By February gardeners have settled into a winter rhythm: garden planning, reading about new plants and garden techniques, sowing the first indoor seeds, winter walks, and armchair plant and wildlife viewing. Spring is just around the corner! |
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Winter landscapes sharpen our focus on the bones of the garden. Without floral and foliage finery, the intricacy and beauty of conifers and tree silhouettes that add structure and substance to the landscape stand out. Spend a winter walk examining tree bark and you will notice the characteristics that distinguish one species from another and are used by botanists to categorize tree bark: smooth, scaly, ridged, warty, peeling, plated… |
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Beautiful tree bark enjoyed on a walk through Secrest Arboretum: Clockwise from top left: Eastern Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis), Gingko (Ginkgo biloba), Blue Ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata), Japanese Zelkova (Zelkova serrata)
photos by K Edgington
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Tree trunks are composed largely of dead tissue, with a living band, called the the cambium, between the sapwood/heartwood center and the exterior corky bark. Although it may be only one or two cells thick, the cambium is the growing part of the trunk, pruducing inner-bark phloem cells that carry food down the trunk, and xylem cells (the sapwood), which create the pipeline that transports water up from tree roots. Dead sapwood cells make up the heartwood, the rings we use to count “tree years”. Spent phloem cells are pushed outward to become the corky bark of the tree. The outer bark doesn’t grow or expand, so it tends to split, creating the furrows, fissions, and plates of those beautiful tree barks. On some species, such as Betula nigra (River Birch), the outward pressure on the bark causes thin layers to separate and peel away.
Tree bark is more than a storehouse of spent phloem cells. Just as the dead heartwood of the tree provides structure and strength for the mass of leaves and branches on top, the corky, outer bark protects the tree from insects, disease, intense sunlight, water loss, fire, weather, and mechanical injury. The inner bark, with its nutrient-rich cargo, feeds porcupines, beavers, and other mammals.
Check out the gorgeous peeling, cinnamon colored bark of Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple), the elephant-skin-like bark of Fagus sylvatica (European Beech), or the mottled, multicolored bark of Ulmus parvifolia (Lacebark Elm). Your winter walk has never been so interesting. Look Around!
Bark: A Field Guide to Trees of the Northeast by Michael Wojtech (Brandeis University Press, 2011)
K Edgington
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Bromeliads to brighten your day.
photos by E Barth-Elias
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It’s the time of year when everyone wishes they were anywhere but northeast Ohio, especially if you’re a plant lover. If you’re yearning for the tropics, maybe a bromeliad will brighten your day.
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These bold house plants are epiphytes, which means they grow on trees, rocks or other plants, obtaining water and nutrients from the sun and air.
Native to the tropics and subtropics of the Americas, this large and diverse family of plants (Bromeliaceae) includes pineapples and Spanish moss. About half grow on the ground but others will grow on rocks or attach themselves to trees. They were described by Christopher Columbus on his second trip to the New World in 1493 as he cruised the West Indies. (He brought pineapples home to Spain.) Bromeliads that are typically sold as houseplants have bold colorful strap-like leaves, and exotic flower spikes. See the diversity HERE.
Bromeliads can be grown indoors in bright light but some tolerate lower light levels, depending on the species. In the wild, some grow in full sun, while others flourish in the shade of a tropical canopy of leaves. The amount of light the plant receives affects the leaf shape, color, and growth rate. Here in Ohio, bromeliads are indeed a houseplant but can be taken outside in the summer as long as nighttime temperatures are above 50° F.
So how do you water them? Basically, bromeliads absorb water and nutrients through their leaves so a moist environment is a must. Most bromeliad house plants have a cup-shaped reservoir at the base of the leaves that holds water, so instead of dousing the complete plant and soil you merely have to fill the tank when it gets low. Incidentally, the tank harbors microorganisms that break down any organic material that falls inside.
As epiphytes, most bromeliads don’t require traditional soil and their scant roots are used to anchor them to a structure. You may see these “potted” in garden centers but they are usually just resting on a sand/bark/peat base.
The bright color of the leaves is a statement in itself but their flowers can also be striking. Flowering can be bittersweet in that bromeliads bloom only once and die soon afterward. Fortunately, the blossom can last several months and the plant will create offshoots that replace the original.
Specific species or hybrids are too numerous to mention here (3600 species and several thousand hybrids), but are readily available in garden centers, home stores, and, of course, online. If a trip to Brazil or even Florida isn’t in the cards for you, don’t lose heart. With a little care, you can bring the tropics home to Ohio with a bromeliad.
J Gramlich
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Keeping Houseplants Happy |
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Anyone who says the growing season ends when the temperature drops doesn’t know gardeners. We may not be cultivating vegetables and flowers at the moment, but there is a world of gardening indoors: houseplants.
There are few more welcome sights in winter than greenery. It connects us to nature while the weather keeps us indoors (although the weather in Northeast Ohio has been anything but frightful). Research suggests plants are more than pretty; they help us to heal, relax, sleep, add humidity to our dry indoor environment, and boost our moods. Certain plants even have medicinal properties.
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A group of happy houseplants.
photo by E Barth-Elias
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Because plants live indoors doesn’t mean they are free from the problems of outdoor plants. If your green babies seem to cry for help, ask a few questions. What does a healthy version of this plant look like? Has the problem been developing slowly, or has it been fairly rapid? Have you changed anything about the way you care for it? Have you moved the plant from one place to another? The answers fall into one of two categories: biotic and abiotic.
Abiotic issues — problems that are not related to pests and diseases — usually involve plant care and environment, and are often within our power to fix. Watering too much or too little are both bad for plants. Most plants tolerate slightly dry soil. Test moisture by sticking your finger in the soil; if it’s dry beyond the first knuckle, it’s time to water. Give plants a thorough drink. It’s important to let the water soak the soil and drip out the drainage hole. The exceptions are succulents and cacti, which evolved to be successful in dry, often desert conditions. Water these once a month or even less frequently.
Fertilizers can also cause problems. They can leave behind salt residues that can turn the soil toxic over time. Most houseplants don’t need a lot of fertilizer, especially during the winter when their growth slows. If salts build up, rinse the soil to leach the salts out or repot the plant in new, sterile medium. However, thorough watering will rinse the salts out and prevent salt build-up.
Leggy plants need more light. Is there a south-facing window for them? Supplemental lighting can help as long as the light falls in the blue and red spectrums. Opting for low-light plants eliminates the expense of extra lighting. Such plants include philodendron, Swedish ivy, dracaena, African violets, and Boston ferns. Be sure your plants are placed well away from drafts or heat registers.
If you are certain the environment or care aren't the issue, you have biotic issues, which pertain to living organisms. That means you are dealing with either pests or diseases, or both. Signs of pest infestation include stunted growth, yellowing, puckering, stippling or leaf distortion. Insects, such as APHIDS, MEALY BUGS, WHITE FLIES, or SPIDER MITES are the most common houseplant pests. Pests can be removed with a thorough rinse of the plant, including the undersides of leaves. If that is not effective, insecticidal soaps are another option. Be sure to read the label.
Diseases can be more difficult to pinpoint because their symptoms can resemble other problems, including improper watering. Yellowing, sagging or spotted leaves could be signs of bacterial or fungal infection. Often the solution is to remove the affected leaves. POWDERY MILDEW, if caught early enough, can also be controlled by removing infected leaves and making sure the plant has plenty of air circulation. Plants with ROOT ROT must often be discarded, although it may be possible to cut away the diseased part if the infection doesn’t involve the entire root system. Once the roots are free of disease, replant in new, sterile potting mix.
Houseplants bring us beauty, health, and clean air. With a few small steps, we can make sure to return the favor.
S Vradenburg
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Creature Feature - Battle at the Birdfeeder |
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The zen of a winter landscape. Still and silent, the beauty of bare branches showcased against a steely sky. About this time, however, we begin to yearn for color and movement to break that wintery silence. A bird feeder may do just that. Or it might incite a battle that is very non-zen.
You know the routine. You’re a caring person. It’s cold out. Your backyard buddies deserve the best—no off-the-shelf convenience store bird seed for them.
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Instead, you concoct a custom mix that includes black oil sunflower seeds (beloved by almost all birds from blue jays and cardinals to chickadees), dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts (a special treat for those wonderful woodpeckers), thistle seed (for your finch-y friends) and cracked corn (crunched on by cuties like doves, blackbirds and sparrows). And of course, you add beef suet cakes (the birdie Red Bull equivalent).
This took time. It was not cheep. Er, inexpensive.
You gaze out the window to view your birdy beneficiaries gratefully feasting on your bounty. Instead you see THIS, Or THIS. The blood pressure rises. The temples throb. And the battle ensues. Human vs. squirrel — or “How to keep those @#! squirrels away from my feeder?!”
Opening salvo— review the location of your feeder. Squirrels are Olympic-caliber jumpers, so it must be at least 10 -12 feet from squirrelly launching pads like roofs, wires, trees, patio furniture, etc.
Mount that feeder on a metal pole that is at least 6 feet tall. If your feeder hangs from a line, nylon fishing line is harder for squirrels to climb than wire or rope. PVC piping or other plastic tubing (“spinners”) on the line (or other mounting device) can deter squirrels. THIS VIDEO shows how spinners (used here on a horizontal mount) foil squirrels.
Whether your feeder is mounted on a pole or suspended from a line, arming it with a baffle increases your odds of victory. Baffles are bowl-shaped barriers made of plastic or metal designed to keep squirrels from reaching a feeder (but no guarantees). For pole-mounted feeders, attach a 16-inch non-tilting baffle on the pole 12 inches below the feeder. (Add spinners for additional firepower). Don’t use glycerin or other sticky substances to make the pole slippery, as chemicals can be toxic, and greasy substances may mat feathers or fur, leading to death by freezing. (This is war but we don’t want casualties.) If your feeder is suspended from a line, install a tilting, 18 inch (minimum) baffle above it.
Placing a wire cage around the feeder will restrict access for squirrels (and larger birds) but permit smaller birds to feed. However, you risk a not-so-svelte squirrel friend ending up like THIS.
Very dedicated folks clean the ground beneath the feeder to deter squirrels. I don’t know how anyone has time to do this often enough to be effective but have at it! (You should routinely clean your feeders to deter spread of birdy diseases.)
Squirrels do not like spicy foods (who knew?), so adding spices to birdseed will deter them, but won’t bother birds, who can’t taste it. Treating seed with cayenne pepper (wear gloves and avoid breathing it in) may help, but it wears off and needs to be reapplied. You can purchase pre-treated seed but it’s pricey. THIS GUY takes his spicy seed treatment very seriously.
You might notice the little rodents gnawing on your feeder if the material is gnawable—all-metal feeders or ones made of materials like Lexan may be a better choice. Many feeders are specifically designed to deter squirrels, most using weight activation. A squirrel’s weight closes access to food or triggers a spinning motion that sends the squirrel flying. WATCH THIS. Two squirrel spinning videos are better than one: NUMBER TWO.
A quick internet search reveals this battle is ongoing everywhere. People are spending a lot of time and resources to outwit squirrels. You can tell THIS GUY really needs to prove…something.
So, who’s winning? Not us. There are intermittent victories, but ultimately nature (and her squirrel proxies) finds a way. Waving the white flag is suggested as a viable option. Some frustrated folks negotiate a truce, enticing the squirrels away from the feeder by creating a feeding station for them in another location. HERE a kindly, self-described cyclone physicist creates a squirrel café.
Not your style to give up? Then read Outwitting Squirrels: 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriation of Seed from your Birdfeeder by Bill Adler, Jr. And soldier on…
C Christian
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Clay is Not a Four-Letter Word |
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Echinaceas are one of the perennials that tolerate and can, in fact, thrive in clay soils.
photo by E Barth-Elias
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Clay is not a four-letter word – well, not that kind of four-letter word. Do your soils get sticky when wet and make that thwop sound when your heel leaves the ground? Do they dry hard as rock when the rains don’t come? If you take a small wad and roll it between your fingers, does it feel like material for the potter’s wheel? Meet clay soils.
Soils are a mixture of clay, sand, and silt, and the combination in a particular soil is called its texture. Think of a triangle with the three soil types occupying the corners and the vast area of soils somewhere in between.
Soils with relatively equal amounts of sand, silt, and clay are called loam, and the center of the triangle may be described as a sandy loam, clay loam, or silt loam.
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Clay soils have the smallest particles of the three, visible only with a high-powered microscope, and because of their chemical properties, these particles have strong bonds, both to stick together and to capture nutrients and water.
The ability to hold on to nutrients is called cation exchange capacity (CEC on your soil test), and clay soils are tops in that regard. CEC is related to the chemical charge of the particle, with clay having a negative charge and the ability to hold on to and release positively charged particles like potassium, calcium and magnesium. Particle size also plays a part. Think about a bin full of marbles (clay particles) compared to that same bin filled with basketballs (sand particles). A mass of clay particles has more than 1000 times the surface area of the same mass of sand particles, thus the clay has so much more surface area to hold on to plant nutrients and water.
However, that basketball bin (sand) will have more space between the balls, while the tiny marbles (clay) will more efficiently fill nooks and crannies. The spaces between large sand particles mean better air and water percolation, while small clay particles stick together creating drainage and oxygen challenges.
Managed properly, clay soils can produce vigorous trees, shrub borders, flowers, and vegetables.
- Adding organic matter is key to creating the spaces that allow oxygen and water to be available to plant roots. This is not a one-time fix, but an annual ritual. The organic material should readily break down, such as pine bark or needles on borders and spent hay* or straw on vegetable gardens. Shredded leaves are a great amendment. Of course, compost is king. Spread a layer in spring, and watch it diminish over the season as earthworms and other soil organisms decompose it and carry it down to the soil’s depths. (We need these excavating organisms – a good reason to limit poisonous chemical use.) Add a layer in fall if your organic supplies become available then.
- Another clay soil strategy is to refrain from walking on wet soils, which collapses air spaces and damages healthy soil texture. Not only is subsurface soil texture damaged, but a hard surface layer will prevent water, air, and nutrients from penetrating.
- Green manure crops are particularly helpful in clay soils. The decaying roots provide air and water space and the decomposing top growth acts as an organic mulch.
- Consider creating raised beds with your clay soils. The elevation assists drainage.
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Choose plant material that thrives in clay soils. Echinacea, rudbeckias, penstemons, columbines, asters, and many grasses are perennials that grow well in clay. HERE’S a list of trees and shrubs suitable for clay soils.
A word of caution: There is a temptation to mix sand into clay soils in an attempt to achieve a good balance of air space and nutrient/water holding capacity. Sand + Clay = cement, as the tiny clay particles adhere to the large surface of the sand particles. Spend your energy and money amending with organics.
Embrace the clay! It can be a nutrient-rich environment for your plants. Amend it, and watch your garden prosper.
* When rains cause the seeds in hay to sprout the hay is “spent” and can be used as a mulch without fear of weed and hay seeds germinating. Some gardeners hold their hay bales outdoors for a season or less to create this great mulching product.
K Edgington
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January Checklist
- Plan for and buy annual and vegetable seeds now for summer sowing.
- Take stock of your equipment for seed starting such as lights, heat mat, and sterile medium.
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Start indoor seeds for cool-season vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, kale, and onion. COOL-SEASON VS WARM-SEASON VEGETABLES: PennState Extension
- Keep an eye out for perennials that have heaved out of the ground and replant if possible.
- Clean out bluebird and other birdhouses in preparation for spring nesting.
- Fertilize houseplants, rotate them toward the light, and keep checking for pests.
- Trim oak trees while dormant. This may require a professional.
J Gramlich
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More learning opportunities:
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Summit County Master Gardeners on Facebook
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Follow Summit County Master Gardeners on Instagram with our user name osusummitmgv
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Submit questions to Master Gardener Volunteers at Ask a Master Gardener
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Find fact sheets and garden information at OhioLine Yard and Garden
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Go to the winter woods: listen there, look, watch, and “the dead months” will give you
a subtler secret than any you have yet found in the forest.
Fiona Macleod, Where the Forest Murmurs
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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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