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1
– “To Do” List For Native Plants For The Summer
A
- July and August is mostly a time to protect and take care of your
gardens and plants.
Be aware of the water needs of
plants you planted out last fall, winter and spring. These plants
may not have roots deep enough to survive. When temperatures get above 80
degrees, double your watering. Train you eyes so that when walking about,
you can immediately spot a “drooper” and give some water. Most natives
do not need summer water after they are well established. In the case of
Blueblossom (Ceanothus
thrysiflorus), too much water may shorten the life
cycle of the plant.
B – Apply mulch generously to
conserve water and to keep plants cool. Ground fir bark is the most
economical in the northwest. Each area has it’s own favorite mulch. You
can put from 3 to 6” of mulch around many shrubs and trees. Sawdust from
deciduous trees is fine also but specify hardwood sawdust such as alder,
maple or oak.
C – It’s root weevil time
again for plants in the Heath family. This includes
Madrone,
Salal,
Rhododendrons and
Azaleas. If you see neat square notches on the Rhodie
leaves, there is probably a fly form of the root weevil around. The
notches on the leaves won’t kill the plant, but the fly lays eggs in the
soil and next year the grubs kill the roots. If you use sprays, the best
may be Orthene (spray in evening at dusk). I routinely drench my Heath
family plants with live Nematodes. These beneficial insects eat the grubs
but not angleworms. You buy nematodes fresh in small sponges, dissolve in
water and pour a pint around the roots of each plant – then water in.
The soil must be 55 degrees for the nematodes to be active. Bright
sunlight kills nematodes and they drown if too long in water. Nematodes
are very effective if handled right although some folks are skeptical.
2
–Propagating From “Summer Time” Semi – Hardwood Cuttings
This
is the most important time of the year for propagating native plants by
cuttings. Here are some tips to increase your “strike” rate.
If
you are just starting, you might use liquid rooting compounds instead of
powders - a little easier. Make a clean cut just below the lower bud. In
addition, about ˝” higher up, scrape the top layer of bark off a small
area before dipping in rooting liquid. Sometimes roots will grow from this
small “wound.” Never let the cuttings dry out. Harvest early in the
morning, keep in plastic bags with some water, process immediately or
store in a refrigerator. Wood this time of the year should be from this
spring’s growth, not too stiff, not too limber, not to thick, not too
thin. Do not use material that has blemishes, rust, etc – only perfectly
clean wood and leaves. Leave only one or two leaves on the cutting. If the
leaves are large, cut part off with a clean scissors. Remember moisture
flows from the roots upward through the leaves. Big leaves may expire too
much moisture. Balance roots and leaves. You must keep summer cuttings
always moist during daylight hours. You can buy misting equipment or
“jerry-rig” something yourself. You can cover the cuttings with
generous, airtight plastic in a sort of balloon, with water inside to keep
the inner air saturated. To see if roots are developing, gently tug at the
cutting stem. If resistance, there are roots. Once roots develop, you must
give mild liquid feed and treat these “babies” very gently – keep
protected until Fall – do not pop them out in full sunlight in your
garden yet.
Don’t
give up. Propagating by cuttings is an art, to be learned slowly.
Propagating by cuttings is a necessary skill for all you native plant
gardeners!
3
– More Species Web Sites Planned – I May Buy Your Digital Camera
Pictures!
NOTE FROM JENNIFER: This topic is no longer
relevant, however it does show some of Wally's plans for the
website. Now that the nursery is gone and Wally has passed on to
another realm, I have taken up the scepter and it is my great joy to
continue the growth he dreamed of providing as a repository of
information about our beloved northwest native plants. This topic,
as Wally wrote it, gives a nostalgic glimpse of his wonderful
spirit.
I
am expanding my web sites to include many more separate sites covering one
species per site. Each of these sites will strive to be a complete
reference – description, range, culture, disease, propagation, uses,
etc. All will be accessible through my home page www.nwplants.com.
I will include photos and paintings. I want to include pictures that will
illustrate the life and seasonal stages of a plant and the appearance of
stands of plants in a natural setting. I am going to need a lot of
pictures in digital, JPEG format taken throughout the year and the plant
life cycle. Most of this will be done “in-house” but I am always
interested in buying digital photos, which I still need. If you are
interested, let me know. You might have some fun, gain some experience and
earn a little extra - plus your name will be shown with the pictures.
I
have nine new sites ready to go on line in July, including five native
cedars and four native roses – I think you will enjoy! Keep watching my
home page www.nwplants.com
- better add to your “favorites.”
4
– Propagating Native Plants From Seeds
Propagating
from seed is another skill each native plant gardener needs. It is not as
simple as growing vegetables or annual flowers. Start right now to find
sources of seed and plan collection carefully – don’t procrastinate
– many living creatures want that seed! Collection of native seeds
starts in July and runs thru November. I have maturing seed everywhere in
my gardens – I am watching iris and camas very closely.
Collect,
clean, dry (not too dry!), label and store seeds in a cool place. Native
perennials and annuals are easier to grow from seed than native shrubs and
trees. Mother Nature has many built in survival features built into shrub
and tree seeds. Most have a winter dormancy that must be resolved. In
nature, the seeds lay in the ground over winter. In the spring the seeds
soften, water enters and growth starts. However, it is not quite that
simple. You can control the cold stratification process yourself and
ensure more germination. You can pack seeds in a damp medium such as sand
or peat, in a plastic bag and then into the refrigerator for periods from
4 weeks to six months. They must be moist but not soaking wet. They must
be turned from time to time and checked for germination. Take
Indian Plum
for example. I place the clean seed in moist sand in October and
refrigerate at about 34 degrees. I start checking for signs of germination
in February. When they start to swell and show a tiny fleck of growth, I
sow them into flats in a greenhouse. Different species have different
times for cold moist stratification.
For
some species this is not enough to break dormancy. Supplemental methods
include acid scarification: carefully place seeds in concentrated Sulfuric
Acid from a few seconds to several minutes. The acid eats the hard seed
coat away allowing the seed to imbibe moisture and start to grow (or
completely destroys the seed!). Sometimes the seeds must first be dipped
into boiling water. Some seeds lay in the ground for centuries until a
forest fire cracks the seed coat and germination starts. I did germinate
some Viburnum edule by building a straw fire over a seed flat. Even then
it took 2 more years to germinate. As a beginner, go through the cold
moist stratification process unless you know better. Otherwise, plant
outdoors in the late fall and let winter break the dormancy.
For
perennial seeds, I suggest fall planting in seed flats. First hydrate the
soil mix by placing a flat filled with soil in a tub of water for 10
minutes. Then let this dry for 24 hours in the shade. Then plant the seeds
and cover with a thin kitchen plastic. This keeps the moisture in. When
germination starts, remove the plastic and “grow on.” You need all
your skills to keep these delicate “new-born plants” alive and growing
– warmth, light, fertilizer, protection!
5
– Sources Of Native Plant Seeds
I
buy some seeds that we cannot collect ourselves. The following two sources
have always given me good service and they collect a large variety of
northwest plant seeds.
Inside Passage
P.O.Box 639
Port Townsend, WA
98368
M-F, 9 AM-4 PM Pacific Time:
1-800-361-9657; local, outside the U.S. call:
(360)385-6114
FAX: (360) 385-5760
E-mail:
inspass@whidbey.net
www.insidepassageseeds.com
Name - Steve Erickson
Company - Frosty Hollow Ecological Restoration
Address - Box 53
Langley, WA 98260
Primary Phone - (360) 579-2332
Secondary Phone - (360) 579-2332
Fax - (360) 579-4080
Email -
wean@whidbey.net
Products - Seed
6
- Sudden Oak Death - SOD – Protect Your Garry (Oregon White) Oaks!
Be
aware of a serious disease among certain oaks. Mostly in California. This
is caused by Phytophthora ramorum, a fungus-like organism. In California,
it has killed Tanoaks, Coast Live Oaks, and Black Oaks. It has not gotten
into Oregon except one spot near the California border, near the city of
Brookings, in Curry County, Oregon. Very serious efforts are being made in
California to control/eliminate this disease. Likewise, serious efforts
are being made by the Department of Agriculture in Oregon, to eliminate
the disease in Curry County and to prevent any more spreading. The Oregon
Department of Agriculture has inspected my nursery – no disease was
found and no disease has been reported in Oregon except the small
occurrence near the California border, about 300 miles south of here.
It
would be a disaster if this got into our
Oregon White Oak. They are
steadily declining anyway because of many other reasons. Protect your
Oregon Oak if you have any. If you walk on soil or drive on soil in Curry
County, Oregon or in California, wash your shoes and car tires and
whatever, before coming north. This disease can be carried by infected
soil. It can be carried on host plants including members of the Heath family. I have many Oregon Oaks in my gardens. I am worried. I and the
folks who help me, are all on high alert to keep this disease away. My
attitude is “Beware of plants from California and Curry County, Oregon,
for now.”
From the Oregon
Public Broadcasting website: www.opb.org/programs/ofg/segments/view/1584
7
– Personal Notes - “The Glory Of The Garden”
Again, the awesome summer
season is here – A time to relax a bit after the frantic spring. My
gardens crowd up against my office window – cedars, willows,
Garry Oaks,
Douglas Firs and on and on. I read again (and again) a poem by one of my
heroes – Rudyard Kipling – “The Glory Of The Garden.” Kipling
wrote about English gardens but all gardens are glorious, especially
native plant gardens. All societies of all ages and beliefs recognized the
deep down, emotional relationship of man (male and female) and gardens.
Many religions are based on the Old Testament – The Garden of Eden -
Adam, the original gardener. It is healing, relaxing, comforting and fills
a basic genetic need that goes back through time to the beginning. Here is
a selected quote from “The Glory Of The Garden.”
“There’s
not a pair of legs so thin, there’s not a head so thick,
There’s
not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick.
But
it can find some needful job that’s crying to be done,
For
the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one.”
“ .
.Then seek your job with thankfulness and work till further orders.”
E-mail comments are welcome.
(Note from Jennifer: As did Wally, I also welcome your
email comments!)
Good Luck!
Wally
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