Summer Harvest Planter

I began this late summer to early autumn planter by choosing a rather garish bright yellow square ceramic pot which looks right at home when echoed by the golden flowers and dark burgundy accents. The background was established with a pair of rather leggy 1 gallon Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ or Black-Eyed Susans, with a potted sunflower off to one side. A purple millet grass fills the core with its dark burgundy-brown bottlebrush flowers pushing upwards and its arching leaf blades strewn through a pair of compact Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sonora’, placed in the foreground. With the exception of the Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’, the rest of the plants in this arrangement are usually annual in nature.

Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’ – With a name that translates as ‘Gold Storm’, you know you can expect a flurry of thin-petaled golden yellow daisies with dark brown cones. These are borne in late summer, from July to October, and it works well in combination with ornamental grasses such as Pennisetum ‘Hameln’. Grows 24-30″ high. Zone 4.

Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty’ – Purple Ornamental Millet is a true annual which is quite effective in containers and mixed borders. The foliage emerges green, eventually turning a deep burgundy-brown (with sun). This is followed by stiff purple bottlebrush plumes that develop brownish-purple seeds, often attracting wild birds. Grows 2-3′ tall with a 12-16″ spread.

Helianthus annuus – There are quite a number of compact sunflowers grown for sale in containers, including ‘Yellow Spray’ (18-24″ high), ‘Choco Sun’ (12″ high) and ‘Dwarf Sunspot’ (18″ high). Most are sold with one primary bloom in flower, with the secondary buds rarely growing to the same size (and occasionally not opening at all). So you essentially get what you purchase.

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Sonora’ – The unusual chocolate brown flowers have sharply contrasting lemon yellow tips, surrounding near black cones. This is a reasonably compact form (12-16″ high) that works well in containers or bedding schemes and like all Gloriosa Daisies benefits from regular deadheading in order to prolong the flower display. Often annual or short-lived. Hardy to zone 5.

Crown Gall / Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Pest and Life Cycle (Agrobacterium tumefaciens) – Crown Gall is a bacterium that affects a broad range of plants which includes up to 600 species, many found in different families. It infects through fresh wounds and can be spread by soil, water or diseased tissue. The wounds are usually caused by pruning, grafting (budding), mechanical damage, insect or animal pests. Once inside the plant tissue the bacteria multiplies creating small swellings in as little time as 2 weeks (during warm weather) – these eventually become larger galls. This bacterium has a worldwide distribution.

Symptoms – Small, warty growths usually appear close to the soil line (especially on grafted plants) – these are light coloured at first but eventually enlarge into dark, corky galls which can range in size from 1/4″ to 2-3″ wide – although much larger growths are not uncommon. On some tree species (Salix , Populus) or large shrubs (Forsythia) the galls can be found on branches a few feet above the ground. The galls may also extend to the root system, as seen on the young fruiting cherry (Prunus avium ‘Lapins’) shown at the upper left. Common garden hosts include rose, cherry, euonymus, willow, apple, pear, peach, walnut, poplars, grape, pyracantha, raspberry, sunflower and forsythia.

Management – The best control for Crown Gall in the residential garden is the careful removal (take out as much root and surrounding soil as possible) and disposal (or destruction) of the infected plant. Only non-hosts (a few of which include Deutzia, spruce, holly, Leucothoe, Sambucus [elderberry] and Japanese yew) should be considered for planting in the same area.

Prevention – 1. Where possible, always check host plants for symptoms, particularly transplants from other gardens and bare-root roses. The image at the right shows a new bare-root rose which has had a large 2″ wide gall cut off. While some swelling at the graft union is normal, large gall-like growths on young plants like this indicate Crown Gall and should be avoided. 2. Sterilize pruning and grafting tools between plants using a strong solution of 4 parts water to 1 part household bleach. 3. Do not move host plants into an area where crown gall has infected in the past. 4. When working around plants (mowing, cultivating), be careful not to cause wounds through which Crown Gall can enter. 5. Protect plants from winter injury as Crown Gall infection is also possible with frost damage. 6. Insect pests causing plant tissue injury may also have to be controlled with appropriate organic pesticides.

Growing Ferns from Cuttings

If you’re one of those people who hates waiting for seeds to germinate, then raising ferns from spores is definitely not for you. The lengthy process of spores transforming from prothallium to baby ferns can take anywhere from 6 to 18 months. Fortunately for impatient gardeners, several ferns can be propagated from rhizome cuttings or better yet – ready to root, tiny plants. One such species is Polystichum setiferum or Soft Shield Fern. There are many different cultivars or forms of this lovely semi-evergreen plant, many of which (including ‘Proliferum’ and ‘Herrenhausen’) are noted for this particular trait of developing baby ferns along the midribs of mature fronds. The best examples of this spontaneous reproduction come from the lower fronds, which have been sheltered from the elements and kept nearly constantly moist. Propagation is really quite easy – simply cut the stems (with the baby ferns growing out of them) into 1-2″ long pieces, prune the side leaflets to half their original length and pin this segment (using a piece of wire) to the moist surface of a sterile growing mix. You can do this in a flat or 4″ pot, but you will need to cover it with a plastic dome (or sheet) for light and humidity. I kept my cuttings in an openly shaded area, where they rooted in about 6 weeks.

Creating Your Own Rose Hybrid

This demonstration comes to us from Rosarian Bill Meagher of Maple Ridge, who along with his wife Reiko breeds miniature roses. This class of rose is ideal for smaller urban gardens and can be grown in containers, or as dwarf climbers and even groundcovers. ‘Corrine’s Choice’ (shown at the right here) is just one such example of Bill’s successful miniature rose breeding. He generally does his cross-pollinating in June, on flowers that are three-quarters opened.

Step 1 – Remove the flower petals and emasculate by cutting off all the stamens (pollen-bearing male organs) using nail scissors, leaving the central stigma or sticky top of the female organ exposed. The pollen-parent flower head should also be cut (with petals removed) and stored inside on a sheet of paper until needed the following day (if it releases pollen grains when tapped, it is ready).

Step 2 – The next day directly transfer pollen from the cut pollen parent onto the prepared stigma left on the plant. For pollen saved from a rose in another garden, use a Q-tip or a sterilized camel-hair brush to transfer pollen. Bill always pollinates twice, repeating this process the next day.

Step 3 – Cover the pollinated flower head with a plastic baggie for a few days if rain is imminent.

Step 4 – Tag the pollinated head with a loop label indicating the date pollinated and number of crossings. Record this in a garden journal, listing the female first and the pollen parent second.

The End Result – It takes about 120 days for the hips to ripen, with most turning red or orange at maturity. Bill removes these before heavy frosts, opens them and cleans the seeds using a metal sieve (which also helps to scratch or scarify the seed coat). He places these into a plastic baggie with slightly damp perlite and stores them in a warm furnace room for one month. After this,  the bags go into the fridge fruit crisper for 6 weeks and by the end of January (to early February) some of the seeds will have sprouted. Bill pots these into seed trays using #4 Sunshine Mix or Pro-Mix.

Woolly Beech Aphid

Pest and Life Cycle (Phyllaphis fagi) – The Woolly Beech Aphid overwinters as eggs that are found around bark crevices and leaf buds. These hatch in spring after the leaves have emerged and develop into pale yellow aphids that begin feeding on the underside of the foliage, covering themselves with white, waxy cotton-like filaments which can get quite thick as the aphids molt. By mid summer winged female forms begin to develop which fly in search of new European Beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees to infest and lay eggs on.

Symptoms – The most obvious symptom is the white woolly covering on the leaf reverse, which really stands out on the purple-leaved cultivars. As the aphids suck the plant sap they often secrete large amounts of honeydew, causing sticky leaves or serving as a growing medium for black sooty mold. The honeydew may also attract wasps or ants, but large established trees are rarely permanently harmed by a woolly aphid infestation.

Management – A hard spray of water from a hose can be used to dislodge woolly aphids on smaller specimens. Insecticidal-based pesticides can also be used as long as the spray reaches the leaf reverse – this is best done from April to May. A release of ladybugs (which are natural predators) may also prove effective.

Prevention – 1. There is little that can be done to prevent an infestation beyond monitoring young trees diligently and spraying if necessary. 2. Avoiding pesticides may also promote natural predators such as ladybugs (you can see a ladybug egg cluster on the middle leaf on the right), parasitic wasps, hoverfly larvae and lacewings.

How to Antique Terracotta Pots

By definition, terracotta is nothing more than ‘baked earth’ and it is often the frailty of this substance which keeps us from enjoying the pots as long as we would like. A natural patina from encrusted fertilizer salts or dirt build-up can take years to develop, with the best examples often seen on containers which are nearing the end of their days. While winter frosts often limit the lifespan to 5-7 years on average (when kept outdoors), one way you can cheat time is to ‘antique’ the pot surface using the following method; A very diluted solution of dark (to mimic dirt build-up) or light stain (white or ivory to give the appearance of leaching lime or encrusted fertilizer salts) is applied using a sponge or soft artist brush for those difficult detailed areas – with the excess lightly patted off using paper towels. The idea is to treat the surface yet not allow too much of the stain to be absorbed into the pot. This process mimics the build-up of dirt or lime scale, creating highlights around raised patterns and rims (both photos show before and afters). Allow several days for drying before you plant.

Grafting Your Own Apples

This simplified whip-and-tongue grafting technique is being demonstrated by Raymond Barker of the Silverhill Apple Orchard in Mission, British Columbia – which he owns with his wife Sonja. Raymond’s family has been growing apples for over 150 years, dating back to 1836 in Suffolk England, and it was his Grandpa Barker that taught him to graft. He uses this method (which has a 95% success rate) to graft new trees onto dwarfing rootstock (usually B9-Budagovsky 9 or M9-Malling 9) but you can use the same method to graft new varieties onto an existing apple tree. You just need to choose a branch that is the same diameter (ideally 5/16″ to 3/8″) as the scion wood.

Tools and Timing – Raymond does his whip-and-tongue grafting from February to early April. The tools required are relatively simple, that being a grafting knife with a flat blade and some grafting rubbers (1/4″ x 6″ long), although thick elastic bands can also be used.

Step 1 – Begin by holding the rootstock or branch being grafted onto. Make an upwardly angled cut (about 8″ above the roots when grafting onto rootstock) between 2 nodes or buds.

Step 2 – The final angled cut should be about 1″ long – if too short, then re-cut.

Step 3 – Cut the scion wood the same way, leaving only 3 buds above the graft union and removing any terminal buds.

Step 4 – Align the scion and rootstock (or parent branch being grafted to), making sure the angled end pieces line up on the outside edges – the cambiums (layer just below the bark) must align on at least one side.

Step 5 – Hold the graft together by winding the grafting rubber from the bottom up, being careful to create tension and overlap the edges in order to exclude any air. Tie a knot on top using the thumb to support a loop. If done properly, grafting wax should not be necessary.

Keithia Blight on Cedars

Pest and Life Cycle (Didymascella thujina) – Keithia Blight is a fungus that affects  primarily Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) but can also be found on Port Orford or Lawson False Cypress (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis). It occurs most often on the Thuja plicata cultivars ‘Atrovirens’ and ‘Excelsa’. The spores (or ascospores) are windborne and released starting late spring, but peaking late summer into autumn. These overwinter on healthy foliage and germinate the following spring during periods of wet weather, infecting the host plant.

Symptoms – Tan or light brown bleaching develops on the one year wood, with infected needles eventually producing dark spots (deep brown to black) which are the fruiting bodies or apothecia. The symptoms are usually prominent on the lower portions of the tree. Dead tissue turns brown and drops in autumn, although it can remain on the tree, turning a whitish-grey colour.

Management – Spray affected foliage with fixed-copper or Bordeaux fungicides (at label rate) in spring and early summer, especially during periods of wet weather.

Prevention – 1. Avoid planting Red Cedar or Chamaecyparis lawsoniana near or downwind of native Western Red Cedars that are infected. 2. This disease is very common on poorly spaced nursery stock, so examine new purchases carefully for symptoms. 3. Water or irrigate plants in early morning so that the foliage is dry by noon. 4. Plant disease-resistant Cedar cultivars such as Thuja plicata ‘Johnsen Select’, available from Specimen Trees in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. 5. Plant Cedar hedging in areas with good air circulation and light penetration.

Suddenly-Tall Perennials & Growth Regulators

Over the years I have met many gardeners that have expressed concern over their suddenly overgrown asters and chrysanthemums. These were purchased as perfectly uniform, compact plants (the previous season) but have burst into growth the following year making for tall, lanky plants that require staking. Most were likely sprayed with a chemical growth inhibitor called B-Nine or daminozide. It is used by commercial growers (this product is not meant for domestic use) to control height, improve branching and bring the plants into flower earlier. This spray application (in conjunction with some pinching) allows growers to deliver a consistent product at roughly the same time frame every year (depending on planting season) despite the variables of light and temperature. The compact plants are easier to ship to market and we are able to purchase smaller fall asters (Aster or Symphyotrichum novi-belgii) and chrysanthemums for our table settings, fall bedding schemes and containers. To give you some idea of what you can expect from some of your flowering perennials the following year, I saved a few Aster ‘Samoa’ plants (which were treated) from last year and photographed them alongside the current season’s crop. A natural alternative here is to simply pinch tall fall asters back by half in June in order to create compact plants.

Rooting Your Own Rosemary

Culinary rosemary or Rosmarinus officinalis is a tender evergreen shrub (hardy to zone 7-8 depending on cultivar, except ‘Arp’ which is zone 6) that is native to the Mediterranean region – which is why it is often difficult to overwinter in our wet coastal winters. One solution is to take a few cuttings of your favourite rosemary to overwinter indoors, just in case the parent plant is worse for wear come spring. Here are simple step-by-step instructions that were demonstrated by Erwin Gygli of Heimat Farms, a herb grower and friend who lives in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.

Step 1 – Prepare a number of small sterilized containers (approximately 2″ diameter) by filling them with transplant mix (you can also add 20% sand to this) and gently firming. After lightly watering the mix, use a chopstick or pencil (also sterilized) as a dibble to make a hole to receive the cutting (preferably one cutting per pot).

Step 2 – Take a 2″ long semi-ripe (new growth that is slightly hardened off) cutting from a healthy plant – pruning just above a leaf node with sterilized pruners (use a 10% bleach solution). The best time to take cuttings in coastal British Columbia is from March to late August.

Step 3 – Strip off the lower leaves (of the cutting) by hand so that about one third of the base is bare.

Step 4 – Dip the bottom 3/4″ of the stripped cuttings in #1 or #2 rooting powder (the numbers indicate the rooting hormone strength, with #2 having more) or rooting gel, which sticks easier.

Step 5 – Place the cutting in the hole and firm the moistened soil around the base. Place your pots on top of the refrigerator (mimics the bottom heat of soil-warming mats or cables) and leave for two to three weeks, during which time it should have started rooting.