sign in sign up
<<
Home , Brunnera, Brunnera macrophylla, Companion planting, Polygonatum biflorum, Polygonatum odoratum

Mills County Extension 415 Main St., Suite 2, P.O. Box 430 Wise Malvern, IA 51551 712-624-8616 http://www.extension.iastate.edu/mills

Prepared by Nancy Crews, Mills County Assistant May 2013

Morel Sighting! More information about morels can be found in the by Barbara Ambruzs, following bulletins and website. Department of Plant Pathology  Pm-1204 Morels, False Morels, and Other Cup Fungi Attention!! Hunters, get  NCR 129 Mushrooms and Other Related Fungi ready. Morels have been  The Morel Life Cycle by Thomas J. Volk sighted in Mills County! Pm-1204 and NCR 192 also are available from your Morels, known to some people as sponge mushrooms, local county Extension office or from the Iowa State are in the Morchella. They are included in a large University Extension Distribution Center. Contact the group of fungi known the ascomycetes. The literal Distribution Center at: Telephone: (515) 294-5247 Fax: meaning of the word "ascomycete" is sac . This is (515) 294-2945 http://www.extension.iastate.edu/pubs/ an appropriate name since fungi in this group form their spores in microscopic sacs. The spores of morels burst Heirloom Tomatoes for the Home from ther sacs, which are within the pits of their caps and are carried by the breeze. By Cindy Haynes Horticulture Department So, where can someone find these delicacies? Many a Iowa State University mushroomer will give an extremely vague answer, if they give an answer at all. Morels typically may be found near What is an heirloom stream and riverbeds, wooded areas, around fallen ? These timber that has been decaying (look for dead elms). And tomatoes are often the don't forget to look within brambles and thick most anticipated of underbrush. Tall , limbs, and grass can be tomato varieties grown in home each summer. brushed aside with a long stick. Once you spot a morel, But how do they get the name heirloom, you might ask? look for more in that same area. Collect your goodies in Heirloom tomatoes have been passed down from a paper bag or basket (storing mushrooms in plastic generation to generation. But unlike antique cars, it's not bags promotes decay). necessary for to have been grown 100, 50, or even 25 years ago to earn an heirloom designation. Anyone gathering and eating mushrooms should Instead, all heirlooms are open-pollinated cultivars, not exercise caution. hybrids. This means the seed can be saved and replanted each year. In fact, this is how heirloom  Be absolutely sure of the identity of each specimen tomatoes are kept in production. Noted for Taste. collected. Some mushroom are poisonous. Heirloom tomatoes are known to be some of the best  Only eat cooked morels. tasting tomatoes. That is why they are so highly  Don't eat excessive amounts even though you are anticipated each summer. These tomatoes were bred for sure of the identity. Certain individuals might taste, not for long-distance transport. So, many are quite become sick (possibly due to an allergic reaction) fragile once ripe. But heirlooms are not only tasty, they after eating a mushroom that is considered edible. are beautiful as well. Heirlooms come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Ripe fruit can be pink, red, yellow, orange, purple, green, or combinations of colors. Heirloom tomatoes should be available in grocery stores and farmer's markets in August and September.

Try several different cultivars, maybe you will find one or two that you want to grow in your garden next year. Upcoming Horticulture Then you will become one of the many that Events of Interest: prefer these flavorful reminders of the past.

Mills County Master Gardeners Plant/Bake Sale Some popular Heirloom Tomato Cultivars: Date: Saturday, May 11 Color Type Comment Time: 8:30 – 11:30 AM Amana Orange Orange Indeterminate Place: Parking lot west Amish Paste Red Indeterminate Late of Glenwood State Bank Big Rainbow Yellow Indeterminate Late, large & Red fruit High quality, low cost including Black Krim Purple/ Indeterminate Large fruit annuals, perennials, houseplants, vegetables, Black ornamental grasses and more! Brandywine Pink-red Indeterminate Black & yellow fruit Silent Auction, Garden Art, Baked Goods! available Costoluto Red Indeterminate Irregular (See details on page 6) Genovese shape, paste/juice Spring into Spring Plant Sale type Cherokee Purple- Indeterminate Date: Saturday, May 18-19 Purple red Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM German Pink Pink Indeterminate Place: Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha Green Grape Green Determinate Small fruit Green Zebra Green Indeterminate Striped Discover new ideas for your garden at the Spring into fruit Spring Plant Sale. This event is a unique opportunity to Hungarian Pink Indeterminate shop from a hand-picked selection of plants from area Heart garden clubs and Lauritzen Gardens. Kellogg's Orange Indeterminate Large fruit Breakfast Garden admission rates apply. Members are admitted Martino's Roma Red Determinate Oval fruit free. Member’s only sale: May 17, 4:30 – 7 p.m. Mortgage Lifter Pink-red Indeterminate Large fruit Oxheart Red pink, or Indeterminate Large, For more information orange heart- visit:http://www.lauritzengardens.org/Visit/Events_and_E shaped xhibits/Spring_into_Spring/index.asp fruit Persimmon Yellow/ Indeterminate Large fruit gold Pineapple Orange Indeterminate Large fruit Perennial Plant of the Year for 2013 and yellow By the Perennial Plant Ponderosa Red Red Indeterminate Large fruit Association Red Fig Red Indeterminate Small pear- shaped odoratum fruit ‘Variegatum’ is the Speckled Red/w Indeterminate Speckled Perennial Plant Roman orange/ oval fruit Association’s 2013 yellow Perennial Plant of the Silvery Fir Tree Red Determinate Compact Year™. Polygonatum plants, odoratum, pronounced early po-lig-o-nay’tum o-do- Wapsipinicon Yellow/ Indeterminate Slightly ray’tum vair-e-ah- Peach gold fuzzy fruit gay’tum, carries the common names of variegated Solomon’s Seal, striped Solomon’s Seal, fragrant Yellow Pear Yellow Indeterminate Small Solomon’s Seal and variegated fragrant Solomon’s Seal. pear- This all-season perennial has greenish-white in shaped late spring and variegated foliage throughout the fruit

2 growing season. The foliage turns yellow in the fall and mid to late spring. The variegated ovate are soft grows well in moist soil in partial to full shade. green with white tips and margins. Fall color is yellow. The genus Polygonatum, native to , Asia, and Maintenance: There are no serious insect or disease North America is a member of the family. problems with variegated Solomon’s seal. Plants may be It was formerly found in the family Liliaceae. Regardless divided in the spring or fall. The white should of its new location, members of Polygonatum are be planted just below the soil surface. Polygonatum excellent perennials for the landscape. The genus odoratum ‘Variegatum’ is a very easy perennial to grow (Polygonatum) comes from poly (many) and will enhance any shade area. and gonu (knee joints) and refers to the many-jointed Hardiness: USDA Zones 3 to 8. from which the leaves arise. The common name Solomon’s Seal has several proposed derivations. The Rhizosphaera Needle Cast in Blue Spruce first is that the scar that remains on the rootstock after the leaf stalks die off in the fall resembles the seal By: Christine impressed on wax on documents in the past. The Engelbrecht, Department second source is that John Gerard, the English botanist of Plant Pathology, ISU and herbalist, suggested that the powdered roots were an excellent remedy for broken bones. He also felt that The Iowa State the plant had the capacity for “sealing wounds,” which University Plant Disease was why the perennial received the common name – Clinic has received Solomon’s Seal. several samples this year of spruce with brown, drying needles. In many cases, the cause of the needle Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’ grows 18 to 24 browning was Rhizosphaera needle cast, a common inches tall and will spread by rhizomes to form colonies. fungal disease. The oval-shaped leaves are carried on upright, arching, unbranched stems. The variegated leaves are light Symptoms of Rhizosphaera needle cast can appear on green with white tips and margins. Leaves turn an any age of tree, but are most common on trees that are attractive yellow in the autumn. Sweetly fragrant, small, stressed. Symptoms typically start on the lower bell-shaped white flowers with green tips, are borne on branches and move to the upper branches. Second-year short pedicels from the leaf axils underneath the arching needles (those closest to the trunk) turn purplish-brown stems. Bluish-black berries are sometimes present in the and fall from the tree. Small black fruiting bodies of the autumn. Rhizosphaera fungus appear in straight lines Variegated Solomon’s Seal is a classic beauty for the along the length of infected shady woodland garden or the part-shade to full-shade needles; these can be seen border. It is a great companion plant to other shade with a hand lens. The lovers including hostas, ferns, and astilbes. The sweet fruiting bodies may appear fragrance will enhance that walk along a pathway on a spring morning. arrangers will find the variegated on both brown and green Rhizophaera Fruiting Bodies foliage to be an attribute for spring floral arrangements. needles. And finally, this all-season perennial offers yellow fall foliage color. To prevent the disease, avoid planting susceptible trees near infected ones, and inspect trees for the There are no serious insect or disease problems with characteristic fruiting bodies before planting. Trees variegated Solomon’s Seal. Plants may be divided in the should be kept as unstressed as possible by mulching spring or fall. The white rhizomes should be planted just and watering when needed. Good air circulation should below the soil surface. Polygonatum odoratum be maintained by proper spacing between trees. Avoid ‘Variegatum’ is a very easy perennial to grow and will trimming trees when the foliage is wet to prevent spread enhance any , especially a more natural of the fungal spores. one. Light: Variegated Solomon’s seal performs well in part To treat the disease if symptoms are present, apply to full shade conditions. Bordeaux mixture, chlorothalonil, or EBDC once in late Soil: Variegated Solomon’s seal prefers moist, well- May or early June and again 4-6 weeks later. drained soil. Uses: This perennial offers vivid highlights in shaded Browning of needles may also be caused by seasonal areas of borders, woodland gardens, or naturalized needle loss, where the oldest needles turn brown and areas. The variegated foliage is attractive in flower fall off in the autumn, as well as by environmental arrangements. stresses such as drought. Rhizosphaera needle cast can Unique Qualities: Solomon’s Seal has arching stems be distinguished from these other causes by the that carry pairs of small, bell-shaped, white flowers in presence of the fruiting bodies on the needles, visible with a hand lens. 3 Spring Care of an Established Asparagus the soil, and the squash leaves serve as living Bed that conserves soil moisture and shades out weeds.

There are a number of ways companion plants may By Richard Jauron benefit one another. Certain plants help nourish Horticulture Department the soil for their companions. As mentioned above, Iowa State University such as pole fix nitrogen. These make An asparagus planting may good companions for heavy feeders like corn. Then produce good for 15 to there are plants that are noted for improving the 20 years when good cultural overall health or flavor of a companion. is hailed as practices are followed. The first a good partner to tomatoes since it is said to chore in the spring is to cut off enrich both their growth and taste. Garlic enhances the the dead asparagus tops at flavor and development of beets and members of ground level. Early spring is the cabbage family. Chamomile offers similar benefits to also an excellent time to the cabbage family as well as to onions. Chives are fertilize the asparagus planting. said to improve and tomatoes while chervil will Apply 50 pounds of barnyard help out your . manure per 100 square feet. Lightly till the manure into the Most modern gardeners, however, are interested in top 2 or 3 inches of soil with a rototiller or spade. This companion planting as a way for controlling must be done in early spring before the asparagus starts pests. As any knows deterring pests from your to grow. If manure is unavailable, apply 1 to 1 1/2 garden is an ongoing venture. Every summer there pounds of a balanced fertilizer, such as a 10-10-10 or comes a time when I lose the battle over my collard 12-12- 12, per 100 square feet in the spring. greens to the cabbage moth larvae. And these days control efforts in the spring are also crucial. The more and more people are looking for non‐chemical best way to control weeds is to periodically hoe or till the ways to address bug problems. Companion planting planting. Cultivate lightly to avoid damage to emerging offers several approaches to reduce the impact of pests. spears. Tough perennial weeds, such as quackgrass, can be effectively controlled by applying Roundup One example is to intersperse flowers and herbs (glyphosate) to the weeds immediately after the last among your vegetables instead of planting rows of harvest of the season. mono‐crops. This prevents pests from easily moving from one plant to the next uninterrupted. Flowers and Begin harvesting the asparagus spears when they are 6 herbs can also attract beneficial insects and birds. to 8 inches long. Harvest by cutting or snapping the Providing a desirable for favorable predators can spears at ground level. During the harvest season, help keep pest populations in check. removal of all the spears or "clean cutting" is recommended. Allowing some of the spears to continue Another approach is to use plants that impart a strong to grow and produce fern-type growth inhibits the scent that either deters or confuses the pest. development of new spears. Stop harvesting established Many herbs, alliums, and flowers have a long tradition in asparagus by mid-June. companion planting as pest repellents. Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s publication Companion Planting with Herbs offers an extensive list Companion Planting of plants that ward off a variety of insects. A few ideas for include spearmint, , pennyroyal, garlic By: Margaret Murphy, and chives. For the cabbage moth, my nemesis, plant Horticulture Educator, some mint, rosemary, thyme, or sage around your Lyon‐O’Brien‐Osceola‐ cole crops. If you have problems with the Colorado Sioux Counties, ISUEO potato beetle, grow some horseradish next to your potatoes. Tansy works to repel the cucumber beetle, The practice of squash bug and cutworm. To discourage rabbits plant companion planting has an assortment of alliums throughout the garden. Most been around for a long time. It dates back centuries and gardeners are aware of the reputation marigolds has have as a pest deterrent. We always have a border of been employed in gardens all over the world. It involves marigolds framing part of our vegetable garden. If growing two or more crops together for the benefit of one nothing else it attracts butterflies and looks cheerful. or all of them. A good example of this is the Three Sisters garden, a technique pioneered by Native To date, there is only limited scientific research on Americans. In this garden corn, pole beans and winter companion planting. Most information heralding squash are planted together. The plants mutually benefit the benefits of this technique comes from a mixture of each other as they grow. The corn provides a structure centuries old observations and backyard for the climbing beans, the beans put nitrogen back into 4 experiments. The method is also supported by years of (Platycodon grandiflorus), coneflower (Rudbeckia spp.), use in . So if you are looking for a nature perennial salvia (Salvia x superba), sedum (Sedum friendly way to benefit your garden this season, consider spp.), speedwell (Veronica spp.) and ornamental making room to plant some companions for your grasses (various species). vegetables. Design your own experiment and keep notes as to what works and what does not. In the end you’ll be Low maintenance perennials for partial to heavy shade rewarded with a beautiful garden filled with include lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis), Canadian wild vegetables, flowers and herbs and, hopefully, fewer ginger (Asarum canadense), heartleaf pests. (), turtlehead (Chelone spp.), bleeding heart (Dicentra spp.), barrenwort (Epimedium Additional sources for this article came from North spp.), hosta (Hosta spp.), creeping phlox (Phlox Dakota State University Extension publication stolonifera), lungwort (Pulmonaria spp.), bloodroot Companion Planting and Rodale’s The Encyclopedia of (Sanguinaria canadensis), foam flower (Tiarella spp.) Organic Gardening. For questions, please feel free to and ferns (various species). contact me at my email [email protected], or by phone at (712) 754‐3648 What are some good native perennials for a shady site?

Ask the ISU Extension Gardening Native woodland wildflowers that make good additions to Expert the home landscape include wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum), goat’s beard (Aruncus dioicus), Canadian wild ginger My daffodils produce foliage in spring, but no longer (Asarum canadense), Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra bloom. Why? cucullaria), shooting star (Dodecatheon meadia), Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica), woodland phlox (Phlox If the daffodils aren’t blooming, the plants weren’t able to divaricata), May apple (Podophyllum peltatum), store enough food in their bulbs in the previous year. Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum biflorum), bloodroot Daffodil foliage typically persists for four to six weeks (Sanguinaria canadensis), false Solomon’s seal after blooming. During this period, the daffodil foliage is (), merrybells (Uvularia manufacturing food. Much of the food is transported grandiflora) and others. down to the bulbs. In order to bloom, daffodils must store adequate levels of food in their bulbs. Cutting off the foliage before it has died back naturally may prevent the Volunteers Needed – Mills plants from storing adequate food in the bulbs. Allow the County Fair daffodil foliage to die completely before removing it. Plants in partial shade in May and June may not be able Help is needed for a activity for to store enough food in their bulbs because of K-6th grade to make flowers out of craft insufficient sunlight. Dig up daffodils growing in partial foam while learning about the life cycle of shade when the foliage has died back and plant the plants. The activity will take place on July bulbs in a location that receives at least six hours of 20, 2013, 2-3 p.m. at the Mills County Fair. For more direct sun per day. If given good care and favorable information contact Nancy Crews at the Mills County growing conditions, weak (non-blooming) daffodils can Extension and Outreach office on 712-624-8616 or be encouraged to flower again. [email protected].

What are some good low maintenance perennials?

All perennials require some maintenance. Watering, Resources for Horticulture information fertilizing, pinching, staking, deadheading, dividing and ISU’s Hortline at (515) 294-3108 providing winter protection are common maintenance (Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-noon, 1-4:30 p.m) chores. Some perennials require frequent attention through the growing season. Others require minimal care. Iowa State University Publications Low maintenance perennials for sunny locations include PM-1204 Morels, False Morels, and Other Cup Fungi butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), false blue indigo PM 874 Starting Garden Transplants at Home (free) PM 683 Composting Yard Waste (Baptisia australis), hardy geranium (Geranium spp.), PM 820 Garden Soil Management hardy zinnia (Heliopsis helianthoides), daylily RG 319 When to Divide Perennials (Hemerocallis spp.), Siberian iris (Iris sibirica), blazing PM 819 Planting a Home Vegetable Garden star (Liatris spp.), daffodil (Narcissus spp.), peony (Paeonia hybrids), Russian sage (Perovskia atriplicifolia), moss phlox (Phlox subulata), balloon flower MAY 5  Start a pile. It is best to have a mixture GARDENING of organic materials. Dry leaves mixed with fresh grass clippings, straw and hay, sawdust, and TO DO LIST finely chopped or shredded tree and shrub will produce wonderful compost!

 After danger of frost, plant your tender  Dig and Divide herbaceous perennials to control perennials such as caladiums, cannas, size, retain vigor, and/or to propagate more crocosima, gladiolas, dahlias, and tuberous plants. Early spring-blooming perennials should begonias. not be divided at this time.

 Plant tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant,  Heavily bearing apple trees should be hand pumpkins, squash, and melons after danger of thinned 6 weeks after bloom. frost. Be ready to protect seedlings if frost threatens.  Move houseplants outdoors into a shady, protected location for the season, if desired.  Stagger plantings of beans and corn for extended harvest.

 Rotate vegetable placement in the garden to reduce disease and insect problems.

Plants for Sale!  Pinch chrysanthemums back once they have 13th Annual Mills County Master Gardener grown to about 6” in height. This will promote compact growth and more blooms to enjoy this Plant & Bake Sale fall.

Saturday, May 11  Harden off young plants to help them adjust to sun, wind, and variable temperatures. Several 8:30 – 11:30 AM days before planting, cut back on water, move In the parking lot west of Glenwood State Bank transplants outdoors to a protected location, and leave them out for a couple of hours.  High quality, low cost plants: annuals, perennials, houseplants, vegetables,  Don’t remove foliage from tulips and other spring ornamental grasses, and more! flowering bulbs until the leaves turn completely brown. The leaves are creating food resources  Yard art and beautiful pre-potted plants and translocating them to the bulbs for next just in time for Mother’s Day! year’s flowers.  Every $20 purchase receives a free  Harvest asparagus until the stalks become bucket of Omagro pencil-thin. Then stop harvesting until next year.

 Silent auction for 3 trees and 2 garden  Harvest rhubarb by cutting or by grasping and pulling up and slightly to one side. benches!

 Thin lettuce, , and seedlings.  Master Gardeners on hand to answer all of your gardening questions!  Prune spring-flowering shrubs, such as lilac and forsythia, immediately after blooming. Proceeds applied to future Master Gardener programs in Mills County  Remove blossoms from newly planted June- bearing strawberry plants to allow for better runner formation. HorticulturePublications on-line  Scout for eastern tent on apple, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/store/ListCategories crabapple, and wild plum to find tents and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach programs are available remove them in the evening when the to all without regard to race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, are present. disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.

6