Landscape - Common Practices that Cost Us

Landscapes - Are We Making This Too Difficult?


God and Grass

I received this email a while back.  I do not know the author to give credit.  But I could not say it any better. (I've added the pictures.)

GOD:

Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there on the planet? What happened to the dandelions, violets, milkweeds and stuff I started eons ago?

I had a perfect no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long-lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds.

 I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But, all I see are these green rectangles.

ST. FRANCIS:

It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers 'weeds' and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.

GOD:

Grass? But, it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees; only grubs and sod worms.

Grubs

Billbug

 It's sensitive to temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?

ST. FRANCIS:

Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.

GOD:

The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.

ST. FRANCIS:

Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.

GOD:

They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?

ST. FRANCIS:

Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.

GOD:

They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?

ST. FRANCIS:

No, Sir, just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.

GOD:

Now, let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And, when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?

ST. FRANCIS:

Yes, Sir.

GOD:

These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.

ST. FRANCIS:

You aren't going to believe this, Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it,

 so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.

GOD:

What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself.

 The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn, they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. It's a natural cycle of life.

ST. FRANCIS:

You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.

GOD:

No!? What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter to keep the soil moist and loose?

ST. FRANCIS:

After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.

GOD:

And where do they get this mulch?

ST. FRANCIS:

They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.

GOD:

Enough! I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have you scheduled for us tonight?

ST. CATHERINE:

'Dumb and Dumber', Lord. It's a story about....

GOD:

Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.*


I hope my story has humored us into rethinking how we garden.  Are we 'mimicing' nature?  Can we garden like nature?  You betcha!  Hope this gives us something to strive for - and take care of our environment. Thanks for stopping by.  Claudia

Pest Management for the Home and Garden

What is IPM - Integrated Pest Management ? 

Most times the idea of a pest is a bug that is not wanted -  the ants that invade our kitchens, or the flies that speckle the windows. However, the broad meaning of pest can include, insects, weeds, and diseases.
Integrated Pest Management is the application of the decisions we make to determine the steps we will take to insure the pests are less intrusive. The options are Prevention, Suppression, and Eradication.
Varying degrees of intrusion can indeed be problematic, but some pests are just doing what pests do, -eat, procreate, and die.



Pest Management can be classified into four categories – 1) biological controls, 2) chemical controls, 3) cultural controls, and 4) legal controls.  Chemical pesticides are not my remedy of choice, so my focus will feature biological and cultural control methods.

The Biological Controls methods are divided into three approaches, - 1) classical, 2) augmentation, and 3) natural.  Classical biological approach is to find and use a natural enemy of the pest.  If a pest has been imported, either on purpose or accidentally to an area, the idea is to go to the area of origin and find out what kept the pest in check.

 Augmentation methods are to release large quantities of natural enemies.
These cocoons are praying mantis.
Since these insects are mobile, the release in your garden does not guarantee they will stay to chow down your pests.

Other biological controls are available in the marketplace and are natural.   Bt (Bacillus theringiensis) is a toxin to many caterpillars.  The solution is sprayed on foliage and kills the eating caterpillars within a few days. This Bt is effective on bag worms found on evergreens.



Milky Spore is another bacteria that is put into lawns.  Larvae of Japanese Beetles, the white grub, consume this substance when they are eating roots of turf.
   
 
Cultural Controls for pest are available, but the success of them takes some planning.
 
1)  Use plants that have a natural pest resistance.  Native plants have overcome many of the diseases and insects in the area.  This survival has inbred this immunity into many wonderful plants that pests just don’t like.
2)  Choose plants appropriate to your hardiness zone.  This past year the hardiness maps have been redrawn, and many of our areas have changed. Plant hardiness insures less stress from unfamiliar temperatures. Less stress, the better able for your plant to withstand insect and disease damage.

3) Plant in the right place. Consider shade, soil fertility, pH, and drainage before you choose a plant.  Again, the less stress the healthier your garden.

4) Choose healthy plants from the garden center.   Check the soil in the container.  Is it loose, moist?  Gently pull root ball from container – are the roots full and white, or are they dry and brown?  Do the leaves have insect holes, or are the leaves dry, brittle, or yellow?  Only take home good quality plants.  If you buy from a catalog, apply the same standards and send poor looking plants back.

Roots are white, but need to be loosened, gently before planting.

These tomato leaves are suffering. They are curled and pale.  Leave this plant at the garden center.
 

Integrated Pest Management or IPM decisions are not difficult if you know your garden and plan for the fact that pests are out there.  How radical of a response you give the pests can depend on several things.  1) Can I live with this?  2) Can the plant live with this?  And 3) is the remedy worse than the problem?

What boundaries have you placed on pests in your garden?