Asclepias tuberosa —Butterfly Weed, Rudbeckia hirta—Black-eyed Susan, Lupinus perennis —Wild Lupin, If having a pollinator garden is something you’ve often thought about, maybe this is the year to give it a try! Not only do these gardens attract pollinators, such as butterflies and bees, they include flowers that provide nectar throughout the seasons. And, as the season ends, the reward is your own “living birdseed” feeders. So, how do you get started?
Although a pollinator garden can be any size – even as small as a balcony or a tiny yard, key to success is reviewing the preferences of pollinators. As a general rule, pollinators prefer gardens that:
When designing the garden, analyze the property for things such as water drainage, soil types, sun light exposure and wind patterns. Pollinator gardens can create their own microclimate—areas with good southeastern exposure and spaces that are protected from prevailing winds. If your garden is going to be a border or up against a structure, arrange the tallest plants in the back, mid-size in the middle and short plants in the front of the bed. If you are planting an island style, set your taller plants in the middle, medium heights around the center and shorter plants at the edges. If not planting an informal, open field garden, consider plant placement. It is often best to use groupings of at least three of the same plant together. Odd numbers (1, 3, 5, etc.) tend to look better than even numbers. In addition, bee pollinators prefer to collect nectar/pollen from a single species of flower during each outing, so planting in masses ensures pollinators can practice “flower constancy.” Consider designing and planting your garden so that over time it will consist of a grouping of 3 to 7 plants of the same species. Now that the garden space has been designed, loosen the soil and amend with organic matter. Do not let your plants dry out! Water regularly until your bed becomes established. Other considerations for your Pollinator Garden include enhancing nesting opportunities for the pollinators and their families: preserve areas of bare or sparsely vegetated, well-drained soil; preserve dead or dying trees and shrubs; minimize mulch; consider nesting boxes; and maintain a nearby water source, such as a water garden or birdbath. Curious about which plants have proven to be a good fit in northwest Wisconsin? Download this fact sheet for more information about Lupinus perennis—Wild Lupin, Asclepias tuberosa —Butterfly Weed, Asclepias incarnata —Swamp Milkweed, Liatris spicata—Blazing Star Liatris, Rudbeckia hirta—Black-eyed Susan and Aster novae-angliae —New England Asters and more! Author: Kimberly Kayler
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Scale & Mealy Bugs They come in various colors and can be armored, soft, or woolly. Piercing-sucking insects that create honeydew and make things sticky. Populations quickly increase and control is difficult. Control of scale and mealybugs: 1) Light infestations can be addressed with a Q tip dipped in rubbing alcohol, 2) Attempt to scrape off insects? 3) Use insecticidal soaps…or something stronger, 4) Remove infected plant tissues, 5) Submerge the entire plant in water? 6) Throw the plant away Note about homemade insecticidal soaps: "New and improved" and concentrated liquid detergents with "grease cutters" and other ingredients have a high potential for being phytotoxic to plants. Proceed with caution. It’s better to go with a product that has been specifically developed and is labeled for your plants. APHIDS: Just like your garden aphids, but may have a waxy coating. They create honeydew, like scale and mealybugs. Scout and catch them early! Control of aphids: 1) Remove plant parts with the worst infestations, 2) Hose down plants or wash them off, 3) Use insecticidal soaps SPIDER MITES: Related to spiders, Suck plant juices and cause yellowing and browning of plant tissues, If populations are high, you will also see webbing. Control of spider mites: Attempt to increase humidity in the home, Periodically wash down houseplants with a strong spray of water; including the lower leaf surfaces, Use miticides labeled for use on indoor plants FUNGUS GNATS: Small flies that infest soil, potting mix, and organic matter, A nuisance pest Larvae primarily feed on fungi and organic matter, but also chew roots, Do not damage mature plants, Can have a generation every 17 days when temperatures are right. Controlling fungus gnats: Target the larval stage, Reduce moisture and organic matter let media dry down between waterings, Use yellow sticky traps to catch adults? Repot using pasteurized potting mix, Will kill flies and the algae and microorganisms they feed on, Place chunks of potato on the plant surface to attract larvae, Consider using nematodes, predatory mites, or Bti (Mosquito Bits, Gnatrol) WHITE FLIES: Tiny, white, moth like insects, Female adults lay eggs on the undersides of the plant’s foliage and the nymphs feed on the foliage, The nymph and adult stages feed by inserting their short, needle like beaks into foliage and sucking out plant sap. Heavy often cause stunting or yellow of leaves, leaf drop, and a decline in plant health. Management: 1) Prevention is the best management strategy, 2) Check newly purchased plants and plants brought indoors from the garden or patio in the fall, 3) Begin control measures at the first signs.4) One way to reduce the whitefly population on an infested plant is to wash the undersides of the leaves with a moist cloth or sponge, 5) Use yellow sticky traps, 6) Insecticides specifically labeled for use on houseplants can be used, 7) Discard heavily infested plants SCALE: Sucking insects both soft shelled and armored, Soft shell will produce honeydew, Heavy infestations may cause leaf yellowing, stunting, and dieback Management: Scrape off, if possible, Wash off or crush any visible scale insects, Treat with an insecticidal soap or horticultural oil labeled for houseplants, Can use systemic houseplant insecticides, Heavily infested plants should be discarded FOLIAR Disease: Bacterial and fungal leaf spots: Decrease stress, Remove infected leaves and plant parts: Powdery mildew: Increase circulation around the plant; lower humidity, Remove infected leaves; Viruses: No cure; destroy plant GENERAL DEFOLIATION: Likely causes: Sudden change in temperature, Transplanting shock, Sudden change in light intensity, Over watering, Lack of light BROWNING LEAF TIPS: Likely Causes: Improper watering (such as water being too cold), Exposure to cold drafts, Insect attacks, Excess fertilizer, Floride or Boron deficiency (allowing water to sit for day before watering can help reduce floride.) ABNORMAL LEAF COLOR: Likely Causes: Over watering, Lack of fertilizer, Insect attacks, Improper light SPOTTED LEAVES: Likely Causes: Over watering, Burning from direct sunlight, Disease REPOTTING: tips on when a plant might need repotting:
PRUNING: All houseplants (with the exception of palms and Norfolk Island pine) can be top pruned to encourage new lateral growth. The best time to prune is in Spring, when growth usually occurs. DUST CONTROL: Keep houseplants clean by carefully washing foliage. Washing leaves with water or cleaning with leaf polish is not recommended on plants with hairy leaves. Rinse plants off with room temperature water in a shower or sink. Use a soft, damp cloth to wipe foliage. Leaf polish products should be used sparingly and only on plants with firm foliage. Master Gardener Vicki Gee Treft writes about what she learned from a "HOUSEPLANTS" course presented by Katie Dunker from the Colorado State University Extension.
Select from six varieties of our best-selling peppers from past sales that will dazzle even the pepper connoisseurs out there! We try to have something for everyone including heirloom peppers, award winning peppers, the works! The peppers we offer are especially suited to our shorter cooler growing season up here in the north country! Below I have organized our offerings by "Days to Maturity" but keep in mind that many factors can impact when you will actually get fruit. Our pepper plants will give you a head start of about 15 to 30 days depending on the conditions including proper hardening off (to prevent the plants from going into shock--watch for a future post on hardening off your seedlings), soil temp at the time of planting, nighttime temps, day time temps, sun, wind and moisture conditions, and pest interference. Some of these peppers are the traditional bell shape while others are conical.
We offer one hot pepper:
For more information on growing tomatoes and peppers in Wisconsin, check out: https://learningstore.uwex.edu/assets/pdfs/a3687.pdf Please note: This year’s plant sale will have a “twist” from prior years, as we are requesting pre-orders from February through May 1 or until supplies are sold out. There will be a new pickup location at the City of Spooner Front Street Public Parking Lot (north of the Canoe Heritage Museum) on May 21. The sale is pre-order only with pick-up on Saturday May 21st, 2022, from 8:00 am - Noon. The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plantsale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, Larsen Family Library in Webster, the Sherman Weiss Library in Hayward and the Washburn County Tourism office. Article submitted by Roseann Meixelsperger MGV
Master Gardener Vicki Gee Treft writes about what she learned from a "HOUSEPLANTS" course presented by Katie Dunker from the Colorado State University Extension.
A future posts will provide how to deal with pests and diseases. by Melinda Myers For many of us, winter is the start of the gardening season. We are busy browsing catalogs, reading garden articles, and looking for sources of new plants. As the planning process continues, the plant wish list keeps expanding. Once your list is complete and before placing any order online, be sure to check your list for any invasive plants that are prohibited or restricted in Wisconsin. According to the Invasive Species Rule NR40, prohibited plants are those that are not currently found or occur in isolated areas in the state. If introduced into the state, these plants are likely to cause significant economic or environmental harm or harm to human health. Restricted plants according to NR40 are already established in the state causing harm or have the potential to cause significant harm. The ability to spread and vigorous growth habit of the yellow flag Iris (Iris pseudacorus) make this invasive plant a threat to our waterways. Photo credit: photo courtesy of Zach Stewart
We have tomatoes with a noticeably short "Days to Maturity" rating. Since our plants are well started when you get them you will have about a 15 to 30 day head start on the how long you will have to wait for your first crop depending on a number of variables including how you harden off the plants before planting, what the soil temp is when planting, how much sun, wind and moisture the plant gets, and what the daily high and low temperatures are. Days to maturity is a rating to help us determine what plants are best suited to our zone (3-4) and the limitations that makes on the plants we raise. Most of the varieties we offer will continue to set fruit until frost kills the plant. Others which are called "determinate" will set fruit until the plant reaches it mature size. Once these ripen the plant will die back. All determinate varieties that we offer are indicated. The earliest varieties tend to be the cherry tomatoes. We offer:
For mid-sized early tomatoes, we have:
Large slicing tomatoes take longer to maturity. We offer:
If you have experienced "early blight," watch for our article on early blight and how to avoid it in a coming post. Please note: This year’s plant sale will have a “twist” from prior years, as we are requesting pre-orders from February through May 1 or until supplies are sold out. There will be a new pickup location at the City of Spooner Front Street Public Parking Lot (north of the Canoe Heritage Museum) on May 21. The sale is pre-order only with pick-up on Saturday May 21st, 2022, from 8:00 am - Noon. The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plantsale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, Larsen Family Library in Webster, the Sherman Weiss Library in Hayward and the Washburn County Tourism office.
Article submitted by Roseann Meixelsperger MGV
It was only after WWII that houseplants became mainstream in everyday homes. As people began to spend longer hours at the office, they wanted the comforts of home. Houseplants were developed to tolerate low light levels and some neglect.
Currently, houseplants are seeing surge in popularity. There are several reasons for this:
IMPROVE concentration: better at home and office, tasks were more accurate and of higher quality, offering stimulation to senses and mind IMPROVE HAPPINESS: reduce stress & anxiety, more optimism, resulting in being optimistic, more relaxed and happier IMPROVE compassion: increase empathy & concern, healthy relationships, wanting to help others, IMPROVE children in classroom: improve concentration, reduce agitation & stress, help minimize distractions IMPROVE seniors (in group settings) quality of life: reduce anxiety & stress, allow to care for something, remembering previous positive experiences FEWER sick days, Norwegian study, reduce sick time by 14%, less physical symptoms of illness INCREASE medical recovery: more quickly with less pain medication, a Dutch study of recovery from stressful situation noted quicker recovery due to parasympathetic nervous system kicked in. SCRUB the air clean: of toxins (formaldehyde) by bacteria growing on plant roots, also remove ozone & benzene (found in cleaning products & glue) KEEP dust down: particulates decreased by 20-percent, even if plants are located on the outer perimeter of a room PEOPLE respond to nature, based on experiences and learned habits.
The pre-order form is available on our website at www.northcountrymgv.org/plant-sale and at the Spooner Memorial Library, Shell Lake Public Library, and other local organizations.
Tomatoes, Peppers, and our popular 6 Packs of Pollinators and Herbs
Further information about the sale is available at www.northcountrymgv.org/plant-sale or e-mail ncmgva@gmail.com. Sept. 30, 2021 - Shade Gardening for Beauty and Pollinator Appeal presented by Melinda Myers 6:30 p.m. (Webinar) - Shade gardening doesn't need to limit plant selection or pollinator appeal. There’s no doubt that the shady areas of a landscape however can be a challenge when it comes to gardening. Melinda will share lots of colorful and interesting options beyond hostas for those shady spots in your landscape that add seasonal interest and pollinator appeal. Plus, learn more about planting and care to ensure success. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Register here Melinda's appearance is sponsored by: American Transmission Company and Grow Smart Oct. 27, 2021 - Pruning Tips for Shrubs presented by Melinda Myers 6:30 p.m. central (Webinar) - Learn the basics on how and when to prune shrubs. Pruning paranoia is common among gardeners, but once you understand the basics you will make better pruning decisions in less time and with much less stress. We will cover a variety of shrubs commonly found in the landscape. Melinda will also share information on the what and when to prune shrubs for optimal health and maximum beauty. The webinar is free, but registration is required. Register here Melinda's webinar is brought to you by: Corona Tools For updates on appearances and to watch past webinars on demand visit www.MelindaMyers.com
A “Fall Garden Walking Tour” will be held on Saturday September 25 from 10 am until 11 am at the Spooner Ag Research Station Teaching and Display Garden. This outdoor walking tour and discussion is sponsored by UW-Madison Division of Extension and North Country Master Gardener Volunteers. There is no cost to attend. The Display Garden is located on Orchard Lane ½ mile east of the stop lights in Spooner off Hwy 70. Watch for Garden meeting signs.
Master Gardener Volunteers will walk participants through the Monarch and Pollinator Sanctuary Garden and explain appropriate fall clean up techniques for perennial and annual plants, seed saving and other fall gardening activities. Kevin Schoessow, Area Agriculture Development Agent will discuss protecting fruit trees from winter injuries, fall lawn maintenance, and how leaves can be turned into next year’s mulch. For more information and contact Kevin Schoessow at the Spooner Area UWEX office at 715-635-3506 or 1-800-528-1914. |
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