birds and squirrels are known to do a lot of damage to fruit crops. Often they will remove the fruit even before it is ripe or eat some of the fruit leaving the rest to spoil.

Xerces Blue Butterfly by Vicky Spelman

Photo Courtesy Xerces Society

The Xerces Society is an international environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of invertebrates considered to be essential to biological diversity and ecosystem health. Their name is in honor of the extinct California butterfly, the Xerces Blue.

Kannah Creek Sulphur Buckwheat - A Favorite Native by Nicole McCrorie

 E. umbellatum v. aureum ‘Psdowns’ Kannah Creek buckwheat

E. umbellatum v. aureun 'Psdowns' Kannah Creek buckwheat

                                                                            Photo:  Nicole McCrorie

Photo:  The pollinator garden at the Hills of Standley Lake Park, Arvada, Colorado. Kannah Creek Sulphur Buckwheat pictured at the bottom of photo with its bright showy yellow blooms. 

Watering trees and shrubs by Denver Water

Courtesy: Denver Water

Trees and shrubs need a little extra water to get through prolonged dry periods.

Tree roots are not like carrots. 

- Tree root systems can spread two to four times wider than the height of the tree. Most of the tree's absorbing roots are in the top 12 inches of soil.

Water deeply and slowly.

- Apply water so it moistens the soil in the critical root zone to a depth of 12 inches. Water with a deep root fork, soaker hose, five-gallon bucket or soft spray wand. Apply water to many locations under the drip line. If you use a deep root fork or needle, insert the device no deeper than eight inches into the soil.

Perennials for Shade by Nancy Shepard

 Mahonia repens Creeping Grape Mahonia
Photo: Monrovia

Last year with a new three foot high brick retaining wall facing north, we were faced with a planting bed that got very little sun. What would grow in this shady and somewhat dry space? Here are the plants I chose and the outcome one year later.

Bat Alert by Vicky Spelman

Courtesy: Pixabay

Bat Alert...

Have you been seeing any bats flying around in your area?  They are incredibly quick and you may have only the feeling of seeing something in the air.  Bats have started migrating to their summer roots in northern Colorado making sightings more common.

Should We Stop Using Peat in Our Gardens? by Nancy Shepard

 

Photo: Pete Stuart (Shutterstock)

[Extracted from Washington Post article May 11, 2017 and LifeHacker June 7, 2021.] 

Virtually all of the peat moss sold in the United States comes from the vast sphagnum moss bogs of Canada. Often mixed with a mineral named perlite, it is highly valued by horticulturists for its ability to retain moisture and oxygen without becoming waterlogged or heavy. It is generally sterile and naturally suppresses a fungal disease that can afflict seedlings, making it a natural choice for seed starting. So why should we avoid using it?

Reasons Why Peonies Fail to Bloom by Cindy Haynes - Iowa State University

Courtesy Iowa State University

Peonies are staples in landscapes. They are easy-to-grow, long-lived, and reliable performers in the garden. However, when they do not bloom well, those of us in extension are often inundated with calls, emails, etc. There are several possible causes for failure to bloom.

If the buds do not appear (which is normally the case) some possible causes are:

1. Planted in too much shade. Peonies need at least 4-6 hours of direct sun to bloom well.

2. Recently divided or transplanted. Peonies that are moved or divided in late summer rarely bloom well, if at all, the following spring. Sometimes it will take 2 to 3 years for plants to re-establish well enough in their new location to bloom well again.

3. Planted too deeply. When planting, position peony buds 1 to 2 inches below the surface of the soil. Nobody knows how they know if it is 2 inches versus 4 inches, but they do! When a peony is planted too deeply, it may have beautiful foliage, but few (if any) flowers.

4. Fertilized too much. Peonies that receive excessive amounts of nitrogen rarely flower well regardless of site. Nitrogen promotes foliar growth at the expense of flowers.

5. Clumps too large? Some references state that large, old clumps may not bloom well. However, I have seen several large plants in the Midwest that seem to bloom beautifully year after year. I would imagine that a clump would have to be several decades old before it would fail to bloom. If a clump is considered too large or possibly too old, this is easily remedied by dividing the plant in late summer as a means of rejuvenation.

6. Plants are too young. If a clump can be too old - then the possibility exists that it can be too young as well. While most peonies that are sold are not typically grown from seed, there are some avid gardeners that successfully attempt this process. Plants grown from seed take about 4 to 5 years to mature and ultimately bloom.

7. Premature removal of foliage. Removal of the plant foliage in July or August will weaken the plant resulting in fewer flowers.

Courtesy Utah State Extension

If buds appear - but fail to open, some other possible causes include:

1. Late freeze. A hard freeze in May (much like the one we had last year) may damage or destroy the flower buds. Fortunately, this doesn't happen often.

2. Other extreme weather conditions. Extremely dry conditions in summer may weaken plants and result in fewer flowers the following season.

3. Fungal diseases. Botrytis blight or other fungal pathogens infrequently attack the flower buds, primarily when conditions are cool and wet. For prevention, the best practices are removing the dead buds in late spring and removing any diseased foliage at the end of the growing season.

4. Insect pests. Also on rare occasions, thrips or other insect pests can damage and distort flower buds and thus reduce flowering. Insecticides are usually ineffective since the damage is often done early in the season.

5. Undernourished. This is another rarity in most Iowa soils. Plants that are growing poorly (weak, spindly, yellowish or "off-color") are not vigorous enough to bloom (but may set buds.) Transplanting into a more favorable location and fertilizing lightly after establishment would be beneficial.

That's it. The most common reasons peonies fail to bloom are cultural (planting in too much shade and planting too deeply). Remember that peonies are tough and often survive for many years in "not so ideal" sites. However, if they fail to bloom one year - watch out - everyone notices!

World Environment Day, June 5, 2021 - India Today

Courtesy: India Today, June 3, 2021

World Environment Day is the United Nations' day to encouraging worldwide awareness and action for protecting our environment.  Only with healthy ecosystems can we enhance people’s livelihoods, counteract climate change, and stop biodiversity collapse. Every year on 5 June, the world celebrates World Environment Day to bring positive changes.

This year’s theme for World Environment Day is 'Ecosystem Restoration'. Ecosystem restoration means preventing, halting, and reversing the damage caused by human activities and finally healing our nature. This World Environment Day will see the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

World Environment Day is hosted by different countries around the globe. It has a participation of over 143 countries annually. Pakistan will host World Environment Day 2021 in collaboration with the UN Environment Program. 

This is the first time in history that Pakistan will officially host this day. Pakistan will make some important announcements related to initiatives that it has taken to mitigate the effects of climate change, including the 10 Billion Trees Tsunami Program, Clean Green Pakistan, the Electric Vehicle Policy, National Parks, and Green jobs.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

Ecosystem restoration means assisting in the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed in the past years, as well as conserving the ecosystems that are still intact. Healthier ecosystems, with richer biodiversity, yield greater benefits, such as more fertile soils, bigger yields of timber and fish, and larger stores of greenhouse gases.

Restoration, healing and reconnecting in our natural world can take place in many ways. For example:

*      Planting seeds and nurturing the biodiversity in your gardens and yards

• Actively planting more trees around you

• Get together with your friends and neighbors for a clean-up activity in your area

• Cleaning up your local beaches

• Save and use less water

• Recycle your e-waste properly

World Environment Day in India
Courtesy: Wikipedia

World Environment Day offers a global platform for inspiring positive change in the environment. It pushes individuals to think about the way they consume the ecosystem and gives them a chance to take action to build a greener future.

Article:  India Today, June 3, 2021

New Plants for 2021 from Plant Select by Nancy Shepard

Antirrhinum sempervirens ‘P020S’ — Drew’s Folly™ Hardy Snapdragon

[This article was originally published in the Jan/Feb 2021 issue of Colorado Green, a landscape professionals publication, and contributed by James E. Klett, professor and extension horticulturist, Colorado State University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture in Fort Collins.] 

Plant Select, a collaborative effort between Colorado State University, Denver Botanic Gardens and horticulturists around the world, announced three new introductions being promoted for 2021 and is giving additional promotion to other plants that they have previously introduced. Now entering its 24th year, Plant Select is a leading source of plants that thrive in the High Plains and intermountain region and is a non-profit organization. These plants provide gardeners and landscape professionals with smart, stunning and successful gardens using less water and fewer resources, ultimately having a more positive environmental impact. To find out where to buy these plants, see https://plantselect.org/ 

2021 New Introductions

Helichrysum trilineatum ‘P021S’ — SteppeSuns® Hokubetsi

Hokubetsi is the native Basotho name for Helichrysum trilineatum that grows high up in the Maloti mountain range of southern Africa. SteppeSuns® Hokubetsi is a selection that forms a rounded, dense, silver shrub with clusters of bright yellow strawflowers. Hokubetsi is adaptable, tolerating extremes in temperature, water, and soil types. Fuzzy stems and foliage protect this plant from intense solar radiation and insulate it through bitterly cold winters. Small silver leaves curl up or fall off during winter, leaving a soft ever-silver statement in the garden. It grows to about 3 feet in height and 4 feet in width. During the winter the small silver leaves curl up or fall off, leaving a soft ever-silver statement in the garden. 

Antirrhinum sempervirens ‘P020S’ — Drew’s Folly™ Hardy Snapdragon

DREW’S FOLLY™ Hardy Snapdragon (Antirrhinum sempervirens ‘P020S’) flowers so heavily that when in full bloom, its foliage is almost completely masked. Drew’s Folly is a natural for the rock garden or edge of a flagstone patio. This plant will thrive in a wide range of soil types, in dry conditions with occasional irrigation, with very little maintenance required. It grows to about 12 inches in height and 16 inches in width. 

Penstemon strictus ‘PWWG06S’ — Blanca Peak® Rocky Mountain Beardtongue

Blanca Peak® Rocky Mountain Beardtongue provides a 3 to 4 week-long eye-catching display of white tubular flowers in late spring. Light green foliage forms a low growing evergreen mat. Blanca Peak® is a long-lived perennial native to the higher elevations of AZ, CO, NM, UT, and WY. Thank you to David Salman for bringing this fantastic penstemon to the Plant Select program. It was Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farms staff’s favorite in 2019! It grows to about 20-24 inches in height and 15-18 inches in width.

Past Introductions that Deserve More Planting

Acer tataricum ‘GarAnn’ PP15,023 — Hot Wings® Tatarian Maple

Acer tataricum ‘GarAnn’ PP15,023 — Hot Wings® Tatarian Maple

Acer tataricum ‘GarAnn’ PP15,023 — Hot Wings® Tatarian Maple

Enjoy the contrast of the scarlet red samaras against rich green foliage in midsummer on either a single planting or multi-planting of this small tree. Hot Wings® is adaptable to alkaline soil and will grow in full sun or part shade. A rounded upright growth habit with sturdy branching makes it less prone to storm damage. It grows to about 15 to 18 feet in height and width. Perfect as a single specimen or set in a large-scale shrub border.

Viburnum burejaeticum ‘P017S’ — Mini Man™ dwarf Manchurian Viburnum

Viburnum burejaeticum ‘P017S’ — Mini Man™ dwarf Manchurian Viburnum

This compact form of Manchurian viburnum has clusters of white flowers in spring followed by persistent red to blue-black fruit. Mini Man™ is native to Russia and northern China. It grows to about 4 to 6 feet in height and width. A cold hardy, low-water shrub with velvety green leaves that is adaptable to sun or filtered shade.