A Master Gardener's Journal

It's time for more gardening tips from Joe Daniels, Delaware County Master Gardener...

Start a compost pile. You can use lots of garden debris including leaves, perennial tops, non-flowering annuals, lawn clippings, shredded tree and shrub prunings. If you already have a compost pile, keep adding garden trimmings, maintain pile moisture, and turn the pile weekly for the best and fastest results. If finishing a batch of compost (after pile was hot, then cooled down and about 1/3 of the original volume), let the pile 'cure' and harvest in four weeks for use in the garden.

Design beds and order plants for autumn planting. Order bulbs for planting in the fall. Order peony roots for planting in September since they need to be in the ground about a month before the killing frost.

Divide irises, oriental poppies and daylilies now.

Sow hollyhocks, poppies and larkspur for next spring's flowers.

Look for holes in the leaves and flower buds of your flowers. If you notice holes, your flowers may have geranium budworms. Bt can be used to control the budworms.

Prune summer-flowering plants that flower on new wood after the flowers fade.

Don't fertilize plants now; give them time to harden-off before winter.

Water plants deeply in August since this is when they set buds for next year's growth.

Hand remove bagworms and tent caterpillars.

Watch for powdery mildew, as it can become a problem toward the end of August when the evenings become cooler. Use prevention strategies. Select resistant varieties, space and prune, water early in the day and reduce nitrogen fertilizer.

Root cuttings of many woody plants including azaleas, hollies and hydrangeas.

Keep up weeding, deadheading, pest patrol, and watering; remove tattered foliage.

Remember--perennial gardens often take a bit of a rest during this month and maybe you should too...go away on vacation for awhile...but don't forget to ask a friend to look in on your garden for watering or whatever tasks your friend may want to do for you...RELAX !!!

Do you have a gardening question? Call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS

Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.

Re-sow cool weather crops such as radishes, lettuce, kale, carrots, turnips and beets. Plant transplants of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage for a fall crop. Harvest onions when the tops yellow and dry.

Note that if temperatures are excessive (over 90), tomatoes, peppers, snap beans and many other vegetables may stop setting fruits.

If it has just rained heavily, wait for a few days of dry weather before harvesting watermelons and they will be sweeter. Heavy rains can reduce the sugars (sweetness) in watermelons.

Avoid or reduce blossom end rot in tomatoes by mulching the plants and keeping the soil moist.

Apply two inches of mulch to your vegetable garden to reduce soil temperature and watering needs.

Prune canes of summer fruiting raspberries. Remove those canes which produced fruit this season.

Increase the size of your strawberries for next year. The better the growing conditions in August and September, the better the berries will be next June. Make sure that strawberries receive at least an inch of water a week throughout this time period.

Get a soil test one if you have not had one done in the last three years.

Do you have a gardening question? Call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS

Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.

It’s a lazy hazy summer day and I’m flopped on my patio lounge chair, feeling as wilted as a thirsty hydrangea baking in afternoon sun. A mug of herbal iced tea is within easy reach and my garden is just two feet away. Wow, am I enjoying the show! My garden is literally swarming with a multitude of birds, bees and butterflies.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails, Spicebush Swallowtails, Cabbage butterflies—and tiny orange butterflies that refuse to hold still long enough for me to get a good look at them, let alone a photo-- flutter excitedly among the lavender blooms of fluffy anise hyssop, fragrant phlox, Victoria Blue salvia and vanilla-scented heliotrope. Luckily, the bees don’t mind—they’re willing to share the banquet.

A pair of Cabbage butterflies chose an anise hyssop leaf for their mating ritual.

Meanwhile, back at the bird feeder, an avian feeding frenzy is taking place, as my feathered friends zoom in and out for a quick snack. My feeder is busier than a JFK runway—there’s constant landing and taking off from the four perches on the “squirrel-proof” feeder. What a bevy of birds--cardinals, chickadees, tufted titmice, goldfinches and those ubiquitous house finches with bottomless pits for stomachs. Blackbirds, sparrows and mourning doves scoop up seeds that fall to the ground when the feeder birds get sloppy. While whiny catbirds wait impatiently for their turn, noisy blue jays and their half-grown kids play and splash in the birdbath beside the feeder.

Under the feeder, a determined and persistent squirrel is contemplating his next bird seed raid. I can see the wheels turning, as he checks it out from all angles, deciding on his next plan of action. We’ve been fighting this battle all season, with me mostly losing due to his sheer persistence and cleverness. If we ever tested a squirrel’s IQ, I’ll bet it would be on a par with most humans.

Today I coated the pole with Vaseline—just the lower third, so the birds won’t get it on their feet. That did it. Mr. Squirrel hates Vaseline. And to show his disgust, he rushed up to the top of the oak tree and launched several missiles of acorns at my head. Yes, I’m serious!

What could be better than spending a summer afternoon enjoying the sights, scents and sounds of nature in your garden? So take a break—go out to your own little backyard paradise and enjoy the show!

Would you like to help your children get excited about the great outdoors? Go to the National Wildlife Federation's Green Hour

Do you have a gardening question? Call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS

Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.

My first exposure to a green roof was a few years ago, when I attended a workshop given by Penn State Master Gardeners at the Pool Wildlife Sanctuary in Emmaus, PA. As I walked up to the conference center, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I saw plants growing on the roof! Why would a gardener put a horticultural delight on a roof? I was intrigued, so I did a little research.

Green roof sustainable technology was developed in Germany in the 1970’s. A green roof—also known as an "eco roof"-- consists of special roof material and a lightweight combination of soil, compost and drought tolerant plants such as cactus and sedum. It’s used in place of a traditional roof to reduce the cost of roof maintenance, neutralize acid rain, reduce the energy needed to heat or cool a building and reduce problems from storm water runoff.

Storm water overflow is a problem in all of the major cities in the East Coast. In our area, a green roof would retain 50 percent of rainfall and slow down the other 50 percent so it doesn’t overwhelm the storm water pipes. A green roof solution sounds good to me! And cities in Illinois, DC and Maryland think so too--they already have green roofs. And yes, we have them in Philadelphia!

By the way, did you know that Penn State University is a leader in green-roof research? Want more info? Go to PSU Green Roof Research.

If you’re interested in current information about sustainable gardens and landscape design, you won't want to miss our Fall Fest on September 29--Jeff Jabco is presenting a workshop on green roofs, rain gardens, porous paving, parking space paving alternatives, capturing and reusing storm water for irrigation, bio-swales and the use of recycled materials. Jeff is Director of Grounds and Assistant Director of Horticulture at the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College.

Do you have a gardening question? Call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS

Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.

by guest blogger Mary Concklin, Montgomery County Extension Educator.

This has been a terrific year for blueberries. I have six plants (three varieties, two of each) at home that produce enough for me to stock our freezer, share with friends, make the requisite blueberry muffins for family and the office gang, and eat fresh. I began picking in mid-June and am just about done with the last of them now. And it is almost mid-August!

If you have never grown blueberries, you may want to stick your green thumb into it by planting a couple this fall or next spring. They can be grown in containers on your patio or in the ground. Remember that blueberries grow best in acidic soil with a pH of 4.5 to 5.0, so be sure to test your soil pH before you plant. If it is too high, add sulfur (found at most garden centers) to lower it.

Although blueberry plants will produce some berries if you have only a single plant, having at least two different varieties for cross pollination is strongly recommended. You will have more and larger berries.

If the plant is small, let it grow a year or two. As anxious as you will be for those first mouth-watering berries, you should remove the flowers and berries the first two years to allow the plant to develop in size. Believe me, you will reap the rewards of more berries if you do. However, if you are able to purchase blueberry plants that are already at least two or three years old and at least three feet tall, you will be able to leave the flowers and berries on the first year.

The two pest problems I have are birds and Japanese beetles. I cover the area with bird netting and I go on beetle patrol most mornings once they emerge. Other than that, blueberries are basically pest free.

If you have any questions regarding growing fruit, contact your local Cooperative Extension office, which is listed in the blue pages of the phone book under your county's name or under Penn State Cooperative Extension in the white pages.

Do you have a gardening question? In Delaware County, call our Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

Registration required for all events (except plant sale). Please call 610-690-2655 for more information or visit our website at http://delaware.extension.psu.edu/MG/MGcalendar.

Did you know that fall is the very best time to plant perennials? That’s why September plant sales are so popular. Planting in September gives those little plants a head start in putting down roots. Then when spring comes, they'll be able to focus all their energy on foliage and flowers. Trees and shrubs will benefit from a fall planting also.

And that’s why we have a plant sale at our annual Master Gardeners Fall Fest. The date this year is Saturday, September 29, 2007. It's an enjoyable and educational event you won’t want to miss! We’ve planned four mini-workshops plus two optional workshops as well as our Plant Sale and Frugal Gardener Sale. Our beautiful display gardens will be available for a self-tour. We’ll even have a drawing for a free plant!

This year, we're delighted to have Jeff Jabco as our first speaker of the day. Jeff is Director of Grounds and Assistant Director of Horticulture at Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College. His workshop is entitled Going Green—Sustainability in Gardens & Landscape Design.

Sound good? Save the date and we’ll see you at the Fest. Go to Master Gardeners Fall Fest to download a flyer and registration form or call 610-690-2655 to request the flyer.

Do you have a gardening question? Call our Delaware County Master Gardeners hortline at 610-690-2671 on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 AM-12 NOON.

UPCOMING MASTER GARDENERS EVENTS