Emerging is a key word this month. Plants, insects, gardeners...Let the fun begin! |
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Spring ephemeral spring beauties, trout lily, rue anemone
photos by E Barth-Elias
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Ahhh – the magic of spring ephemerals, those short-lived perennials that appear briefly in early spring, flower, seed, and disappear from view. Underground, their roots continue to grow and store food for next year’s display. Beds and walks are filled with these gems – tulips, daffodils, fritillaria – but the real show occurs in wooded areas, where native wildflower ephemerals take the stage. Without a leaf canopy above, the longer days and spring sunshine trigger the emergence of these transitory beauties.
From March through May the ephemerals make their brief appearance, one after the other: snowdrops, winter aconite, spring beauties, rue anemone, Dutchman’s breeches, yellow trout lily, squirrel corn, and sessile trillium and are some of the cast. They fill a niche between winter snows and leafed out tree canopies, storing nitrogen at a time when few plants are. Spring ephemerals are masters of adaption, taking advantage of the sunlight, spring rains, and longer days to maintain small colonies and drifts. Their appearance coincides with early pollinators, in a mutually beneficial and dependent relationship. They are an important ecological link, but what draws us to them is their fleeting beauty.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has provided some tools for following the progression of spring ephemeral flowering. Their Ohio Native Spring Wildflower Checklist provides a spot to track ephemeral sightings, the Ohio Wildflower Bloom Reports give the latest information on what’s in bloom and where, and the Ohio Spring Wildflower Field Guide is a beautiful resource for identifying and learning about vernal ephemerals. Find them all HERE.
This is one of those “blink and it’s gone” moments, when walks through the woods or parks offer a kaleidoscope of color and beauty. Nature presents this sublime gift at the end of our long, cold winters. Look Around!
(Rest the cursor on the images to see the name.)
K Edgington
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Leaf Brief - Dutchman's Breeches |
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Dicentra cucullaria, Dutchman's breeches
photo by E Barth-Elias
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Watch any pirate movie and you’ll see your favorite, dashing swashbuckler decked out in short pants cinched at the waist called breeches. The Dutch especially favored an extra roomy style. But what do pirate pantaloons have to do with spring? Well, it so happens that perennial Dutchman’s breeches blooms look a lot like the aforementioned pants.
A rather unusual native wildflower, Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) is widely distributed in the eastern United States and Canada. As a spring ephemeral, it peeks out of the ground as temperatures warm and the normally shady woodlands are bathed in sunshine. You’ll find Dutchman's breeches in humus-rich woods and well-drained slopes. From March to May, white or pale pink flowers that resemble tiny upside-down pants with a teeny, yellow-gold “waistband” emerge on leafless stalks in a series of four to ten.
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Delicate fern-like leaves then emerge from the base of the plant. As an ephemeral, they go dormant as trees leaf out and shade predominates. Dutchman's breeches is closely related to another spring ephemeral, squirrel corn (Dicentra canadensis), which has similar pants-shaped blooms (but without the waistband). Squirrel corn’s underground bulblets are yellow, earning it its distinctive name.
Because of its unusually shaped blossoms, Dutchman’s breeches are a favorite of long-tongued bees, especially bumble bees, whose queen is its primary pollinator. They are an early source of pollen and nectar for a wide range of bees and butterflies including honeybees, greater bee flies, butterflies, and skippers. Those that can’t reach the nectar directly will tear a hole in the bloom to gain access. As the flowers fade, seeds are produced, hanging in their place. These seeds have fleshy appendages that are a favorite of ants. Foraging ants carry them back to their colonies, feeding the fleshy part to the young, and dispersing the seeds in the process. Genius!
Dutchman’s breeches are not edible and can cause contact dermatitis resembling sunburn in some people. In cows, it can be toxic in high quantities, and must be kept under control in grazing areas. Cows will exhibit a drunk-like state, giving the plant its other quirky name, Little Blue Staggers.
If you have a shady slope that looks like a good home for these plants, your best bet is to divide dormant clumps in the fall. Starting from seed is a long process, requiring both a period of cold and warm stratification over several months.
Spring ephemerals are appreciated for their fleeting beauty and charm and with Dutchman’s breeches, even as a fashion statement.
J Gramlich
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Ask any gardener: the first time hands touch soil at the start of every growing season something magical happens. Shoulders relax, lungs inhale fresh air and the sun’s beams make us beam too. Even though this year’s winter was anything except winter, there is still a feeling of well-being that accompanies those first forays into the soil.
Some people love to engage in vigorous exercise, but many more of us are built for endurance, not speed.
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Digging, hauling compost, transplanting and mowing are all excellent ways of making sure your body stays active.
Dirt, or better, soil, has actual anti-depressive compounds. When a gardener’s hands come in contact with the billions of microbes in the soil, a powerful chemical, serotonin, is released into the bloodstream. A microbe, Mycobacterium vaccae, triggers the release of those anti-depressive compounds. Children exposed early to soil microbes show many health benefits including reduced allergies and autoimmune diseases.
University of Colorado integrative physiologist, Christopher Lowry, found through a series of research projects over more than a decade that soil microbes not only boost mood but are a factor in reducing brain inflammation and possibly providing some immunity to stress. This helps individuals stave off some of the worst effects of our modern environment. He and other researchers are pursuing a possible vaccine created from M. vaccae to help first-responders and others in high-stress environments maintain emotional equilibrium when under extreme stress.
A 2021 report from the National Institutes of Health reported that during the first few months of the COVID pandemic, gardening got people closer to nature, relieving stress and promoting outdoor physical activity, to say nothing about the easy access to fresh food. Creating life from the soil was a powerful counter to the constant reminders of death doled out during lockdown.
Gardening opens the door to creativity for many who may not consider themselves artists. There is pleasure in finding beautiful color combinations, in designing one’s landscape, in searching for new plants.
Most people, especially those who live in northern climates, do not receive enough vitamin D. A few minutes in the sun each day helps bodies generate this vitamin, key to absorbing calcium and phosphorus. It also shows benefits in curbing cancer cell growth, reducing infection and reducing inflammation.
Much research has been done looking at gardening and memory, everything from enhancing memory to fighting dementia. A 2019 study of seniors by the National Institutes of Health showed that even 20 minutes of gardening a few times a week, regardless of the activity, resulted in increased levels of chemicals related to nerve growth and memory.
People who have physical limitations are not excluded from gardening. Using stools or knee pads and letting ergonomically designed tools or power tools do the heavy lifting can enable most people to reap the benefits of gardening.
Nature has a powerful effect on human well-being. Perhaps, counter to the quest for a germ- and bacteria-free environment we are told is ideal, we might be better off removing our gloves and getting dirty.
Summit County Master Gardeners are spending this year exploring the theme of Gardening for Well-being throughout our various programs. Watch for more insights and information coming your way throughout the year.
S Vradenburg
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Spartacus (deep red), AC Ben (coral), Encore (yellow), Emery Paul (pink). Lee Paulson among his dahlia beds.
Spartacus, AC Ben, and Emery Paul photos by E Barth-Elias
Encore photo by L Paulson
Lee Paulson photo by M Paulson
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It’s time to break out the tender tubers and give them a head start before they’re moved to the garden. We checked in with local dahlia expert and Summit County Master Gardener, Lee Paulson, for tips and tricks on growing these beauties. Lee has over 40 years of experience with dahlias, planting his first when a neighbor said “Welcome to the neighborhood” with a dahlia tuber in hand. He grows 40 to 45 cultivars, and friends and neighbors are often delighted to find a tuber or two on their doorstep on a fine spring day. |
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Lee begins by noting that dahlias (Dahlia x pinnata) are native to Mexico, and were first cultivated by the Aztecs, who associated them with their sun gods. Not surprisingly, they require full sun, well-drained soil, and good air circulation. Dahlia tubers can be planted outside in garden soil after the temperatures have settled, here in Akron around the end of May. For earlier blooms, most dahlia growers start their tubers inside around early April. There are four parts to the dahlia tuber (technically a tuberous root): the body (which stores food and moisture), the neck, the crown (which generates the eyes), and the eyes (which produce the shoots). Plant each tuber horizontally in a pot filled with well-draining potting soil so that it is 2-3 inches below the soil line, and insert an identifying tag in each pot. Place the pot in a warm spot or on a heating mat, keep moist but not soggy, and in a couple of weeks shoots should emerge. Move the pot to a warm, sunny spot, and water when dry. If the planting medium does not contain compost or a slow-release fertilizer, watering with a dilute fertilizer solution is helpful. After danger of frost, harden off dahlias by gradually introducing them to full sunlight and wind. Plant the dahlia starts in containers or in the ground 24-30” apart so that the crown of the tuber is approximately 3 inches below the soil surface. Because dahlias have brittle, hollow stems and carry a large flower load, staking is helpful. Lee’s solution is sections of electrical conduit (available at hardware stores) painted green. He attaches his plant tags to the conduit – dahlia growers do NOT want to lose track of the names of their dahlia favorites!
Lee tops (prunes off) the main dahlia stem when it has about 8 sets of leaves, which increases branching and number of blooms, but also limits the size of individual blooms. After this no additional pruning is required, except to deadhead flowers and remove damaged or diseased growth. Expect your first blooms around mid-June, but bloom time is dependent on flower size. Smaller flowers bloom first, and the largest blooms may not open until mid-July or even early August. Deadheading prolongs the bloom period. Using quality compost when planting eliminates the need for additional fertilizers.
Pests and diseases? Be on the lookout for powdery mildew. Lee takes a proactive approach by providing good air circulation and spraying an organic fungicide weekly beginning in mid-August. Also be on the lookout for mites, a problem Lee has not yet encountered. Japanese beetles love dahlias. Lee treats them to a soapy water bath when they arrive.
Overwintering your dahlias for next year’s crop is part of the fun. Leave the tuber in the ground until about two weeks after the first killing frost to toughen and cure the skin. Carefully dig on a cloudy day, wash with a gentle spray of water, and cut the new tubers from the mother dahlia’s stem. Each must have a crown to be viable. Lay them on cardboard or newspaper in a shady spot to dry (avoid concrete). Dig only the tubers that you can prepare on that day – these babies dry out quickly and store better when fresh. Place in a plastic bin with a few holes drilled in the top in vermiculite, peat moss, sawdust, or another inert medium. Tubers store best at 50°F and 70% humidity. At this point in our interview, I looked at Lee and said, “Are you kidding me!” He laughed, and said that for those of us without wine coolers or fancy devices a crawl space or unheated basement usually works just fine. Plants are forgiving beings.
Want to learn more? Check out the American Dahlia Society at www.dahlia.org. Lee also suggests checking out the www.dahliaaddict.com site, which contains a database of all dahlias available for sale in the U.S. I was an instant fan when I read its first sentences: WARNING: Exposure to this site may result in extreme turfgrass loss in susceptible individuals. Those with modest urban lots may wish to exercise caution. Additional side effects may include garden budget distension and high petal counts. Bring it on!
Give a dahlia, or two, or five a try this spring. You may find yourself dropping off tubers to the delight of friends on a fine day next spring.
K Edgington
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Creature Features - Earthworms |
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It’s spring! Birds chirp, flowers bloom, and after a rain you may see awesome earthworms on your sidewalk. But wait — I’ve heard inklings they aren’t always that awesome. Let’s dig up the dirt and get the real poop (castings)!
There are thousands of species of earthworms (Terrestris spp.), with estimates ranging from 3,000 to 7,000. Worms are tough to track (ya think?) and research. About 180 species have been identified in North America, although thousands of years ago there may have been more.
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As glaciers moved through our region they scraped off the soil and bye bye earthworms! Native species can be found in unglaciated areas but most worms today, including earthworms, are invasive non-natives, brought over by early settlers to improve soil, or accidentally in plants, mulch or dirt.
Earthworms are classified into three groups based on what part of the ground they live in, leaf litter dwellers, found in the top level, are reddish-brown and less than 3 inches long. Light-grey soil dwellers live within the first 20 inches of soil and are 1 – 5 inches long, and deep burrowers are found 6 feet below the surface.
Worms begin life as an egg in a cocoon that hatches after 2 weeks. It takes 90 days for babies to develop the thick band located near their heads which stores eggs, called the clitellum, at which point they are sexually mature. Worms are hermaphroditic, meaning they have both male and female parts. Most species require two worms to fertilize eggs, although some can reproduce on their own.
Earthworm’s bodies are divided into 100-150 muscular segments, each of which are covered with 8 bristle-like hairs called setae. These hairs help the earthworm move by anchoring one part of the worm to the ground as another part thrusts forward. (That’s why the robin must tug the earthworm from the ground —the setae are hanging on!)
A worm’s skin is coated with mucus, which helps it move and breathe. Their skin must stay moist, and sunlight can be deadly. Scientists used to think earthworms surface after a rainstorm to avoid drowning in watery soil, but now believe they can absorb oxygen in water. So why do worms travel to the surface after a rainstorm, risking sunburn and hungry robins? One theory is that raindrops “sound” like a hungry mole and worms — who “hear” by sensing vibrations—are trying to escape. (Humans will drum on soil to attract worms on the same theory, called “worm charming”.) Another theory is that wet weather is ideal for worms to relocate to new terrain. We don’t really know and the worms ain’t telling…
Earthworms don’t have eyes, but sense light and dark through receptor cells. They have 5 “hearts” to pump their blood, and no bones. Contrary to popular belief, a worm cut in two will NOT grow into two worms, but if severed below the clitellum the part with the head may grow a new tail.
Earthworms will "eat dirt” — ingesting soil for decaying plant and animal matter found therein—and a lot of it —up to half their body weight per day. As they digest this matter their castings release nutrients into the soil. In addition, worm tunneling aerates the soil, creating space for nutrients, water and oxygen. Charles Darwin, who studied worms for almost 40 years, believed they were one of the most important animals in the history of the world, and called them “nature’s ploughs” for their ability to mix soil and organic matter.
So worms are good! End of story, right?
Wrong. Earthworms are good for gardens, but bad for northern forests, the ones that evolved after the glaciers and worms disappeared. These forests developed worm-free ecosystems that features a deep layer of “duff”, an overlay of organic matter that decomposes slowly, allowing trees and plants to absorb nutrients over time. Earthworms love duff and gobble it up. Ever efficient, worms break this down quickly. Unfortunately, forest plants use nutrients slowly, so most of the nutrients are washed away and wasted. Now bare soil becomes compacted. Earthworm tunnels may negatively impact water flow in a forest. Trees and understory plants are damaged, habitat and food sources for other creatures disappear, invasives arrive. Same old story. To learn more read THIS.
The Asian jumping worm may be a worse threat. They writhe like snakes, live at the top of the soil, chow down on organic material at an alarming rate—and are really creepy. Their castings look like used coffee grounds and change soil texture and structure, causing all kinds of damage. HERE'S a dramatic look at these bad boys. And check out THIS lengthy but fascinating article.
What to do? It’s very difficult to eradicate worms once they’re established, so most experts focus on stopping the spread. Read THIS presentation by Mike Hogan from the OSU Extension for information and resources.
And now you’ve got the poop on earthworms…err, castings!
C Christian
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April Checklist
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Add organic matter, such as compost or manure, to your vegetable beds . ORGANIC MATTER AND SOIL AMENDMENTS: University of Maryland Extension
- Plant cool-season vegetables like brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kale and broccoli outdoors and summer vegetables indoors. (Six weeks before the last frost.)
- Start cannas, dahlias, and other tropical tubers indoors.
- Use deer repellent on emerging shoots of tulips and perennials.
- Fertilize roses, trees and shrubs.
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Increase your perennial plant material by division. DIVIDING PERENNIALS: PennState Extension
- Prune flowering shrubs after they are finished blooming.
- Plant pansies.
J Gramlich
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More learning opportunities:
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If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing Double Dahlias in his garden.
David W. Wolfe
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We invite you to share The Root of It with your gardening friends and family. If you would like to subscribe to our mailing list please visit our website, scroll to the bottom, and follow the link under Join our email list. |
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The Root of It staff: Karen Edgington (Editor), Emma Barth-Elias (Photo Editor), Carolyn Christian, Jennifer Gramlich, Sarah Vradenburg, and Geoff Kennedy (Technical Advisor)
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