The Garden Shed

A Community Newsletter published by the Piedmont Master Gardeners

October 2024-Vol.10,No.10

 

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  Battery-Powered Lawn and Garden Tools Are Part Of An Evolution

October in the Edible Garden

Native Shrubs for the Home Landscape

October in the Ornamental Garden

Upcoming Events

Invasives Watch

Reconsidering Turnips

For comments, questions or suggested topics for future Garden Shed articles contact us at: garden-shed@piedmontmastergardeners.org.

If you have specific gardening questions or need help to solve a gardening problem, our Horticultural Help Desk is a free community resource and can be contacted at 434-872-4583 or by email: albemarlevcehelpdesk@gmail.com.

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Who We Are

We are members of the Piedmont Master Gardeners, which simply means we have all been trained to share the scientific expertise of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. More important, we are your friends and neighbors with a passion for gardening – and learning more about it. MORE

Table of Contents

Tasks and Tips

October in the Edible Garden

By Ralph Morini

October is the time to wrap up the summer growing season and prepare plants and beds for winter.

In the Ornamental Garden

Native Shrubs for the Home Landscape

By Deborah Harriman

Create a Living Landscape with Native Shrubs

Tasks and Tips

October in the Ornamental Garden

By Pat Chadwick

Time to plant and transplant!

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

By CATHY CALDWELL

Outstanding learning opportunities this month!

Invasives Watch

Invasives Watch

By CATHY CALDWELL

Asiatic Bittersweet and Japanese Honeysuckle

In the Edible Garden

Reconsidering Turnips

By Gena Breakiron

Say goodbye to this old timer. There’s a new turnip in town!

Feature

Battery-Powered Lawn and Garden Tools Are Part Of An Evolution

By Charles D'Aniello

Are you thinking about switching?

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Battery-Powered Lawn and Garden Tools Are Part Of An Evolution

• October 1, 2024
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That looks hard and maybe even painful! “Larry Cooper teaches scything techniques, and snath fitting and blade choices for mowing grass and brush at From Service to Stewardship a two-day workshop in Remington, Va., on Friday, May 20, 2016.” Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture. Wikimedia Commons,

The effort to make landscape maintenance easier and more efficient has a long history. Green spaces were originally maintained by grazing animals and with scythes and shears. Wielding a scythe takes a considerable amount of skill and produces uneven results.

In 1830 Englishman Edwin Beard Budding (1796-1846) invented the hand lawn mower. It was first patented in England. An engineer by profession, Budding got the idea after watching a cutting cylinder (a bladed reel) trim cloth. His invention was a triumph of gear technology. For many, lawns were and remain a symbol of status and their nearness to a uniform texture is critical. By the late 19^th century, urban and suburban landscapes featured lawns, and the need for their efficient maintenance created a market for innovation. For large areas, horse-drawn models of Budding’s invention were developed. In the 20^th century, gas-powered mowers became dominant, and in the latter part of the century, electricity was introduced, first through cords and then batteries. Today all variants – generally minus the horses – manicure the American landscape.

The effort’s most recent innovation is the development of the lithium-ion battery. Electricity is not new to garden tools, but until the advent of the lithium-ion battery (with some early exceptions), current was supplied by a cord. In some applications, a corded tool remains a good solution, but if the area to be maintained is large or complex — characterized by numerous twists and turns — a corded tool can quickly become bothersome. Well-designed tools powered by good old human muscle should not be underestimated either. However, they may not be appropriate under time constraints nor friendly to aging muscles.

A backpack leaf blower. Note the ear protection. Photo: Anthony Appleyard, June 25, 2009. Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

Today there are models of battery-powered yard and lawn tools that are wholly comparable to or even superior to gasoline-powered tools. Differences in the performance of tasks or aspects of performance are noted in the articles referenced below.  Consumer Reports reviewers suggest that “cutting evenness” suffers slightly with electric mowers but handling is better. For leaf blowers, Consumer Reports  ranks the best electric models equal to the best gas-powered models, actually giving electrics the edge.  And it gives a slight advantage to battery-powered string trimmers and advises that it is easy to find an electric model that matches or is comparable to gas models. Should you switch, if you haven’t already?  Among countless others, the editors of Consumer Reports think you should seriously consider it! See Consumer Reports’ excellent  Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?  (June 8, 2024).

Now for the reasons for switching — they are not restricted to convenience!

Overall, what’s the problem with gas-powered tools? It’s their emission of particulates, climate pollution (greenhouse gases), ozone-forming pollution (ground-level ozone damages plants and especially impacts children), and noise. Cancers, heart disease, and hearing loss have been linked to their emissions and noise.  Environment America, U.S. PIRG Education Fund (Public Interest Group) and Frontier Group sponsored the carefully documented 2023 report — Lawn Care Goes Electric — which aggregates a wealth of statistics. The full 45-page report is available as a PDF.  Some highlights from its executive summary follow. I include them — quoted verbatim — to encourage you to read the report.

• “The inefficient engines in gas-powered lawn equipment can emit as much pollution in an hour as driving hundreds of miles in a typical car, and their pollution is released right in the middle of our neighborhoods, where people live and breathe.”
• “In the United States, lawn and garden equipment powered by gasoline and other fossil fuels released more than 30 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere in 2020 — more than all the greenhouse gas emissions from the city of Los Angeles.”
• “Operating a commercial lawn mower for just one hour produces as much smog-forming pollution as driving 300 miles in a car.  Using a commercial leaf blower is even more polluting, emitting as much smog-forming pollution as driving 1,100 miles in a car.”
• “In 2020, lawn and garden equipment in the U.S. emitted more than 21,800 tons of fine particulates  — an equivalent amount to the pollution from 234 million typical cars.”

Earlier, in 2015, Jamie L. Banks and Robert McConnell published a paper entitled National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment.  As of 2015, Banks was the founder and president of Quiet Communities and McConnell was an environmental engineer employed by the Environmental Protection Agency.  Their conclusion and recommendation (p. 13): “GLGE [gasoline-powered lawn and garden equipment] is an important source of toxic and carcinogenic exhaust and fine particulate matter. . . Medical and scientific organizations should increase public awareness of GLGE and GLME [commercial landscape maintenance equipment] and identify GLGE as an important local source of dangerous air pollutants.”

The worst gas offenders are two stroke engines. Four stroke alternatives are more fuel-efficient but even they lack the emission controls present in cars. Two-stroke engines predominate, however, because they are lighter, more powerful for their size, and less expensive. Chainsaws, usually powered by two-stroke engines, produce a prodigious quantity of fine particulate emissions.   Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health advises that fine particulate pollution (“PM2.5”) “is made up of tiny particles that are 30 times smaller than the width of a human hair. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs. In addition to being linked to early death, PM2.5 exposure has also been shown to lead to worsened asthma, heart attacks, stroke, and other diseases.” In fact, Lawn Care Goes Electric (p. 14) credits chainsaws with about a third of all fine particulate emissions across the lawn and garden equipment sector.

Commercial lawn and garden equipment is by far the dominant contributor to harmful emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Emissions Inventory (NEI) — used in Lawn Care Goes Electric (page 14) — illustrates the problem. For instance, in 2020, 82% of all fine particulate emissions came from commercially-operated lawn equipment. A NPR story in 2022 explains the roots of commercial reluctance to switch (but also notes some levels of acceptance and considers the mixed societal impact of bans).  Commercial operators say battery life is not yet long enough for their applications, that commercial mowers are expensive, that battery power may not be robust enough, and that battery-powered equipment would require charging stations and extra batteries. The report Lawn Care Goes Electric (see page 18) adds more clarity and makes some good points. It sees future change in the appearance of mobile charging trailers, the development of rapid chargers, the advent of electric pick-up trucks, trucks equipped with solar panels brought to job sites, and the continual improvement in battery technology. Lower maintenance costs associated with battery-powered equipment are also noted. All of this suggests that change will come to the industry — if not quickly, eventually! Some states are forcing change. The California legislature passed a law which took effect in January that requires new landscaping equipment sold in California be free of emissions. For reasons why a commercial service should consider switching, see Battery-Powered Equipment vs Gas-Powered Tools. Not to be forgotten is the fact that electric equipment would be healthier for the men and women who maintain our landscapes, as they are the ones most exposed to toxins as well as the noise and vibrations produced by the equipment they use. Of course, the concerns of landscapers have little relevance for those of us caring for relatively small properties. For today’s homeowners, battery-powered tools are more than adequate.

Along with air pollution, gasoline-engines emit enormous amounts of noise pollution. Until recently noise pollution has not received sufficient attention. Even the quietest gas-powered lawn mowers and other equipment are not as quiet as their electric counterparts, says Consumer Reports.  And while leaf-blowers are the most serious offenders, the entire suite of gas-powered tools are noisy.

It is not that we haven’t known for a long-time that noise can be dangerous. David Owen explores the topic in his book, Volume Control: Hearing in a Deafening World (Riverhead Books, 2019). In places where there is very little background noise, Owen explained in a NPR interview, the elderly “tend to hear as well as infants do.” Scientists have associated a diversity of health challenges beyond hearing loss with excessive and prolonged noise exposure, including high blood pressure and coronary disease. The Noise Control Act (1972) and the Quiet Communities Act (1978) established federal noise regulations.  In 1982, regulatory responsibilities were moved to local and state governments.  To learn what state and local governments have done to control the noise generated by gas-powered lawn equipment, see the clickable map maintained by Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet.  See also the wealth of material maintained by Quiet Clean PDX (Quiet Clean Alliance).  And, of course, consult Lawn Care Goes Electric. Clearly, some governments have made the switch to electric-powered tools an imperative.  The Albemarle County noise ordinance is accessible at the Code of Albemarle County Virginia  Sec 4.18 Noise. By itself — and in light of what has been done in more densely populated areas elsewhere — it is lenient. In the relatively tightly-packed communities spreading across the county, it is not unusual to hear the roar of gas-powered equipment wielded by homeowners and lawn services.

Whether supplied by a battery or a cord, electricity offers some obvious advantages over gasoline.  If you’re trying out the electrical option for the first time, keep in mind that you don’t have to switch across all your tools at once. You can transition. But if you intend immediately or over time to buy more than one battery-powered tool, you will want to keep it in the same brand family to ensure battery compatibility. This will allow you to switch your batteries across your various tools. This will be both convenient and a cost savings.

The current hero to our evolutionary story is the lithium-ion battery — at least until something better appears! While new residential equipment typically uses this battery, some larger equipment and older models use lead-acid batteries.  Today most electric power is brought to yard tools by the lithium-ion battery. A Consumer Reports piece by Paul Hope (Should you switch . . ., updated June 8, 2024) explains the advantages and disadvantages of lithium-ion batteries in electric outdoor tools.

This is a 82 volt battery with a 2.0 Ah  rating. Depressing the red button activates the charge indicator lights on the device. When fully charged all red lights are lit. This checking can be done at any time. Photo: Charles D’Aniello

A lithium-ion battery works by transferring lithium ions between the anode and cathode through an electrolyte.

The base of a battery charger. The terminals that carry the charge to the battery are visible on the left. On the far right is the LED light which — by color and by blinking or not blinking– indicates the state of charging. Solid green means fully charged, blinking green means charging, solid red indicates over temperature, and blinking red, a charging fault. Photo: Charles D’Aniello

As the battery discharges, ions move from the anode to the cathode.  This flow of electrons produces electricity. During the charging, ions move back to the anode, storing electricity.  This ion movement allows the battery to be recharged many times.  For an explanation of the process see the video How Lithium Ion Battery Works and, for an even deeper dive, see Chris Woodford’s piece in Explain That Stuff.  Lithium-ion batteries are lighter than lead-acid batteries and perform at consistent power until the battery is fully-discharged and they have a long life span.

Typical lithium-ion residential lawn mower batteries have an operating voltage of 40 – 80 volts. Voltage is the force that drives electrical current through a circuit. The higher the voltage the more power the battery can provide.  My battery has a high voltage — 82 volts — which is quite high and suitable for mowing and trimming. Higher voltage means more efficient operation and more torque. Another number that’s important is “Ah” — Ampere-Hour (amp-hour) — which indicates the duration over which a battery can support a specified current draw. It is a measure of capacity. Ah does not indicate overall power but how long the battery can be drawn on. Thus, a 2Ah battery can (theoretically) supply 2 amps of current for 1 hour at the battery’s stated voltage. The higher the Ah number, the longer the time between recharges because the higher number means the battery can store more energy. However, it does not necessarily mean it can supply more power (measured in watts) at any given time. Lithium-ion batteries provide stable performance until they are nearly fully discharged.

 Safety: Lithium-ion batteries are safe if used correctly! We are surrounded by them. Legitimate batteries display the Underwriters Laboratory UL certification or state certification in associated documentation. This is your assurance of quality construction and safe operation. To make things safe and easy, use the battery sold by the manufacturer of your equipment and install it as directed.

Two batteries and a charger. The indicator lights which give the amount of electrical charge remaining are visible on the top battery as well as ventilation vents on one of the sides of the bottom battery. The cradle into which the battery to be charged is placed is visible on the right. Photo: Charles D’Aniello

Basic safety warnings include (a) prevent overheating, (b) use the correct charger to prevent overheating, and (c) never open or attempt to open the battery. The electrolyte it houses can seriously damage skin and eyes and always keep it away from fire. It can explode! Never use a damaged battery! The dangers far exceed those associated with alkaline batteries. Unless your manual advises otherwise, always use the battery brand and voltage recommended for your tool and charger. Ah ratings can vary, but not voltage.Batteries with a higher Ah will generally be larger and heavier than those with a lower Ah, so there is potentially the issue of device fit. Your manual and the battery will also have warnings.

To complement these warnings, review Safety Measures for Lithium-ion Batteries prepared by the University of Washington (2024). See also the FAQs of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Lithium-Ion Battery Safety.

Finally, recycle or dispose of batteries that can no longer hold a charge or which are damaged at a certified recycling facility. Call the Ivy Solid Waste & Recycling Center, a nearby government-operated facility in Albemarle County.  Never dispose of them in the trash. 

So what should you buy?  Below is a quick summary of overall factors to consider, most of which have been explored above. It’s important to consider the issue of price from the top. When purchasing a tool, you are buying reliability and convenience.  Paying more than what an alternative may cost in this light may be acceptable. You’re buying something that may make you smile — or grimace with irritation — for years!

The capacities of batteries are increasing, and Consumer Reports advises that at least one manufacturer is preparing to make its current tools compatible with the more advanced batteries under development. Consumer Reports believes that batteries for older devices will remain readily available for years. Finally, brushless motors – whether they are power-corded or battery-powered equipment — are best.  They wear well over time, are efficient, provide more power and torque, and – with fewer moving parts – require less maintenance.

Environmentally Friendly.  Obviously, the most environmentally friendly power is human power. The noise and pollution caused by gas-powered tools are – to various degrees – disturbing and dangerous. Accidents happen.  Gas spills also can make gas-powered tools harmful in ways that may not be immediately apparent, such as when spilled gas makes its way into our waters.

Cost Effective.  For the user of an electric tool, there is no gas, oil, or tune-up cost. At some point batteries do wear out — and they are expensive — so ensure their health by following the advice associated with them. Do this by avoiding extreme temperature storage, following the manufacture’s charging guidelines, and keeping the battery clean. It is also good practice not to allow the battery to fully discharge. This can shorten its lifespan and compromise its ability to hold a charge. Also, store it at 50% charge. A well cared for battery will last 3 to 5 years or about 500 charging cycles. Some sources indicate a life span of about seven years under the best conditions. Depending on battery specifications, costs can currently range from about $85 to $330 (as per Lawn Love). Consumer Reports research shows that over a five year period, an electric lawn mower will save money over a similarly priced gas-powered mower. See Lawn Care Goes Electric pages 16-17.

Note also that our electrified world does not come without electricity costs, and as more and more lawn and yard equipment becomes electric the need for electricity will increase. Of course, over time, the equipment will grow in efficiency. There will, however, be what are termed “upstream” emissions. Studies have shown, however, that negative environmental and health consequences will be less from the by-products of power plants than from gas-powered equipment. Further, inefficient plants will themselves be phased out over time, also lessening negative environmental and monetary impacts. See Lawn Care Goes Electric, page 14.

Convenience.  This is a no-brainer. Human powered tools are certainly the most convenient to use, but they often do not bring enough power to a task.  Electric tools do and they can be turned on by the push of a button or pull of a lever. Inserting a battery is a low level skill!

Maintenance.  All tools need to be maintained.  All cutting tools need blade replacement and, as appropriate, replacement spools of cutting wire or cord. Gas powered tools though require regular maintenance of their ignition system and fluids to ensure reliability. Owning a small engine — not to mention a big one — can be a big hassle and — at times — a bit of a mystery.

Disposal A lithium-ion battery that’s reached the end of its life cannot simply be thrown into a trash or recycling bin. It must ultimately go to a special recycling or hazardous waste facility. For EPA guidance on recycling, see Used Lithium-Ion Batteries and the discussion above.

Noise.  We did not evolve to live in a world of constant or even intermittent or episodic loud noise.  Wear ear protection as appropriate.  There’s a reason why the phrase “Quiet, I’m trying to think!” is familiar to all of us. As a source of power, electricity is simply far quieter than gas.

If you have made the decision to go electric, consider the following factors before settling on a particular product:

Quality  For guidance in selecting power garden tools — using detailed reviews and comparative ratings — check Consumer Reports and Popular Mechanics. The former often provides especially useful overviews.  For this article I consulted 5 Green Reasons to Choose Battery-Powered Lawn Tools and Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?  Consumer Reports is readily available at your local public library, often in both paper format and online. Reading reviews will give you confidence. Visiting the displays at stores may be helpful, too.  Be sure to also check warranties. Finally, be dollar conscious, but don’t be cheap! Don’t buy a tool that feels flimsy in any way. It will be working hard and needs structural integrity for longevity.  Some tools may be designed better than others.

Power Source.  Select the appropriate power source for the job. Moving to battery-powered tools will be more important for some tasks than for others, and, of course, you may be unable to transition to the same power source for all tools immediately. Having a battery-powered lawn mower and a corded edger and leaf blower may work well for some yards.

Battery Performance.  Not all batteries are created equal! Generally, you will want to have two batteries or acquire more powerful batteries than those supplied with your tool.  This has already been considered above. Be mindful of voltage and Ah ratings and do nothing without consulting your manuals or the support web page.  There may also be a help line you can call.

While writing this article I discovered that an upgraded battery, which is perfectly compatible with my tools and charger, is available. The new battery is rated at 3.5Ah. The manufacturer states that it will provide 3 times longer runtime and stronger power than the original battery. Whatever brand you use, take a moment to consider possible battery upgrades and read the Web support page or manual. You can escape numerous recharges by purchasing a battery with a higher Ah rating, although the lower rating is what is commonly provided when a tool and battery are purchased together. If you have two lower-rated batteries, in reserve you should always be certain to have one battery fully charged or charging.

One more thing:  Aside from toxic fumes and exposure to possibly irritating and health-damaging noise, gas-powered tools and electric-powered tools can both be dangerous to the user in even more obvious ways.  My review of Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s Tips for Working Safely with Electric Garden Tools alerted me to some unwise things I have done occasionally.  I suspect you too will learn some things if you review this resource. While not about safety, I appreciated the reminder to use the shortest extension cord possible.  The longer the cord the more energy is lost in transmission as heat. Be sure to also consider Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Powered Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide. Obviously, electricity has its own unique dangers but common to both classes of tools is the cutting edge of a blade or the cord of a trimmer.

 

Sources

Featured Image: Lawn maintenance the old fashioned way! “Ecological Lawn Mower Squad.” A flock of white sheep in Gaseberg, Lysekil Municipality, Sweden, November 2, 2017.  Photo: W. Carter.  CCO 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

 

“Ask Me About My Super-Quiet Electric Yard Tools.” By Steven John. The Strategist (New York magazine), May 15. 2023.

5 Green Reasons to Choose Battery-Powered Lawn Tools. By Paul Hope. Consumer Reports, June 7, 2023.

From Lawn Mowers to Rock Concerts, Our ‘Deafening World’ Is Hurting Our Ears. By Dave Davies. NPR, November 5, 2019.

Gas Powered Leaf Blower Noise and Emissions Factsheet. Quiet Clean PDX.

Gas vs. Battery String Trimmer: Which Is Better?  By Paul Hope, updated May 7, 2024 by Kala Herh. Consumer Reports.

Gas vs. Electric Lawn Mower: Which Is Better? By Tobie Stranger. Consumer Reports, updated April 18, 2024.

Gas vs. Electric Leaf Blower: Which Is Better?  By Paul Hope. May 16, 2023. Consumer Reports.

Hate gas-powered leaf blowers? By 2028, Home Depot will have this solution.  By Daniel Munoz.  NorthJersey.com, June 28, 2023.

How Much Does a Lithium-Ion Battery Cost in 2024?  By Michelle Selzer.  Lawn Love, November 29, 2023.

Lawn and Garden Equipment. Noise Free America: A Coalition to Promote Quiet.

Lawn Care Goes Electric (Why it’s time to switch to a new generation of clean, quiet electric lawn equipment). By Tony Dutzik, Louis Sokolow, Luke Metzger, and Kirsten Schatz. Environment America, U.S. PIRG Education Fund, and Frontier Group, 2023. The full report is downloadable.

National Emissions from Lawn and Garden Equipment.  By Jamie L. Banks and Robert McConnell.  2015. Accessible as an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) archived document.

Powered Hand Tools Safety: Lawn Care Training Guide. Publication BSE-50P. Virginia Cooperative Extension. See also Lawn Care: Powered Hand Tool Safety.

Professional landscapers are reluctant to plug into electric mowers due to cost.  By Matthew Schuerman.  NPR (Houston Public Media), July 30, 2022.

Should You Switch to Electric Lawn Equipment?  By Paul Hope. Consumer Reports, June 8, 2024.

Take Steps to Limit Air Emissions When Using Garden Equipment.  New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. 2020.

Tips for Working Safely with Electric Garden Tools. By Wayne Torgersen. Cornell Cooperative Extension of Nassau County.

Who Invented the Lawn Mower? Unveiling the Roots of Garden Revolution. By James Hardy. History Cooperative.

Why scientists who study noise pollution are calling for more regulation. By Joanne Silberner. NPR, July 1, 2024.

 

October in the Edible Garden

• October 1, 2024
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October signals the beginning of the end of our outdoor vegetable and fruit growing season. It’s the last chance to plant a few short cycle and cold weather vegetables, harvest sensitive produce before our first frost, document the gardening year, clean up the beds, and prepare beds for winter. Let’s dig into the possibilities.

Planting

If you planted crops for fall harvest in August or September, you may already be harvesting fast-maturing plants like some lettuces and radishes. According to the VCE Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide, those of us in Albemarle County are now in Hardiness Zone 7b (note that the map needs updating) and are able to plant baby lettuces, radishes, mustard, and spinach during the first part of the October.  With an average first frost date of October 25th-November 5^th, late planters have the possibility of another crop before winter.

October is the best time to plant garlic. Planting early to mid-month to give the cloves 3 or 4 weeks to take root, but not enough time to sprout above ground before frost, is the goal. Good guidance is available in the article Growing Garlic: Fall Planting from the Penn State Extension.

Watch the upcoming weather forecast and plan to protect any sensitive crops ahead of predicted frosts to maximize your harvest.

Frost preparation:

To better understand frost damage and vegetables that are susceptible to light, medium, and hard frost exposure, refer to the article Identifying and Preventing Freeze Damage in Vegetables from the Michigan State University Extension.

To nurse plants further into the fall and winter, there are a couple of options:

• Wet your soil: there is some evidence that watering ahead of a frost will keep the air temperature just above the soil up to 5 degrees warmer than dry soil and will maintain the differential overnight.

• Cover your plants: For better protection, cover the crops that aren’t cold hardy. Spun polyester row cover fabric is a proven choice, although gardeners use everything from newspapers to buckets to commercially available water-jacketed individual plant covers. Fabric cover protection varies from 2 to 6 degrees Fahrenheit depending on soil conditions and fabric used. Air space between cover and plants increases the protection over that obtained by simply laying the cover directly on the vegetation. Spun fabric covers let light and water through and can be left in place. Most other options need to be removed during the day after the temperature is above freezing. For more information on row covers please check out the Garden Shed article: Row Covers: A Season Extender with Benefits.

• Cold Frames: Cold frames provide a more permanent way to combat both spring and fall frosts. Tips on construction and using cold frames are available in the Colorado State Extension article Extending the Season with Cold Frames.

 

 

• After frost, cut back asparagus foliage to within 2 inches of the ground.
• If you haven’t done a soil test in a few years, fall is a good time to get one. Organic amendments added in the fall will be ready for plant uptake in the spring. In the Charlottesville/Albemarle area, test kits and instructions are available at the Stagecoach Road entrance to the County Building off the 5^thSt Extension.

• There is still time to plant a cover crop. Cover crops protect the soil over the winter, store unused nutrients to prevent them from leaching, and provide organic matter in the spring when tilled under or composted. It is late for planting a mixed crop but Winter Rye is a possible late season solution that adds organic matter and helps break up compacted soil. The article Cover Crops from the University of Maryland Extension provides guidance.

• If you aren’t planting a cover crop, protect the garden soil with a few inches of mulched leaves, aged wood chips, or straw. Mulch reduces nutrient leaching and carbon loss while moderating temperature variation and adding organic matter.
• If you haven’t kept up with garden documentation this year, this is your last chance. It’s a good idea to diagram the garden along with specific crop locations. Crop rotation is an important organic tool for minimizing passing insect and disease problems from one season to the next.
• Vegetable crops in the same botanical family are often susceptible to the same diseases and insects. For crop rotation to be effective, gardeners should not plant vegetables belonging to the same family in the same location for at least three years. Crop rotation in a small garden may be difficult. However, we should rotate our vegetable crops as best we can. You can find an informative listing of plant families in the Penn State Extension article Plant Rotation in the Garden Based on Plant Families.
• Preserve any herbs that are still growing prior to the cold weather arriving. Good “how to” advice is available from the article Harvesting and Preserving Herbs for the Home Gardener by the NC State Extension.

Guidance for Fruit Growers 

• • Protect strawberry plants over winter by weeding beds and mulching before temperatures get down to 20° F. Chopped leaves and straw are good mulches in Zone 7B. More details are offered in the Iowa State Extension article Yard and Garden: Prepare Strawberry Plants for Winter.
  • If you are thinking about planting a fruit tree, fall is a good time to do it. Water newly planted trees thoroughly. Add a 3-inch layer of organic mulch to retain soil moisture and moderate soil temperature. Leave a 3-4” gap around the tree base to reduce the risk of pest damage. Research has shown that roots will continue to grow until the soil freezes, which is typically late November in Virginia. Stake and wire newly planted trees only if necessary. If you stake, use a piece of rubber hose around the guy wires to protect the trunk. The guy wires should be tied loosely enough so that the tree is able to move a little in the wind. The supports and stakes should be removed once the tree becomes established, usually in a couple of months.
  • Pick up dropped fruit from under fruit trees so that deer and rodents will not be attracted to the fruit or your growing tree. Raking and disposing of diseased leaves will help keep insects and diseases under control next season.
  • High grass and mulch are a haven for rodents whose gnawing can severely damage trunks. Keep the grass mowed around new trees. Be sure that mulch is pulled back 3-4 inches around the base of the tree.
  • For more information about selection and care (especially the timing and techniques for pruning) for a variety of small fruits, refer to the VCE publication Small Fruit in the Home Garden.

Ok, got everything taken care of? Relax. You’ve earned it. Hoping for a more leisurely visit with you next month at The Garden Shed.

 

Sources:

Featured photo: Fall pumpkins. Photo: R Morini

October Tips: Fruit and Nuts, VA Cooperative Extension: https://albemarle.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/albemarle_ext_vt_edu/files/hort-tip-sheets/10-14-fruit-nuts.pdf

Garlic Production for the Gardener, UGA Extension,   https://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=C854&title=Garlic%20Production%20for%20the%20Gardener

Harvesting and Preserving Herbs for the Home Gardener, NC State Extension: https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/harvesting-and-preserving-herbs-for-the-home-gardener

 

Native Shrubs for the Home Landscape

• October 1, 2024
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• 0 Comments

Shrubs are the backbone of the home landscape. They add structure to the garden, are easy-care, and offer year round interest. Many of the typical shrubs found in homes gardens today are foreign species. While often lovely, they are common at best and invasive at worst. When considering shrubs for a border or foundation, try adding native shrubs to add interest to your yard and to support beneficial wildlife. Birds, bees, butterflies and other creatures rely on native plants for nectar, pollen, seeds, shelter, and nesting sites.

Not long ago it is was difficult to find native shrubs in garden centers. Fortunately, cultivars of native viburnums, summersweet (Clethera), sweetspire (Itea) and winterberry (Ilex verticillata) are now readily available. And, there are many other native shrubs, including the selection below, that may be harder to find but are worth the effort. The Virginia Native Plant Society maintains lists of native plant nurseries and sales.

Bottlebrush Buckeye, (Aesculus parviflora)

Plant bottlebrush buckeye if you want a showstopper. This large, rounded, deciduous shrub grows 10–12 feet tall and wide. Site it in the rear of the garden where its suckers can spread to form a colony. In late spring it sports long spikes of white flowers, resembling a bottle brush.  Often up to a foot long, the flowers attract a myriad of native bees and butterflies. Native to the southeastern U.S., bottlebrush buckeye is a boon to shade gardeners as it grows in light shade and prefers moist soil. It also tolerates wet soil and can be used in rain gardens. The large, compound leaves add coarse texture to the summer landscape and turn yellow in the fall. It is best to let this dramatic plant grow to its full size.  Prune in late winter only to remove dead or damaged branches. It is usually considered deer and rabbit resistant.  For more details on deer resistance and propagation, check out Bottlebrush Buckeye/The Garden Shed-April 2023.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)

Buttonbush is large, deciduous shrub with a somewhat rangy aspect. In late spring, clusters of unusual, ball-shaped flowers appear. Each ball consists of small, individual flowers and resembles a pincushion.  Also known as “honeyball,” buttonbush flowers are rich in nectar and attract a number of pollinators including bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, and sometimes hummingbirds. It is a larval host plant for several dozen moths, including the titan sphinx moth. Buttonbush prefers sun to part shade and moist soil. Found along stream banks in the wild, it will tolerate wet soil and is often used in rain gardens. An interesting and valuable plant, buttonbush usually tops out at 6-8 feet but can reach 10 feet in height so it might not be suitable for small gardens or for those who prefer symmetry and neatness. It can take severe pruning to control size or shape but is best left to grow unhindered. Plant in naturalized areas where its  widely spaced branches and unusual ball-shaped flowers can be displayed. Plant several close together in a grove to achieve a fuller appearance. While its fall color is muted rather than spectacular, its twisted branches provide winter interest and the flowers mature into small nutlets that persist through the winter. A shorter cultivar called ‘Sugar Shack’, growing up to 5 feet tall, is available for gardeners with smaller areas.

Dogwood Shrubs (Cornus spp.)

The dogwood tree, Cornus florida, is a beloved beauty of the spring landscape. Lesser known but just as valuable are the shrub dogwoods: gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) and red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea). Not as flamboyant as their tree cousins, shrub dogwoods add mid-level interest and wildlife value to a layered landscape.

Gray dogwood is a rounded, deciduous shrub that grows in full sun or part shade. It can get quite large, growing to 10 feet or taller and will tolerate both dry and moist soils. Gray dogwood is not a showy plant, but its adaptability to many conditions and resistance to disease make it useful as a screen, hedge, or for erosion control. It sports clusters of white flowers in the spring and the leaves turn muted red in the fall. Demure rather than showy, gray dogwood is a powerhouse for birds and pollinating insects. The flowers attract native bees and other insects and the resulting small, white, berries feed songbirds in the fall. It is a suckering plant that can form a tangled thicket, making it ideal as a cover and nesting site for birds. The hollow stems are used as overwintering sites for native solitary bees. Gray dogwood hosts at least 98 species of lepidoptera caterpillars, including the spring azure butterfly and polyphemus moth.

Red osier dogwood is a vase-shaped, deciduous plant grown as much for its attractive red stems as its flowers and foliage. Growing about 6 feet tall, it prefers moist soil in sun or part shade and will sucker over time. The clusters of fluffy white flowers appear in the spring, attracting pollinators. In the summer, red osier recedes to the background with modest green leaves that resemble its dogwood tree relative. In the fall, the leaves turn red-purple and whitish drupes feed songbirds. In three seasons, red osier is a useful if somewhat ordinary plant.  When the leaves drop, however, red osier dogwood really struts its stuff. In the winter, its bright red, straight stems stand out in the bleak, gray landscape. A grove of red osier dogwoods are dramatic against the snow. In areas that don’t receive much snow, plant red osier against a back drop of evergreens or as a foundation plant against a light-colored wall to show the red twigs to their best advantage. New shoots show the best red color, so prune up to 25% of old stems in early spring to encourage new growth. This is not a carefree plant, but its attributes make it worth planting. Red osier does not like hot, humid, dry summers and does not do well south of zone 7. Red osier is resistant to anthracnose which has plagued the native dogwood tree population, but is susceptible to other diseases such as canker, mildew, and leaf and twig blight. Watch for the dogwood saw fly which may appear on the underside of leaves in late spring or early summer. These voracious caterpillars will defoliate an entire shrub in a short time.  The shrub will recover, but unless the larvae are removed they will lay eggs and appear again next year. They can be hand picked off or washed off with a spray of water from the hose. While the straight species is preferred for maximum wildlife value, the cultivars ‘Arctic Fire’ and  ‘Arctic Sun’, (with yellow stems), are available. If purchasing a cultivar, do some research to be sure it has been derived from the native rather than the Asian variety of red osier dogwood.

Sumac (Rhus spp.)

No one can miss the stout stems and dramatic red flower spikes of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) cropping up along roadsides in the fall. Staghorn sumac and it relative, smooth sumac, (Rhus glabra) are beautiful but somewhat overbearing plants that are hard to use in all but the largest landscapes. Staghorn sumac can grow up to 15 and even 25 feet tall and will form a colony. Smooth sumac grows 10 and up to 20 feet tall and will also colonize. Sumacs are not only stunning to see, but are also valuable to wildlife. The flowers attract pollinating bees, wasps, and flies.  Sumacs are host plants for a number of lepidoptera caterpillars and the stems serve as nesting sites for solitary bees. Sumac species are dioecious and berries will only form on female plants. When present, the berries last into the winter, feeding birds and mammals. Very adaptable, sumacs grow in sun or part shade, and adapt to a wide variety of soils and moisture levels. They are unpalatable to deer. These large sumacs are useful ecologically, but best left in the wild or in the natural areas of a large landscape.  Another variety, fragrant sumac (Rhus aromatica),  has a place in smaller home gardens. It has the same wildlife value and ease of culture as its larger cousins, but with a smaller footprint. Topping out at 6 feet, it has loosely formed, thick stems, and a rounded silhouette. It will sucker to form a grove so is better in a shrub border or as a hedge where its natural tendencies can be an asset. Tiny clusters of pale yellow, slightly fragrant flowers appear in the spring, attracting early pollinators.  The smallish, three lobed, green leaves turn brilliant red in the fall, rivaling invasive burning bush for dramatic color, and berries form on female plants.  While not for everyone, fragrant sumac is a valuable shrub for the gardener who wants to add interest and wildlife habitat to the landscape. ‘Gro-Low’ is dwarf cultivar of fragrant sumac growing up to 2 feet tall.  Its tolerance for sun and dry soil make it useful on slopes or at the edges of the sunny shrub border. Its flowers are inconspicuous but are attractive to pollinators, the leaves turn bright red in the fall, and small berries form on female plants.

Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium) and Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymsosum)

Prized for their luscious berries, blueberries are typically grown in edible gardens. Not only for human consumption, blueberries are a powerhouse of food and shelter for a variety of beneficial creatures. Blueberry flowers offer pollen to native bees and nectar for butterflies. Their leaves are larval hosts for over 200 species of moths and butterflies, including the snowberry clearwing and spring azure. They provide food, cover, and nesting sites for birds. In fact, blueberries are so attractive to birds and other fauna, gardeners often cover the plants with nets to deter hungry creatures. Since they are so beneficial to the natural world, consider sharing the wealth and leaving some plants uncovered. Or use them simply as an ornamental shrub and enjoy feeding the wildlife. Their unusual flowers are lovely in the spring and the leaves turn shades of red and orange in the fall. Blueberry bushes would make a stellar edible hedge. Blueberries found in garden centers are cultivars. Depending on the variety, these blueberry plants vary from a few feet up to 10 feet in height. All blueberries prefer full sun and need well-drained acidic soil, with pH of 4.5 – 5.2.   For more information on growing blueberries and blueberry varieties, see Blueberry Cultivation in the Home Garden, Piedmont Master Gardeners.

Mapleleaf Viburnum (Viburnum acerifolium)

Mapleleaf viburnum is a four season showstopper. Creamy white clusters of flowers appear in late spring to early summer and the maple-like foliage adds interest among the greens of summer. The leaves turn pinkish purple in the fall and the black drupes that follow the flowers are eaten by birds. In nature, maple leaf viburnum grows at the edge of woodlands and prefers more shade than most other viburnums. Growing up to 4 feet tall and suckering to 3 feet wide, it is a good understory plant. It likes acid soil, adapts to dry conditions, and will not tolerate wet soil, making it a good native companion for azaleas and mountain laurel. Plant maple leaf viburnum as a foundation plant, in a shrub border, or massed as a deciduous hedge.

New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

New Jersey tea stays small without pruning, making it suitable for smaller gardens and foundation plantings. It typically grows 2-3 feet tall although can sometimes reach 4 feet. Clusters of small, white flowers appear in late spring, adding interest after the bulk of spring bloomers have finished. The leaves turn yellow in the fall and drop, revealing the yellow twig ends which add interest to the winter landscape. New Jersey tea is adaptable to poor soil and can take dry conditions. Growing in both sun and part shade, it is useful as an understory plant at the edge of a grove of trees. Dried leaves were used as a tea substitute in colonial days, hence its name. Unfortunately, the flowers and leaf tips are tasty to deer but spraying with a deterrent can discourage browsing. New Jersey tea attracts native bee and butterfly pollinators and hosts several species of lepidoptera caterpillars.

Ninebark (Physocarpus opufolius)

Easy to grow, ninebark is a tough plant that can take full sun or part shade and dry soil.  It grows to 5-9’ and is excellent as a specimen and dramatic as a mass in a hedge or screen.  Ninebark blooms in early summer with white to pink clusters of flowers on drooping stems.  The flowers resemble spirea blooms and attract native bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. Ninebark is a powerhouse as a larval host plant and feeds over 40 varieties of native caterpillars. Fall color is an unassuming yellow but the exfoliating bark adds interest to the winter garden. The flowers develop into seed capsules that feed songbirds. Nurseries have had a lot of fun creating cultivars of this plant and shrubs with red, burgundy and even gold leaves are available. While these colorful specimens can be interesting in the garden, the chemicals in colored leaves make them unpalatable to caterpillar larvae, negating some of their function to wildlife. For the best ecological value, stick to the green-leaved species. For more information, see Do Leaf-Eating Insects Eat Nativars?, Mt. Cuba Center.

Red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia)

Red chokeberry is a deciduous, multi-stemmed, vase-shaped shrub that provides interest in the garden throughout the year.  In spring, clusters of showy white or pinkish flowers attract a large contingent of pollinating insects and the green leaves of summer turn vibrant shades of red and orange in the fall, lighting up the landscape. Clusters of red berries ripen in late summer and persist through the winter. The berries are bitter at first, but become edible after a period of cold and freezing, making them important food for overwintering songbirds. Cooked, the berries make excellent jams and jellies. In addition to its pollinating benefits, chokeberry is a host plant to over 20 species of native caterpillars. Red chokeberry reaches 6-8 feet in height and suckers to form a thicket. Preferring, moist, acidic soil in full sun, it is drought tolerant once established. Best grown in natural areas, it would be lovely planted in mass where its four-season interest can shine. For more information on red chokeberry, see Aronias: Native Shrubs for Fall Color, Piedmont Master Gardeners.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin)

Spice bush is a must-have shrub for early pollinators. One of the first to bloom in early spring, the small, pale yellow flowers of spicebush resemble a demure forsythia. Though small, spicebush flowers provide pollen for native bees and the leaves are host to nine species of native caterpillars; it is the only host for spicebush swallowtail butterfly caterpillars. The flowers are slightly fragrant, and the stems and leaves emit a spicy fragrance when crushed. After the blooms fade, spicebush recedes and becomes part of the background green of summer. The leaves are showy yellow in the fall. If both male and female plants are present, small red berries develop in the fall and are eaten by songbirds. It is not unusual to find a volunteer spicebush crop up, its seeds having been planted by a bird that has eaten the berries. Native to woodlands, spicebush grows in shady, moist soil and grows 6-8 feet tall. It is not possible to determine if a plant is male or female so plant a group and some berries might develop.

Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus)

Sweetshrub, also known as Carolina allspice, is an old fashioned shrub that was common in the past but has more recently been replaced by dramatic cultivars. The straight species, however, has qualities that recommend it for home gardens today.  Easy to grow, sweetshrub is adaptable to sun or part shade, tolerates clay soil, and resists mammal browsing and insect damage. Rounded in aspect, it grows 6-9 feet tall but can be pruned to be more compact, making it suitable for foundation plantings. It can sucker but is not aggressive. Unusual reddish brown flowers, resembling small pine cones, appear in mid-spring. Smell the flowers when they first appear to detect their fruity aroma, said to resemble pineapple or raisins. The fragrance disappears as the flowers mature, but the leaves and stems emit a spicy odor when crushed. The leaves turn a muted yellow in the fall, making a subtle contrast to the brighter oranges and reds of autumn. The flowers give way to fat, elongated seed pods that persist in the winter. The seeds are large and easy to gather and propagate. In addition to foundation plantings, sweetshrub is desirable as a specimen or massed as a hedge.

Wild Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens)

Wild hydrangea grows prolifically at the edge of Eastern forests. A low-growing deciduous plant, it seldom grows over 3 feet tall. Although it will be more lush with some moisture, this useful plant will grow in dry shade and poor soil. It does not like full sun. Summer finds it covered with white, lace-cap flowers. While less showy than Asian mophead hydrangeas, wild hydrangea offers more ecological value by attracting a myriad of pollinating insects including small native bees, butterflies, and beetles. Left alone, wild hydrangea performs happily with no care. It blooms on new wood, so can be pruned to the ground in late winter to encourage vigorous growth and fuller form. Like its Asian cousins, new growth of wild hydrangea is palatable to deer so protective measures should be taken until the flowers mature. Most hydrangeas in garden centers are the mophead Asian variety, which are lovely but provide nothing for wildlife. Cultivars of wild hydrangea, such as Annabelle are also found in garden centers. Be aware that these mophead cultivars of wild hydrangea are mostly sterile and will not benefit pollinators. The straight native wild hydrangea is lovely, easy to grow, and a can’t miss pollinator plant. For more information, see the report from the Mt. Cuba Center on its hydrangea arborescens trials. That study found a lace cap cultivar of wild hydrangea, ‘Haas Halo’, that performs admirably and attracts pollinators.

In Conclusion

By incorporating some of these underused shrubs in your home landscape, you will add beauty and interest while helping beneficial birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife that are drawn to your property. For more information on native shrubs suitable to the Piedmont area, consult this listing of native shrubs compiled by the Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia.  In addition, Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapers and Gardens, produced by the Plant Northern Piedmont Natives partnership, has a robust listing of shrubs native to our area.  These two lists provide detailed lists of plants adaptable to every situation.

Featured Image: Red Chokeberry Photo Courtesy of Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder

Sources

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Native Alternatives to Invasive Plants, C. Colston Burrell, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, 2007

“Native Shrubs: Creating Living Landscapes for Birds, Butterflies, Bees and Other Beneficials”, Ohio State Extension

Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens, 2^nd edition (find information on how to purchase or download at Albemarle County.org/Facilities & Environmental Services

“Red Chokeberry Shines in All Seasons”, Virginia Native Plant Society, 2020, vnps.org.

“Shrub Dogwoods in the Home Landscape”, Penn State Extension, 2022

Xerces Society

 

 

 

 

Reconsidering Turnips

• October 1, 2024
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According to the University of Wisconsin, turnips, Brassica rapa, have been consumed by humans for 3,500-6,000 years. They were likely discovered near the Hindu Kush mountains, near present day Afghanistan.  Eventually, they would be bred to give us sophisticated vegetables such as broccoli rabe, bok choy and mizuna!

So, why do turnips get such a bad rap? The phrase “turnip eater” was considered to be an insult, meaning not very smart.  A “turnip head” meant a country bumpkin, and “just fell off a turnip truck” meant a country bumpkin in the city. Turnips were considered to be food for the poor and illiterate.

Well, not any more.  

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) turnips, while high in water, are a good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. While most people think of the ever-present purple-topped turnip as a staple, albeit pedestrian vegetable, I’m here to tell you there’s a new turnip in town!

The Japanese turnips have arrived.

As a long time gardener, I plant some new varieties or species in my garden every year.  Some experiments become standards in my garden, and others will never set roots in my garden again. While I’ve never been a big fan of the purple-topped turnip, I decided to try something new.  The most successful experiment this year was the Japanese turnip.  I planted the variety Hakurei, and they were amazing.  They produced smooth white, wonderfully round globes. No peeling is necessary with these beauties. They are great in salads, but I prefer them on their own.  Eaten like an apple, they are sweet and crisp, with a spiciness that doesn’t overwhelm. Needless to say, my fall crop of Japanese turnips is already in the garden! 

Don’t forget, turnip greens are delicious and loaded with vitamin C.  Your turnips will tolerate picking some of the leaves while they are still growing.  Just be sure to leave a few leaves on each plant so they can still photosynthesize properly. When you’re ready to pull up the roots, use those healthy leaves also. You’ll find many recipes online for preparing greens.

Turnips are an easy crop to grow.  The Hakurei variety takes only 38 days to mature. (There are many varieties of Japanese turnips with similar growing instructions and taste expectations.) They prefer cool weather, so you can enjoy a spring and fall harvest.  The optimal soil temperature for seed germination is between 45°- 77°.  In the spring, plant as soon as the soil is workable.  For Albemarle County, VA, this would be early to mid March.  Check planting times for your area in Virginia by using Virginia Cooperative Extension’s Virginia’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide.

Choose a sunny location for planting turnips that has not been used for brassicas in the past 4 years.  (Brassicas include turnips, cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale and collards and many others. This family of plants is often called the cole or mustard family.)

Japanese turnips prefer well-drained, loamy soil, rich in organic matter.  Work the soil to loosen it and remove any rocks. Incorporate compost or aged manure into the soil to enhance fertility and drainage.  Your turnips will be smooth and nicely shaped if they can grow easily in the soil.  The pH should be between 5.5 and 7. 

Remember, it’s best to get a soil test for your vegetable garden at least every 3 years.  This can be accomplished by contacting your local Master Gardener help desk or by visiting the Virginia Cooperative Extension office to obtain a test kit.  You’ll collect the sample according to the directions and mail it off to Virginia Tech.  They will email the results directly to you.

Plant the seeds ¼” deep, and 2”-3” apart in rows 18”-30” apart.

Keep your turnips well watered, but not constantly wet. Drought stress can make turnips bitter, hot or woody. Additionally, if the soil is left too dry, a sudden rain or heavy watering may cause the turnips to split.  Maintaining adequate water is essential. A good rule is 1” of water per week. Stick your finger in the soil to be sure the water is penetrating.

Once they emerge, you’ll want to thin them to 6” apart. I don’t like to destroy plants, so I let them begin to grow, then harvest the small turnips between plants to enjoy while letting the rest grow larger.  If you decide to do this, be sure the remaining turnips have plenty of soil around them, and water thoroughly.

Be sure to keep the weeds away from all your garden plants.  Weeds compete with your desired plants for water, nutrients and sometimes sunlight. Harvest mature turnips when they are 2”-3” in diameter for best flavor, tenderness and moisture content.

Because turnips are planted so early in the spring, you shouldn’t have to worry too much about insect feeding damage.  However, turnips can fall victim to a few pests. You can read about these potential pests in this article from Clemson University.  

One method to combat insects is the use of floating row covers or a low tunnel to prevent insect damage. A floating row cover or low tunnel uses a spun-bonded or woven material that is placed over plants to exclude pests, act as a windbreak, or extend the growing season by retaining heat — all while still being permeable to light, water and air. Floating Row Cover/Wisconsin Horticultur Extension.

The journey from a simple experiment to a yearly gardening staple illustrates the rewarding nature of trying new things in the garden. Japanese turnips have not only enriched the culinary experiences at the table, but have also added a layer of enjoyment to the gardening process. Their success story serves as an inspiration to continually explore and embrace new possibilities in gardening, reminding us that sometimes the most delightful discoveries come from stepping into the unknown.

 

SOURCES:

Featured Photo:  by Gena Breakiron

“First we tamed turnips. Then we turned them into book choy and other veggies,” University of Wisconsin-Madison/News (2021)

USDA Food Data Central/Turnips-raw

Va.Coop.Ext. Pub. 426-422/Root Crops/Turnip & Rutabaga

Clemson University/Identification of Common Insect Pests of Brassica Crops

Clemson University Extension/Cabbage, Broccoli & Other Cole Crop Insect Pests

Virginia’s Home Garden Vegetable Planting Guide/VA Tech Ext Pub.426-331

University of Minnesota Extension/ Growing Turnips and Rutabagas in Home Gardens

VA Tech Soil Testing Lab 

Wisconsin Ext/Floating Row Cover

Purdue University Extension Food Link/Turnip and Turnip Greens

Upcoming Events

• October 1, 2024
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Belmont Urban Tree Walks
Thursday, October 10 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Limited to 14 participants ages 14 and above. Register for the walk here

Friday, October 11 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m.

Limited to 14 participants ages 14 and above. Register for the walk here

Tree Stewards Fall Tree Sale

Saturday, October 19th from 10:00 a.m. to noon.

Virginia Department of Forestry, 900 Natural Resources Drive in Charlottesville

Charlottesville Area Tree Stewards (CATS) maintains its own tree nursery, entirely run by volunteers. They plant saplings obtained from the Virginia Department of Forestry and other sources and nurture them until they are large enough to be planted out. They concentrate on native trees, some of which are hard to find from commercial sources.
View the list of available trees here.

Invasives Watch

• October 1, 2024
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Fall is the best time to attack Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica).  You’ll find out how to go about it in this month’s Tasks & Tips article, October in the Ornamental Garden.

Also, due to its bright red and yellow fruits, Asiatic bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is easy to spot in the autumn, and this is a good time to eradicate it. If you’d like to watch a video about this invasive, check below.

Here are the control methods for Asiatic bittersweet suggested by Blue Ridge PRISM:

Manual: Hand pull small seedlings and vines being sure to remove the crown and all large roots. Do not pull vines from trees; this is hazardous to people on the ground and can damage the trees.

Cut Stump: Cut small to large vines near ground level using a hand pruner, hand-saw, or chainsaw. Immediately apply a concentrated herbicide to the cut stump to prevent resprouting, June – February with late summer – fall ideal.

Foliar Spray: Low bushy vines or resprouted vines can be treated with a foliar herbicide spray from June – October. You should avoid spraying large vines overhead (best to cut stump these). To avoid harming desirable plants, apply foliar spray when other plants are leafless in late fall, but while bittersweet leaves are still green/yellow.

— Blue Ridge PRISM Weed Alert-October- Asiatic Bittersweet

For more information, see Fact Sheet: Asiatic Bittersweet/Blue Ridge PRISM.

 

PESTICIDE WARNING

Pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, etc.) are poisonous. Always read and carefully follow all precautions and safety recommendations given on the container label. Store all chemicals in the original labeled containers in a locked cabinet or shed, away from food or feeds, and out of the reach of children, unauthorized persons, pets, and livestock. Consult the pesticide label to determine active ingredients, signal words, and proper protective equipment. Pesticides applied in your home and landscape can move and contaminate creeks, lakes, and rivers. Confine chemicals to the property being treated and never allow them to get into drains or creeks. Avoid drift onto neighboring properties and untargeted areas.

 

Featured Photo: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, Univ. Conn. Bugwood.org, CC BY 3.0

October in the Ornamental Garden

• October 1, 2024
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• 0 Comments

October rivals anything that spring has to offer in terms of beauty, color, and interest in the ornamental garden.  Masses of late blooming perennials, shrubs with brightly hued berries, and the vibrant fall foliage on many trees and shrubs collectively provide a truly glorious gardening experience.  Meanwhile, this month is a particularly busy time for gardeners.  So let’s get started on that “to do” list.

PLANT, DIVIDE, AND TRANSPLANT

• Plant spring flowering bulbs now that soil temperatures are dropping into the 60s or below. For a succession of color throughout spring, plant a variety of early, mid- and late season bulbs starting with the earliest snowdrops and ending with late blooming tulips and alliums.  Tip: Some gardeners have a reaction similar to contact dermatitis when handling tulip, daffodil, or hyacinth bulbs.  As a precaution, wear gardening gloves when handling bulbs or wash your hands with cool water and soap immediately after planting.
• Plant cool-season annuals such as snapdragon, calendula, Iceland poppy, sweet alyssum, stock, and larkspur. Seeds sown in fall of cool-season annuals will bloom about two weeks earlier than spring-planted seeds.  Transplants of other cool-season annuals, such as pansies and violas, are generally easy to find in local garden centers.  For best results, they need to be well established in the soil before freezing winter weather sets in.
• Divide overcrowded perennials such as daylilies, yarrow, coreopsis, shasta daisy, and Stachys (lamb’s ears). Water them in well so that they become well established before winter, but hold off on mulching them until after the first hard frost to help prevent frost heaving.
• Plant deciduous trees and shrubs before the ground freezes and keep them well watered until they become dormant.   Think about planting trees and shrubs that offer multi-seasonal interest. A few suggested trees to consider include maple (Acer), black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), dogwood (Cornus), or sourwood (Oxydendrum arboretum).   Some suggested shrubs for multi-seasonal interest include Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica), oakleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia), fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii), blueberry (Vaccinium spp.), red-twig dogwood (Cornus spp.), or spicebush (Lindera benzoin).   For tips on how to prepare the planting site and care for trees and shrubs while they are becoming established, see Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) Publication 430-295, Tree and Shrub Planting Guidelines.  Also, check the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center for long-term forecasts so that you can time the planting before a rain is predicted to fall.

TACKLE GENERAL FALL GARDEN CLEAN UP TASKS

• Clean up all flower beds. Remove all weeds, twigs, spent annuals, and other debris from flower beds.   However, if you’re a bird lover, leave some seed-bearing perennials in place. Echinacea (coneflower), Rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan), ornamental grasses, and other plants, such as sunflowers, will provide food for the birds this winter as well as sanctuary for overwintering beneficial insects.  Wait until late winter or early spring to cut them back before new foliage emerges.
• Not sure which perennials to cut back and which to leave standing over the winter? Some plants should be cut back for aesthetics and to prevent the overwintering of pests and diseases.  The best time to do this is after a couple of killing frosts.  If the weather continues to stay warm in October and the plants are still producing flowers, this task may need to wait until November.  Here’s a brief selected listing of perennials to cut back in autumn and why:
  • Achillea (yarrow) – Cut back to induce new basal growth, which helps protect the plant crown in winter.
  • Aquilegia (columbine) – Cut back to control leaf miners.
  • Baptisia (false indigo) – Unless you like the dark seed pods, cut the plant back for aesthetics. The foliage turns black after frost and is unattractive.
  • Bearded Iris – Cut back to prevent overwintering fungal disease and iris borers.
  • Corydalis – Cut back to contain the plant and to keep it from spreading.
  • Crocosmia – Cut back for aesthetics.
  • Hemerocallis (daylily) – Unless you have an evergreen variety, remove dead foliage and dried flower stalks for aesthetics and to help contain daylily rust (fungal disease).
  • Hosta – Cut back for aesthetics. Foliage turns to a mushy mess with the first hard frost.
  • Iris domestica (blackberry lily) – May be cut back in either spring or fall. Leave standing until spring if you want the interesting seed heads to add interest to the winter landscape.   Cut back now if you want to avoid harboring overwintering borers or if you want to keep the seeds under control.
  • Monarda (beebalm) – Cut back to control the spread of powdery mildew.
  • Phlox paniculata (garden phlox) – Cut back to prevent the spread of fungal diseases and to prevent the plant from dropping seeds in the garden.
• While many perennials need to be cut back in the fall for aesthetics and pest/disease control, there are advantages to leaving some perennials in place until late winter or early spring before the new foliage emerges. So it’s OK, in fact desirable, to leave some dormant foliage and stems in place over winter. A major reason is that the old foliage helps protect the crown of the plant over the winter months. Another good reason is that many beneficial insects overwinter in the dead stems and foliage as eggs or pupae and then hatch out in the spring. Here’s a brief selected listing of perennials that may be left standing and why:
  • Agastache — The stems help protect the crown of the plant over winter and also provide habitat for overwintering beneficial insects.
  • Amsonia – The foliage helps protect the crown of the plant during the winter. Also, fallen leaves often catch in the plant’s standing stalks and provide extra protection to the crown.
  • Aster novae-angliae (New England aster) – The foliage and stems on this late-blooming perennial help protect the crown and add texture and interest in the winter landscape.
  • Bergenia (pigsqueak) – The evergreen leaves turn shades of purple and deep red and provide interest in the winter garden.
  • Chrysanthemum – The foliage and stems help protect the crown over winter.
  • Echinacea – The seedheads provide food for birds as well as texture and interest in the winter landscape.
  • Gaillardia (blanket flower) – This plant may be cut back in either spring or fall. The seedheads provide food for the birds over winter.  If you don’t want the plant to re-seed, cut back in autumn.
  • Helleborus – The foliage remains green over winter, which adds texture and interest to the garden. However, it will look unsightly by late winter, at which point it should be carefully cut back before the new spring growth emerges.
  • Tall Sedum – The browned seedheads look attractive in the winter and the hollow stems provide overwintering sites for beneficial insects.
• Dig up the bulbs or roots of tender perennials such as canna, dahlia, caladium, Alocasia (elephant’s ear), tuberose, and gladiolus and prepare them for winter storage. These bulbs are either not hardy to USDA Zone 7 or are only marginally hardy. This task is easier if you wait until after a light frost blackens the foliage.  Cut off all the foliage, then carefully dig up the roots so that you don’t damage them.  Inspect them and discard any that appear diseased or soft.  Allow the roots to dry thoroughly, clean off soil, and pack loosely in peat moss or vermiculite in open baskets or cardboard boxes.  Store in a cool, dry, dark, frost-free location over the winter.  Don’t forget to label the bulbs so that you can easily identify them next spring.
• Mark where late emerging perennials are planted so that you don’t damage them next spring when you begin working in your flower beds. Asclepias (milkweed), Platycodon (balloon flower), Baptisia (false indigo), and some ferns are examples of late emerging perennials.
• Bag all diseased foliage and stems from peonies, garden phlox, or roses and dispose of the debris in the trash. Do not add it to the compost pile.  This will reduce the overwintering of botrytis blight, mildew, and other fungal spores.
• Remove cool-season weeds, such as chickweed, dandelion, wild onion, plantain, and white clover. A few minutes spent pulling these weeds from flowerbeds now will save you many hours of work next spring.
• Protect water features from the accumulation of falling leaves and other debris. Spread netting over the water feature and secure it to keep the leaves out of the water. Remove the leaves from the netting as they accumulate.
• Shred or chop fallen leaves and compost them or save them to use as mulch on next year’s garden. If you’re new to composting, check out VCE Publication 426-703, Making Compost From Yard Waste. For additional information on mulching and composting leaves, see The Garden Shed’s October 2018 Tasks and Tips for the Ornamental Garden in October.
• Have a soil test done this fall if you haven’t had one done in the past two or three years. Soil amendments, such as lime, manure, compost, and chopped leaves, are best added to flower beds in the fall.  But don’t amend until after you get the results of the soil test. For additional information on soil testing, see VCE Publication 452-129, Soil Sampling for the Home Gardener.
• Leave seed heads in place for annuals that you want to self-seed or just scatter the mature seeds where you want them yourself. Some of the annuals and biennials that reseed themselves include cleome, cockscomb, cosmos, foxglove, hollyhock, larkspur, money plant, sweet William, forget-me-not, Shirley poppy, zinnia, four-o-clock, marigold, vinca (Madagascar periwinkle), and impatiens.
• Take preemptive action to prevent deer damage to the bark or branches of young or newly planted trees and shrubs. In fall and winter, male deer rub or scrape against young trees for two reasons: (1) to rub the summer velvet from their horns and (2) to mark their territory as a way to attract female deer and warn other male deer away. Wrap vulnerable tree trunks with a physical barrier such as wire or plastic mesh tree guards, chicken wire, or woven wire fencing. This will protect the trees while allowing them room to grow.

MANAGE AUTUMN INSECT PESTS

Irises are susceptible to a variety of pests and diseases.  One of the most annoying is the iris borer, which is the larvae of the brownish-looking nocturnal Miller Moth (Macronoctua onusta).  The moth lays its eggs on old iris leaves and flower stalks in autumn.  The larvae hatch in late spring and tunnel into the leaves on their way down to the rhizome.  The damage they cause makes the rhizome susceptible to bacterial soft rot.  Iris borer eggs that overwinter on dead foliage are the source of infestation each spring.  To break the life cycle of this pest, remove dead leaves from rhizomes in autumn to prevent any eggs from surviving over the winter months.

Inspect your evergreen trees and shrubs for bagworms.  Bagworm eggs overwinter on evergreens such as junipers, spruce, hemlock, and arborvitae as well as many other trees.  Pick off and burn any egg cases that you find. This may be done from fall until spring. See VCE Publication ENTO-351NP on Bagworm for additional information.

PREVENT UNINVITED WINTER HOUSE GUESTS 

Around mid-October, the adult Lady Beetle (or Ladybugs as they are more commonly known) begins moving out of the garden and into nooks and crannies under tree bark, leaves, or other sheltered spots that will afford them protection from winter’s cold weather.  As they search for winter lodgings in earnest, they often enter our homes through tiny cracks around windows, doors, attic vents, or any other opening available to them.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is another insect that often tries to overwinter in your home. Fortunately, the stink bug population seems to have dissipated somewhat over the past few years.  However, if you see them gathering on the south or west-facing side of your house, chances are very good that they will try to seek entry into your home for the winter.

Insects aren’t the only creatures seeking a warm place to spend the winter.  Rodents often look for entry points into the home.  To prevent access, seal all potential entry points.  Leaving the garage door up is an open invitation to a mouse or rat.  Make sure there’s no food available to attract them such as grass seed, bird seed, and seeds that you’ve saved from your garden.

ACCLIMATE HOUSEPLANTS

If you didn’t bring your houseplants indoors at the end of September, definitely get them indoors this month.  The longer they stay outside, the harder the transition to the indoors will be for them.   Once they are indoors, keep a close watch on them for spiders, spider mites, white fly, scale, mealy bug, and other unwanted hitchhikers.  These pests may not show up for days or even weeks after you’ve moved the plants indoors.

Houseplants may go through a period of adjustment to lower light levels.  If they are getting sufficient water but dropping leaves, they may not be getting enough light.  If that’s the case, try relocating them to a brighter location.

ENJOY THE AUTUMN LANDSCAPE AND PONDER WHY LEAVES CHANGE COLOR

As you work on your October gardening tasks, take time out to enjoy the view. As the days have shortened and temperatures cooled, the vivid colors of autumn have transformed the landscape. The transformation starts in the cooler, higher elevations and gradually spreads to the warmer, lower-lying valleys. Meanwhile, the veins that transport fluids into and out of leaves gradually close off at the base of each leaf.  The clogged veins trap sugars in the leaf, which promotes the production of anthocyanins.

Three types of pigments are involved in autumn color:

• Chlorophyll, which gives leaves their green color, is present in the chloroplasts of leaf cells throughout the entire growing season.
• Carotenoids, which produce yellow, orange and brown colors, are also present in the chloroplasts of leaf cells throughout the growing season but are masked by chlorophyll. Once the leaves stop producing chlorophyll, the carotenoid pigments become visible.
• Anthocyanins, which produce reds, pinks, and purples, are typically not present during the growing season. Anthocyanins are only produced in the fall and are manufactured from the sugars that are trapped in the leaves. They are water soluble and appear in the watery liquid of leaf cells.  Their purpose is to protect leaves from being eaten or from getting sunburned.

Many of us are puzzled by the fact that fall colors are vibrant some years and subdued in other years.   The intensity of color is influenced by temperature, sunlight, and soil moisture levels before and during the time chlorophyll is dwindling in the leaves.  The most brilliant autumn colors are generally produced in years with a warm wet spring, favorable summer weather with adequate rainfall, and warm sunny fall days with crisp, cool nights.  See the US Department of Agriculture Forest Service website for more information on the Science of Fall Colors.

INVASIVE ALERT

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica) is a rapidly spreading nonnative vine that competes for both above- and below-ground resources, inhibiting the growth of desirable trees, shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers.  A woody perennial vine, Japanese honeysuckle retains its leaves well into winter (year-round in mild climates). Hand pulling young vines is effective only if all roots are removed.  Any roots left in the soil will resprout.  A foliar spray may be a more effective way to kill the entire plant. The best time to spray is autumn and early winter after most native plants have lost their leaves or are dormant, but before a hard freeze (25°F). Foliar sprays are less effective in spring because the herbicide does not thoroughly move from the leaves into the roots during spring growth.

For additional information on methods for eradicating Japanese Honeysuckle, refer to the Fact Sheet/Japanese Honeysuckle published by the Blue Ridge Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management (PRISM). Also see the  Invasive Plant Control Calendar in the May 2022 issue of The Garden Shed.

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PESTICIDE WARNING

Pesticides (which include herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, etc.) are poisonous. Always read and carefully follow all precautions and safety recommendations given on the container label. Store all chemicals in the original labeled containers in a locked cabinet or shed, away from food or feeds, and out of the reach of children, unauthorized persons, pets, and livestock. Consult the pesticide label to determine active ingredients, signal words, and proper protective equipment. Pesticides applied in your home and landscape can move and contaminate creeks, lakes, and rivers. Confine chemicals to the property being treated and never allow them to get into drains or creeks. Avoid drift onto neighboring properties and untargeted areas.

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SOURCES:

Featured Photo of  Aromatic Asters (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium):  Fern Campbell

Monthly Gardening Tips/October/Piedmont Master Gardeners/Gardening Resources