I don’t know about you, but hollyhocks take me back to my grandmother’s garden. I couldn’t tell you what she called them; I just can’t wrap my mouth around the word for “hollyhock” in Italian, but she loved them and so do I. In fact, there is probably a soft spot for this classic garden beauty in the heart of every gardener. If you think you’d like to plant a garden after the English cottage style, hollyhocks are an absolute must-have. Plant them along a fence, next to your shed, by the garage or at the back of the garden in the back of the border. Many gardeners plant dahlias and baby’s breath, Black-eyed Susans and mums in front of hollyhocks to “cover their shins.”
In addition to planting them at the back of the flowerbeds, they can be used as a screen to hide undesirable views. In fact, hollyhocks were once known as “outhouse flowers” because they were often planted to hide outhouses. A polite lady didn’t need to ask where the outhouse was – she just looked for the hollyhocks. Hollyhocks could be planted around children’s playhouses to make them a little more secluded. In fact, an ambitious gardener could use hollyhocks for the walls of a playhouse and perhaps runner beans to grow over the top for the roof. Ok, maybe I’m crazy, but it’s an interesting idea, you have to admit!
Hollyhocks are perennials or biennials depending on your climate. In zones 3 to 8, they may live over the following winter and bloom again if you cut the faded flower stalks off at the base, but it’s not guaranteed. In colder zones, you will want to mulch over the bases to protect from frost over the winter.
Flowers come in both single and double varieties. The blooms are carried on stems that can reach up to 8 feet tall depending on the variety. For more flower stalks, pinch out the growing tips once or twice early in the growing season. This will give you shorter plants with more branches. As they say, hollyhocks can get quite tall. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know that I’m interested in anything that requires a ladder in order to get those flowers into a vase! Hollyhock flowers open up like colorful saucers, up to 5 inches across! The double varieties look like large pom-poms. If you have children or grandchildren about, I’m sure you’ll find that they will love playing with these enormous blossoms. If you never made dolls from hollyhock flowers, you missed out on a wonderful childhood experience. The fully opened flowers are the skirts, half opened flowers are the torsos and the buds are the heads. Threading them onto a little stick holds them together.
While hollyhock flowers have no scent, bees and hummingbirds like to visit them.
Some gardeners insist that the ONLY way to start hollyhocks is indoors, in pots, in mid-February (in other words, RIGHT NOW!). If you choose this method, plant them about ½” deep in soil mix. The seeds will germinate at around 65 to 70 degrees. Check the pots often to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out, but be careful of over watering – these seeds rot easily. Seedlings should appear in about two weeks. Cut back on the water and let the soil dry out a bit between waterings. They like bright light otherwise they stretch and get quite gangly.
If you want blooms in the first year and are starting your seedlings indoors, some varieties for you to consider are Indian Spring, Happy Lights, Crème de Cassis and Summer Carnival. These are known for being rust resistant and for blooming the first year. However, I’m a lazy gardener and I prefer sowing right into the ground. Here in the Valley, the best time would be around mid-April.
Plant them in well-drained, neutral soil and make sure they get lots of sun. These plants don’t like shade! Feed in the spring with generous amounts of composted manure and continue feeding about every three weeks to once a month with fish emulsion.
When pruning, be sure to always leave a few spikes on the plant so they can set seeds and re-sow. You can also collect some of these seeds to share, when you become the envy of all your friends and neighbors with a knock-em-dead display of blooms.
Hollyhocks are prone to hollyhock rust. If you start to notice orange bumps or blisters on the leaves, pick off those leaves at once, put them in a bag and dispose of them – preferably off of your property. Do not compost those leaves; you’ll only be propagating the rust. Hollyhock rust is worse during wet summers, which we generally don’t have here in the Rogue Valley. Avoid overhead watering with your hollyhocks whenever possible. I always just pull of the rusty leaves and get rid of them. I’ll live with a little rust. If you don’t want hollyhock rust at all, then there are copper or Sulphur sprays you can use to prevent further infection. Obviously, if you’re using fungicides and pesticides, you shouldn’t let children play with the blossoms or around the plants themselves.
Hollyhocks also have a reputation for attracting bugs. I make a point of setting out extra ladybugs in their vicinity to control whatever it is that thinks living on my hollyhocks is the thing to do. Of course, if you’re using ladybugs, you shouldn’t be using pesticides. You could even set out a mantis egg case either right in or very close by your patch of hollyhocks. Mantids are great for controlling a large number of pests, plus they’re kind of fun. I had a really large one living in a wisteria vine on my back porch for a season and I think we got to be friends…but that’s a story for another time.
18 February 2008
11 February 2008
Begin at the beginning...
And continue on right to the end. Alice was advised to do this during her sojourn to Wonderland. And that would be a good place for you to start, if you’re thinking about wading into a vegetable or herb garden for the first time. Aside from gardening being good for your physical and mental health, the veggies you grow yourself are way healthier for you. If you have children, getting the to eat their veggies is MUCH more easy to do when it’s something they have helped grow! There’s something magical about your first garden and every day is a learning experience. Who among us couldn’t use a little bit of that kind of magic?
Take courage! With a little reading and research, you can be really successful and have a garden worth crowing about!
If you think you’re ready to think about beginning, remember this: It’s better to be proud of a small garden, than frustrated by a big one. You don’t want to get out there, rotor till a quarter of an acre and then find out that you just can’t manage something that size. If you don’t want to dig up your yard or make a garden in the ground or don’t have a yard to dig up, there are lots of things you can grow in containers. Cherry tomatoes spring to mind, but I’m wandering. More on containers later…
One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic or your neighbors to hide when they see you coming with your brown bag of veggies, plan carefully. By the way, if you wind up in the situation of having way too much of anything, I’m sure the folks over at the community center can help you find someone who would be interested in some surplus fresh veggies. Wandering again…moving on…Start small and then – if you choose to – you can expand with the years and experience. For example, one tomato plant per person is really sufficient, unless you plan on being the supplier for your neighborhood or want to sell them in your front yard. I have to admit to a fondness for tomatoes and frequently have more than we can use. I like the heirloom tomatoes and the ones in interesting colors. But really, one plant per person works well, perhaps with a cherry tomato plant for salads.
Here are some very basic concepts you’ll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener supreme:
Vegetables love the sun! They require six hours of sunlight each day, at least. Continuous sun would be best, if possible.
Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Unfortunately, many people have a truly astounding combination of rocks and clay that can sometimes seem nearly invulnerable to shovels, picks and hoes. It’s a good reason to start small, because improving the soil is the toughest part of gardening. Check with your local nursery or county extension about soil testing. Working quantities of composted manure into your soil is, in my opinion, the best way to make sure that your veggies get what they need and you’re making your soil better as well. I tend to shy away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides; so composted manure is always my first choice. There are so many horses, cows and goats around about; there’s got to be local sources for composted manure. Rabbit manure is really great fertilizer as well.
You can always construct a frame, line the bottom with chicken wire (to keep burrowing critters out) and fill it with soil from your yard, blended with composted manure, composted leaves or peat moss.
Placement is everything. Like people, vegetables need the right nutrition to grow healthy produce. Place your garden too near a tree and it will lose its nutrients to the tree’s greedy roots. On the other hand, a garden closer to your house will help discourage rabbits, raccoons, deer, mice and opossums from chowing down on your potential harvest.
Vegetables need lots of water. At least one inch per week. Did you notice where the snow was melting first in your yard a few weeks ago when we all had a white coating in our yards? That’s where the sun catches in warm pockets and will make a difference in how well you vegetables will grow.
If you receive the seed catalogs, study them and order early. If you don’t, you can check locally for seeds or go into town to a home center or nursery. Later in the season, you can get plants that are already started which are also a great way to set out your garden. Tomatoes and peppers are among the few vegetables that aren’t direct seeded into the garden. They should be started indoors in April, then planted in the garden with the seeds of beans and zucchini in mid-May. Or you can always purchase pre-started plants locally. Peas, lettuces, spinach and radishes like cool temperatures and they should be started as soon as the chances for frost have passed.
A good-sized beginner garden is 10 x 16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing and giving away. Adjust proportionately to your family size, don’t be afraid to do less and definitely feel free to adjust quantities to what you and your family are likely to enjoy eating! If you think you can manage more than what’s listed here, consider a couple of barrels or wooden containers with some extras or salad greens. These will be easy to maintain. Cherry tomatoes are a great choice for a container and are very easy. Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, radishes and spinach. To plan for a second crop, check the days to maturity in the seed catalogs or on the packets.
For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun. Make your garden eleven rows of 10-feet each of the following: tomatoes – 5 plants – staked or caged, squash – 4 plants, peppers – 6 plants, cabbage, bush beans, lettuce – leaf and/or bib, beets, carrots, chard, radish, garlic and marigolds (to discourage rabbits and other garden-munching visitors). Leave two feet between bush beans, one half foot between bush beans and lettuce and one foot between all the rest.
When to plant? If you’re setting out pre-started plants, pick a day that is overcast. If you have to plant on a sunny day, wait until the sun is low in the sky. It makes the transition from pot to the ground much easier on the plant.
Dig a whole twice the size of the pot and loosen the soil as deep as your trowel will go. Turn the pot upside down and tap out the plant. Place the plant in the hole and give it a good soaking. Carry the watering can with you when you plant and give each plant a drink as it’s planted. Don’t plant the whole bed and then come back to water it later.
Seeds need a finely raked bed. Be sure to just barely cover them and keep them moist until they germinate. It’s really nice to do your planting in a light rain. The plants love it although your neighbors might think you’re nuts. Keep ‘em guessing, I say. Keep the new plants watered well the first couple of weeks, then water as needed. Remember, your garden will need one inch of water per week, either from the hose or from Mother Nature.
Once everything is growing, weeding is the main task left. The best tip I ever read about weeding was to use just mulch over the weeds throughout the season. Eventually, you will smother even the most persistent and invasive weeds and turn them into something that will benefit your soil.
Let’s talk for a minute about pests. There are a variety of insects that may try to take up residence in your garden. Aphids, tomato hornworms, cut worms – all kinds of things. There are two things that I like for pest control – ladybugs and praying mantis. You can purchase containers of ladybugs and mantid egg cases at the nursery, hardware store and most home centers. If you really don’t want them, Ivory soap and water will deter most garden pests. Unfortunately, the only foolproof way to keep hornworms off of your tomatoes is to pick them off by hand. If you must, there are pesticides available to control bugs in the garden. The local hardware store has a selection and knowledgeable folks to help you out in that area.
You can always grow your lettuces or salad mix and radishes in containers. One great way to get your kids or grandkids to eat salad is to purchase the seeds for a nice salad blend. Plant it in a container and when the plants are four inches high or so, send the kidlets out with some safety scissors to harvest the salad for dinner. Rinse it and toss it with some of those cherry tomatoes you grew on your deck and you have a very healthful meal, packed with nutrients and flavor. You will notice that veggies you grow yourself, taste a lot better than store-bought!
Gardening is fun and – really – it’s good for your soul. There’s something primitively satisfying about digging in the dirt – maybe a throwback to a time when our parents told us not to. So get up, step away from the TV and get outside! I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the fruits of your labor.
Take courage! With a little reading and research, you can be really successful and have a garden worth crowing about!
If you think you’re ready to think about beginning, remember this: It’s better to be proud of a small garden, than frustrated by a big one. You don’t want to get out there, rotor till a quarter of an acre and then find out that you just can’t manage something that size. If you don’t want to dig up your yard or make a garden in the ground or don’t have a yard to dig up, there are lots of things you can grow in containers. Cherry tomatoes spring to mind, but I’m wandering. More on containers later…
One of the common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon and way more than anybody could eat or want. Unless you want to have zucchini taking up residence in your attic or your neighbors to hide when they see you coming with your brown bag of veggies, plan carefully. By the way, if you wind up in the situation of having way too much of anything, I’m sure the folks over at the community center can help you find someone who would be interested in some surplus fresh veggies. Wandering again…moving on…Start small and then – if you choose to – you can expand with the years and experience. For example, one tomato plant per person is really sufficient, unless you plan on being the supplier for your neighborhood or want to sell them in your front yard. I have to admit to a fondness for tomatoes and frequently have more than we can use. I like the heirloom tomatoes and the ones in interesting colors. But really, one plant per person works well, perhaps with a cherry tomato plant for salads.
Here are some very basic concepts you’ll want to explore further as you become a vegetable gardener supreme:
Vegetables love the sun! They require six hours of sunlight each day, at least. Continuous sun would be best, if possible.
Vegetables must have good, loamy, well-drained soil. Most backyard soil is not perfect and needs a helping hand. Unfortunately, many people have a truly astounding combination of rocks and clay that can sometimes seem nearly invulnerable to shovels, picks and hoes. It’s a good reason to start small, because improving the soil is the toughest part of gardening. Check with your local nursery or county extension about soil testing. Working quantities of composted manure into your soil is, in my opinion, the best way to make sure that your veggies get what they need and you’re making your soil better as well. I tend to shy away from chemical fertilizers and pesticides; so composted manure is always my first choice. There are so many horses, cows and goats around about; there’s got to be local sources for composted manure. Rabbit manure is really great fertilizer as well.
You can always construct a frame, line the bottom with chicken wire (to keep burrowing critters out) and fill it with soil from your yard, blended with composted manure, composted leaves or peat moss.
Placement is everything. Like people, vegetables need the right nutrition to grow healthy produce. Place your garden too near a tree and it will lose its nutrients to the tree’s greedy roots. On the other hand, a garden closer to your house will help discourage rabbits, raccoons, deer, mice and opossums from chowing down on your potential harvest.
Vegetables need lots of water. At least one inch per week. Did you notice where the snow was melting first in your yard a few weeks ago when we all had a white coating in our yards? That’s where the sun catches in warm pockets and will make a difference in how well you vegetables will grow.
If you receive the seed catalogs, study them and order early. If you don’t, you can check locally for seeds or go into town to a home center or nursery. Later in the season, you can get plants that are already started which are also a great way to set out your garden. Tomatoes and peppers are among the few vegetables that aren’t direct seeded into the garden. They should be started indoors in April, then planted in the garden with the seeds of beans and zucchini in mid-May. Or you can always purchase pre-started plants locally. Peas, lettuces, spinach and radishes like cool temperatures and they should be started as soon as the chances for frost have passed.
A good-sized beginner garden is 10 x 16 feet and features crops that are easy to grow. A plot this size, planted as suggested, can feed a family of four for one summer, with a little extra for canning and freezing and giving away. Adjust proportionately to your family size, don’t be afraid to do less and definitely feel free to adjust quantities to what you and your family are likely to enjoy eating! If you think you can manage more than what’s listed here, consider a couple of barrels or wooden containers with some extras or salad greens. These will be easy to maintain. Cherry tomatoes are a great choice for a container and are very easy. Vegetables that may yield more than one crop per season are beans, beets, carrots, cabbage, lettuce, radishes and spinach. To plan for a second crop, check the days to maturity in the seed catalogs or on the packets.
For the plan below, your rows should run north and south to take full advantage of the sun. Make your garden eleven rows of 10-feet each of the following: tomatoes – 5 plants – staked or caged, squash – 4 plants, peppers – 6 plants, cabbage, bush beans, lettuce – leaf and/or bib, beets, carrots, chard, radish, garlic and marigolds (to discourage rabbits and other garden-munching visitors). Leave two feet between bush beans, one half foot between bush beans and lettuce and one foot between all the rest.
When to plant? If you’re setting out pre-started plants, pick a day that is overcast. If you have to plant on a sunny day, wait until the sun is low in the sky. It makes the transition from pot to the ground much easier on the plant.
Dig a whole twice the size of the pot and loosen the soil as deep as your trowel will go. Turn the pot upside down and tap out the plant. Place the plant in the hole and give it a good soaking. Carry the watering can with you when you plant and give each plant a drink as it’s planted. Don’t plant the whole bed and then come back to water it later.
Seeds need a finely raked bed. Be sure to just barely cover them and keep them moist until they germinate. It’s really nice to do your planting in a light rain. The plants love it although your neighbors might think you’re nuts. Keep ‘em guessing, I say. Keep the new plants watered well the first couple of weeks, then water as needed. Remember, your garden will need one inch of water per week, either from the hose or from Mother Nature.
Once everything is growing, weeding is the main task left. The best tip I ever read about weeding was to use just mulch over the weeds throughout the season. Eventually, you will smother even the most persistent and invasive weeds and turn them into something that will benefit your soil.
Let’s talk for a minute about pests. There are a variety of insects that may try to take up residence in your garden. Aphids, tomato hornworms, cut worms – all kinds of things. There are two things that I like for pest control – ladybugs and praying mantis. You can purchase containers of ladybugs and mantid egg cases at the nursery, hardware store and most home centers. If you really don’t want them, Ivory soap and water will deter most garden pests. Unfortunately, the only foolproof way to keep hornworms off of your tomatoes is to pick them off by hand. If you must, there are pesticides available to control bugs in the garden. The local hardware store has a selection and knowledgeable folks to help you out in that area.
You can always grow your lettuces or salad mix and radishes in containers. One great way to get your kids or grandkids to eat salad is to purchase the seeds for a nice salad blend. Plant it in a container and when the plants are four inches high or so, send the kidlets out with some safety scissors to harvest the salad for dinner. Rinse it and toss it with some of those cherry tomatoes you grew on your deck and you have a very healthful meal, packed with nutrients and flavor. You will notice that veggies you grow yourself, taste a lot better than store-bought!
Gardening is fun and – really – it’s good for your soul. There’s something primitively satisfying about digging in the dirt – maybe a throwback to a time when our parents told us not to. So get up, step away from the TV and get outside! I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised by the fruits of your labor.
04 February 2008
A Rose By Any Other Name...
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, so Shakespeare tells us.
Links to antiquity are strong among old roses and is one of the many reasons gardeners love them. The oldest rose planted today was in existence some 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. Rosa Gallica var. officinalis migrated from Iran through Turkey to France and finally into England just in time to be named “The Red Rose of Lancaster”, figuring prominently in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. Known as “The Apothecary’s Rose”, because during the past thousand years or so it has been extensively utilized by herbalists.
Ancient civilizations have revered roses for their beauty, aromatic oil and medicinal powers. Rose petals have tannin, which is an astringent and were used to control bleeding. Rose oil and rose water were used in China for stomach and colon problems. Rose hips are rich in vitamin C.
The supremely fragrant “Desiree Parmentier”, a Gallica rose, was called so after the Frenchwoman who became the queen of Sweden. In her younger years, she financed Napoleon’s second campaign with her jewelry after her father had refused to do so. When one of Napoleon’s commanders ended up getting himself crowned king of Sweden, Napoleon played matchmaker – introducing Desiree to the king, who was in the market for a wife.
“Souvenir de la Malmaison”, was first grown by Josephine Bonaparte in her chateau gardens near Paris and was so loved by Catherine the Great that she filled the Imperial Garden at St. Petersburg with these pale pink Bourbons.
While a truly “easy”, carefree rose doesn’t really exist outside of our imaginations, some are easier to grow than others and a few tricks will help make sure your endeavors are a success.
Be sure to choose varieties proven in your climate. When in doubt, look for AARS winners. They are invariably good bets for your garden.
Plant your roses where they will receive a minimum of five or six hours of full sun per day. They would probably like even more than that.
Diligently water your roses. They are quite thirsty plants and you should soak the entire root zone at least twice a week during dry summer weather. If it’s really hot, you may even need to do this daily. Don’t let the leaves get wet. Wet foliage invites fungus and, once you have it in your garden, it’s not easy to get rid of. I like a soaker nozzle on my hose, but a drip or soaker hose also works well. Water in the morning for best results. Please avoid frequent shallow sprinklings, which won’t make it to the deeper roots and could encourage fungus, the bane of rose gardeners everywhere.
For newly planted roses, the experts tell me that one of the most important things is this: DO NOT FEED YOUR ROSES WITH FERTILIZER IN THE FIRST YEAR!! Sounds crazy, I know, but the logic behind it is infallible. When you plant, add LOTS of organic material to the soil, preferably composted manure. With all these cows and horses around, we should all be able to locate some, right?
The reason for this? If you feed heavily with a commercial fertilizer, you will discourage the development of a strong root system. The rose thinks it doesn’t have to look very far for food and the result will be a puny and weak root system. The developing roots will not be able to use a lot of this easily available food and you could easily kill a newly planted rose by giving it soluble fertilizers. One expert, local to the Rogue Valley, suggests “If you MUST feed your roses, a mild feeding of ½ strength fish emulsion can be applied once or twice in June or July. But they won’t really need it if you’ve done your job correctly.” He further recommends a vitamin B solution at the rate of ONE DROP per gallon of water. It is a growth stimulator and has the ability to encourage strong root growth.
Once they’re established, feed your roses. They have big appetites. The absolute best thing to feed your roses with is the age-old gardener’s choice of soil amendment – aged manure. Fork in a 3 to 5 inch layer of manure every spring for established plants. You might want to add more later after the first blooming has ended. Fish emulsion fertilizers are wonderful as well since this kind of organic feeding can actually contribute to the long-term health of the soil by introducing compounds that feed the naturally occurring organisms. In May and June, add a tablespoon of Epsom salts. Magnesium sulfate encourages new growth. Kelp is also an excellent natural fertilizer. Stop fertilizing one month before the first expected frost. In my opinion, fertilizers that offer a sudden burst of harsh chemicals damage the soil and could – over time – render your garden toxic. That’s just my opinion – I’m OK with those who prefer the three-in-one granulated insecticide/anti-fungus/fertilizers. I personally prefer a different way.
Roses like a nearly neutral soil pH, somewhere between 6.5 and 7. For best results, test your soil and follow the recommendations for adjusting the pH levels. Contact a good local nursery or the Master Gardeners for help with soil testing. In addition, roses need really great drainage. Many of us in Rogue River have the rocks-and-clay soil that simply puddles up water. If you can’t provide good drainage to help keep their feet dry, perhaps a raised rose bed would be a better alternative. Allow at least one foot of space between rosebushes for good air circulation. This helps prevent disease as well. Remember that one foot of space means that you will probably need to plant them about three feet apart to allow for growth.
It is so much easier to prevent disease than to cure it! Many die-hard rose gardeners treat their roses weekly with a general-purpose spray such as Funginex. I have been told that a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of Ivory dish soap and a gallon of water will prevent black spot. Use a hose type sprayer to apply. When the weather is damp and spores are abundant on old diseased foliage is when your plants are at the greatest risk. Deadhead regularly and religiously. Keep your beds clean. Don’t leave your rose trimmings lying about. Keep your plants strong – pay attention to their other needs such as sun, food and water – and it will help hold your losses – if they occur – to a minimum.
Insect pests can really be pests. My first choice in insect control is ladybugs. They eat enormous quantities of aphids and other pests. Spider mites and praying mantis are also lovely to have help keep order in your garden. An excellent natural insecticide is neem seed oil. Garlic plants and sprays are fine organic techniques to help keep a variety of beetles away from your roses.
Another method of helping your roses be all that they can be is mulch. Mulch after they are planted. Mulching is the practice of adding plant material, such as leaves, dead grass or shredded bark on top of the soil. The plant material will eventually be broken down and pulled into the soil by the friendly denizens living there. It will become humus. Mulching also helps the soil retain moisture. In a natural environment, leaves fall to the ground and stay there. They act as mulch. Your roses will appreciate your activities in this area very mulch.
Roses should be pruned in the spring. Cut out any dead wood and damaged branches. Always sharpen your shears and soak them in a solution of half water and half bleach before pruning. This will help protect your bushes from diseases and insects.
Plants of all kinds are a little like humans – some play well with others and some don’t. Some plants grow well together and actually help each other survive. Other plants are oppressive to neighboring plants. Plants that grow well together are referred to as “companion plants”. I mentioned garlic earlier and have to restate that roses really do love garlic as well as other members of the onion family. The onion family is made up of around 500 species. While planting garlic will help protect your roses, there are many other onion varieties that will protect your roses and provide beautiful flowers to enhance the roses. In addition, marigolds, mignonettes, lavender and thyme are good companions for roses.
All in all, roses are very rewarding to cultivate. There are few things in the garden more beautiful. Roses truly are the “Queen of Flowers” and will add elegance and a real sense of joy to any yard.
Links to antiquity are strong among old roses and is one of the many reasons gardeners love them. The oldest rose planted today was in existence some 2,000 years before the birth of Christ. Rosa Gallica var. officinalis migrated from Iran through Turkey to France and finally into England just in time to be named “The Red Rose of Lancaster”, figuring prominently in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. Known as “The Apothecary’s Rose”, because during the past thousand years or so it has been extensively utilized by herbalists.
Ancient civilizations have revered roses for their beauty, aromatic oil and medicinal powers. Rose petals have tannin, which is an astringent and were used to control bleeding. Rose oil and rose water were used in China for stomach and colon problems. Rose hips are rich in vitamin C.
The supremely fragrant “Desiree Parmentier”, a Gallica rose, was called so after the Frenchwoman who became the queen of Sweden. In her younger years, she financed Napoleon’s second campaign with her jewelry after her father had refused to do so. When one of Napoleon’s commanders ended up getting himself crowned king of Sweden, Napoleon played matchmaker – introducing Desiree to the king, who was in the market for a wife.
“Souvenir de la Malmaison”, was first grown by Josephine Bonaparte in her chateau gardens near Paris and was so loved by Catherine the Great that she filled the Imperial Garden at St. Petersburg with these pale pink Bourbons.
While a truly “easy”, carefree rose doesn’t really exist outside of our imaginations, some are easier to grow than others and a few tricks will help make sure your endeavors are a success.
Be sure to choose varieties proven in your climate. When in doubt, look for AARS winners. They are invariably good bets for your garden.
Plant your roses where they will receive a minimum of five or six hours of full sun per day. They would probably like even more than that.
Diligently water your roses. They are quite thirsty plants and you should soak the entire root zone at least twice a week during dry summer weather. If it’s really hot, you may even need to do this daily. Don’t let the leaves get wet. Wet foliage invites fungus and, once you have it in your garden, it’s not easy to get rid of. I like a soaker nozzle on my hose, but a drip or soaker hose also works well. Water in the morning for best results. Please avoid frequent shallow sprinklings, which won’t make it to the deeper roots and could encourage fungus, the bane of rose gardeners everywhere.
For newly planted roses, the experts tell me that one of the most important things is this: DO NOT FEED YOUR ROSES WITH FERTILIZER IN THE FIRST YEAR!! Sounds crazy, I know, but the logic behind it is infallible. When you plant, add LOTS of organic material to the soil, preferably composted manure. With all these cows and horses around, we should all be able to locate some, right?
The reason for this? If you feed heavily with a commercial fertilizer, you will discourage the development of a strong root system. The rose thinks it doesn’t have to look very far for food and the result will be a puny and weak root system. The developing roots will not be able to use a lot of this easily available food and you could easily kill a newly planted rose by giving it soluble fertilizers. One expert, local to the Rogue Valley, suggests “If you MUST feed your roses, a mild feeding of ½ strength fish emulsion can be applied once or twice in June or July. But they won’t really need it if you’ve done your job correctly.” He further recommends a vitamin B solution at the rate of ONE DROP per gallon of water. It is a growth stimulator and has the ability to encourage strong root growth.
Once they’re established, feed your roses. They have big appetites. The absolute best thing to feed your roses with is the age-old gardener’s choice of soil amendment – aged manure. Fork in a 3 to 5 inch layer of manure every spring for established plants. You might want to add more later after the first blooming has ended. Fish emulsion fertilizers are wonderful as well since this kind of organic feeding can actually contribute to the long-term health of the soil by introducing compounds that feed the naturally occurring organisms. In May and June, add a tablespoon of Epsom salts. Magnesium sulfate encourages new growth. Kelp is also an excellent natural fertilizer. Stop fertilizing one month before the first expected frost. In my opinion, fertilizers that offer a sudden burst of harsh chemicals damage the soil and could – over time – render your garden toxic. That’s just my opinion – I’m OK with those who prefer the three-in-one granulated insecticide/anti-fungus/fertilizers. I personally prefer a different way.
Roses like a nearly neutral soil pH, somewhere between 6.5 and 7. For best results, test your soil and follow the recommendations for adjusting the pH levels. Contact a good local nursery or the Master Gardeners for help with soil testing. In addition, roses need really great drainage. Many of us in Rogue River have the rocks-and-clay soil that simply puddles up water. If you can’t provide good drainage to help keep their feet dry, perhaps a raised rose bed would be a better alternative. Allow at least one foot of space between rosebushes for good air circulation. This helps prevent disease as well. Remember that one foot of space means that you will probably need to plant them about three feet apart to allow for growth.
It is so much easier to prevent disease than to cure it! Many die-hard rose gardeners treat their roses weekly with a general-purpose spray such as Funginex. I have been told that a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda, one tablespoon of Ivory dish soap and a gallon of water will prevent black spot. Use a hose type sprayer to apply. When the weather is damp and spores are abundant on old diseased foliage is when your plants are at the greatest risk. Deadhead regularly and religiously. Keep your beds clean. Don’t leave your rose trimmings lying about. Keep your plants strong – pay attention to their other needs such as sun, food and water – and it will help hold your losses – if they occur – to a minimum.
Insect pests can really be pests. My first choice in insect control is ladybugs. They eat enormous quantities of aphids and other pests. Spider mites and praying mantis are also lovely to have help keep order in your garden. An excellent natural insecticide is neem seed oil. Garlic plants and sprays are fine organic techniques to help keep a variety of beetles away from your roses.
Another method of helping your roses be all that they can be is mulch. Mulch after they are planted. Mulching is the practice of adding plant material, such as leaves, dead grass or shredded bark on top of the soil. The plant material will eventually be broken down and pulled into the soil by the friendly denizens living there. It will become humus. Mulching also helps the soil retain moisture. In a natural environment, leaves fall to the ground and stay there. They act as mulch. Your roses will appreciate your activities in this area very mulch.
Roses should be pruned in the spring. Cut out any dead wood and damaged branches. Always sharpen your shears and soak them in a solution of half water and half bleach before pruning. This will help protect your bushes from diseases and insects.
Plants of all kinds are a little like humans – some play well with others and some don’t. Some plants grow well together and actually help each other survive. Other plants are oppressive to neighboring plants. Plants that grow well together are referred to as “companion plants”. I mentioned garlic earlier and have to restate that roses really do love garlic as well as other members of the onion family. The onion family is made up of around 500 species. While planting garlic will help protect your roses, there are many other onion varieties that will protect your roses and provide beautiful flowers to enhance the roses. In addition, marigolds, mignonettes, lavender and thyme are good companions for roses.
All in all, roses are very rewarding to cultivate. There are few things in the garden more beautiful. Roses truly are the “Queen of Flowers” and will add elegance and a real sense of joy to any yard.
30 January 2008
The Bambi Syndrome OR They didn't get the memo...
Every spring, gardeners all over the Rogue Valley set out gorgeous plants that they’ve been told are deer resistant. The problem with this, of course, is that the deer didn’t get the memo and, even if they had, they can’t read the darned thing.
They clearly have no idea that the plants you’ve carefully selected are on the list of things deer don’t prefer. Having them stroll through your yard is always noteworthy; no doubt about it, they are beautiful. Unless it’s your tomatoes or your roses being eaten, or your lawn mauled by little feet. Then all that beauty turns to dismay. Must they leave a trail of destruction behind them? Granted, they aren’t ruining your landscape out of spite or malice – They’re just hungry. One adult deer consumes between six and ten pounds of vegetation a day. If you’re laying out a spread that looks good to them, then – as far as they’re concerned – it’s fair game.
Is there a solution to completely take care of the deer problem? Not really. But you can manage it and minimize the damage.
Although many people enjoy the deer grazing in their yards and some even set out feed to attract them further, deer can be very destructive to gardens, orchards and landscaped areas. Deer damage to your plants is associated with a number of factors including increasing number of deer, human population shifts to rural and suburban areas and prohibited hunting.
There are a number of theories on how to keep deer away. Everything from hanging bars of soap in pantyhose bags around your yard, collecting hair from your local salon and scattering it around, boxed big cat poop from the spendy nursery store or bottled wolf urine via mail order. Do any of them work? Some people swear by them, some people fall over laughing at the very idea.
I’ve checked out some of the alleged “homemade deer repellants” and have found two versions that Master Gardeners in various locations in the west swear by:
Version 1 – The California Version: Combine in a blender one egg, one cup of milk, three tablespoons of cooking oil, one tablespoon of liquid soap and one teaspoon of hot chili oil. Blend this with a quart of water and spray it on your plants every five to seven days.
Version 2 – The Portland Rose Gardener Version: Combine in one gallon of water: the zest of six large oranges, two tablespoons of Tabasco sauce, two tablespoons of corn oil, one tablespoon of cod liver oil and one cup of milk. Put it in a garden sprayer and spray in the desired areas.
A deer-proof fence is probably the best insurance against damage. Some local ordinances may prohibit a fence high enough to keep deer out. You might not want to have to look at that fence and it’s fairly likely that your neighbors aren’t going to want to look at it either. Utilizing deer-resistant plants in your landscape is much more pleasing to the eye.
Deer are picky eaters; they prefer some foods over others. The plants that the deer avoid are considered “deer-resistant.” Deer do eat a lot of different things including wood plants, grasses, fruits, nuts, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines and vegetables. They’ll also make short work of your tulips and roses and very neatly top the bloom off of just about any flowering plant, I think, just to see if it tastes good. Bearing this in mind, knowledge of deer feeding habits can reduce the expensive browsing damage deer can cause in your yard.
Plants can be deer resistant for a number of reasons. Lots of the most deer resistant plants are poisonous. Some of these plants are poisonous at all times, others only at certain stages of their growth.
Taste, preferences and digestibility also vary with plant parts, age, growth and the time of year. The availability of the deer’s natural food can have a lot to do with the amount of damage caused by deer as well. If there is plenty of natural food available for the deer, they are less likely to eat the plants in your yard. When the deer’s regular food supply is low, however, they can cause heavy damage. If you happen to be calling them to your yard with feed, there’s not much you can do to keep them from eating your plants. As far as they’re concerned, in this case, the buffet is open and it’s chow time!
When there is a large population of deer around, they will frequently eat many plants that they would normally avoid. Damage from deer usually occurs from late fall through early spring. Deer sometimes will browse plants that are included in the “deer resistant” category and will sometimes avoid plants not included in that group.
Highly fragrant plants that are known to actually repel deer are catnip, chives, garlic, onions, ornamental Alliums (these also repel gophers), honey bush, lavender, mint, sage and thyme. While you’re sitting in your home, going over the gardening catalogs that have stuffed your mailbox over the winter, plan on replacing the things deer like with some of the things they don’t. If you want to plant bulbs, choose daffodils over tulips. If you like roses (and who doesn’t?), choose a rugosa hybrid. The overwhelming scent, leathery leaves and thorns make them considerably less attractive to deer.
While no plant is immune from deer damage, selecting plants that are on the regional lists of “deer resistant plants” is still a better way to plan your garden than spending a fortune on a salad bar for the deer.
Oregon State University tells us that deer are not particularly interested in the following plants, shrubs and trees:
Bulbs & Perennials: Columbine, Basin Sagebrush, Larkspur (poisonous), Foxglove (poisonous), Hellebore, Iris, Lupine (poisonous), Narcissus (poisonous), Daffodil (poisonous) and Rosemary.
Shrubs: Oregon Grape, Western Spice Bush, Red Osier Dogwood, Holly, Jasmine, Juniper, Honey Bush, Rhododendron (poisonous), Red Elderberry (poisonous) and Common Lilac.
Trees: European White Birch, Flowering Dogwood*, Kousa Dogwood*, English Hawthorn, Persimmon, European Beech, Honey Locust, Holly, Juniper and Black Locust.
- OSU apparently failed to notify the deer that frequent my mother-in-law’s yard that they aren’t supposed to be interested in Dogwood trees.
Vines & Ground Cover: Carolina Jessamine (poisonous), Nightshade (poisonous), Cape Honeysuckle and Japanese Wisteria (poisonous).
Try to plan your garden space to be as deer deterrent as possible. Make you yard less inviting to enter by bordering the entryways and edges with deer repellant plants, as well as tactics like eliminating cover and cleaning up wind fall fruit.
Lastly, aside from opening your yard to hunters (NOT the recommended deer deterrent of choice!), a nice, big dog that barks when deer come calling works wonders. Or even a little dog. Deer don’t like the noise of a barking dog and will head on down the street to your neighbor’s yard instead. Besides, they say having a dog reduces stress.
They clearly have no idea that the plants you’ve carefully selected are on the list of things deer don’t prefer. Having them stroll through your yard is always noteworthy; no doubt about it, they are beautiful. Unless it’s your tomatoes or your roses being eaten, or your lawn mauled by little feet. Then all that beauty turns to dismay. Must they leave a trail of destruction behind them? Granted, they aren’t ruining your landscape out of spite or malice – They’re just hungry. One adult deer consumes between six and ten pounds of vegetation a day. If you’re laying out a spread that looks good to them, then – as far as they’re concerned – it’s fair game.
Is there a solution to completely take care of the deer problem? Not really. But you can manage it and minimize the damage.
Although many people enjoy the deer grazing in their yards and some even set out feed to attract them further, deer can be very destructive to gardens, orchards and landscaped areas. Deer damage to your plants is associated with a number of factors including increasing number of deer, human population shifts to rural and suburban areas and prohibited hunting.
There are a number of theories on how to keep deer away. Everything from hanging bars of soap in pantyhose bags around your yard, collecting hair from your local salon and scattering it around, boxed big cat poop from the spendy nursery store or bottled wolf urine via mail order. Do any of them work? Some people swear by them, some people fall over laughing at the very idea.
I’ve checked out some of the alleged “homemade deer repellants” and have found two versions that Master Gardeners in various locations in the west swear by:
Version 1 – The California Version: Combine in a blender one egg, one cup of milk, three tablespoons of cooking oil, one tablespoon of liquid soap and one teaspoon of hot chili oil. Blend this with a quart of water and spray it on your plants every five to seven days.
Version 2 – The Portland Rose Gardener Version: Combine in one gallon of water: the zest of six large oranges, two tablespoons of Tabasco sauce, two tablespoons of corn oil, one tablespoon of cod liver oil and one cup of milk. Put it in a garden sprayer and spray in the desired areas.
A deer-proof fence is probably the best insurance against damage. Some local ordinances may prohibit a fence high enough to keep deer out. You might not want to have to look at that fence and it’s fairly likely that your neighbors aren’t going to want to look at it either. Utilizing deer-resistant plants in your landscape is much more pleasing to the eye.
Deer are picky eaters; they prefer some foods over others. The plants that the deer avoid are considered “deer-resistant.” Deer do eat a lot of different things including wood plants, grasses, fruits, nuts, ornamental trees, shrubs, vines and vegetables. They’ll also make short work of your tulips and roses and very neatly top the bloom off of just about any flowering plant, I think, just to see if it tastes good. Bearing this in mind, knowledge of deer feeding habits can reduce the expensive browsing damage deer can cause in your yard.
Plants can be deer resistant for a number of reasons. Lots of the most deer resistant plants are poisonous. Some of these plants are poisonous at all times, others only at certain stages of their growth.
Taste, preferences and digestibility also vary with plant parts, age, growth and the time of year. The availability of the deer’s natural food can have a lot to do with the amount of damage caused by deer as well. If there is plenty of natural food available for the deer, they are less likely to eat the plants in your yard. When the deer’s regular food supply is low, however, they can cause heavy damage. If you happen to be calling them to your yard with feed, there’s not much you can do to keep them from eating your plants. As far as they’re concerned, in this case, the buffet is open and it’s chow time!
When there is a large population of deer around, they will frequently eat many plants that they would normally avoid. Damage from deer usually occurs from late fall through early spring. Deer sometimes will browse plants that are included in the “deer resistant” category and will sometimes avoid plants not included in that group.
Highly fragrant plants that are known to actually repel deer are catnip, chives, garlic, onions, ornamental Alliums (these also repel gophers), honey bush, lavender, mint, sage and thyme. While you’re sitting in your home, going over the gardening catalogs that have stuffed your mailbox over the winter, plan on replacing the things deer like with some of the things they don’t. If you want to plant bulbs, choose daffodils over tulips. If you like roses (and who doesn’t?), choose a rugosa hybrid. The overwhelming scent, leathery leaves and thorns make them considerably less attractive to deer.
While no plant is immune from deer damage, selecting plants that are on the regional lists of “deer resistant plants” is still a better way to plan your garden than spending a fortune on a salad bar for the deer.
Oregon State University tells us that deer are not particularly interested in the following plants, shrubs and trees:
Bulbs & Perennials: Columbine, Basin Sagebrush, Larkspur (poisonous), Foxglove (poisonous), Hellebore, Iris, Lupine (poisonous), Narcissus (poisonous), Daffodil (poisonous) and Rosemary.
Shrubs: Oregon Grape, Western Spice Bush, Red Osier Dogwood, Holly, Jasmine, Juniper, Honey Bush, Rhododendron (poisonous), Red Elderberry (poisonous) and Common Lilac.
Trees: European White Birch, Flowering Dogwood*, Kousa Dogwood*, English Hawthorn, Persimmon, European Beech, Honey Locust, Holly, Juniper and Black Locust.
- OSU apparently failed to notify the deer that frequent my mother-in-law’s yard that they aren’t supposed to be interested in Dogwood trees.
Vines & Ground Cover: Carolina Jessamine (poisonous), Nightshade (poisonous), Cape Honeysuckle and Japanese Wisteria (poisonous).
Try to plan your garden space to be as deer deterrent as possible. Make you yard less inviting to enter by bordering the entryways and edges with deer repellant plants, as well as tactics like eliminating cover and cleaning up wind fall fruit.
Lastly, aside from opening your yard to hunters (NOT the recommended deer deterrent of choice!), a nice, big dog that barks when deer come calling works wonders. Or even a little dog. Deer don’t like the noise of a barking dog and will head on down the street to your neighbor’s yard instead. Besides, they say having a dog reduces stress.
25 January 2008
Turf Wars OR What do you do when your yard resembles a demilitarized zone?
Turf Wars
While many of us in the Rogue Valley don’t have the goal in mind of growing a putting green that has the look and texture of velvet, I think a number of us can say – with absolute certainty – that we have a love-hate relationship with moles and other excavating varmints. In that relationship, one could say that it’s most likely 1% love and 99% hate. You might experience a slight feeling of closeness when your dog digs one up and starts playing with it, but that’s probably about as close to a “warm fuzzy” as you’re ever going to get.
If you’re looking for solutions to a mole problem, there are a number of “remedies” out there. First, you need to identify what, exactly, is using your yard for it’s subterranean excavations. Moles, unfortunately, are not the only pests responsible for tunneling into your lawn or garden areas, although they are often confused with these other pests.
Who are these interlopers? Pocket gophers and voles. Because all of these critters are rarely ever seen, it’s easier to identify them by their handiwork. Moles produce two types of tunnels in your yard. One type runs just beneath the surface and is a feeding tunnel. They appear as raised ridges running across your lawn. The second type of tunnel runs deeper and allows the mole to unite his feeding tunnels into a network. The soil that is excavated from this second type of tunnel, appearing on your lawn like a miniature Vesuvius, is what gardeners are most familiar with. The mound of the pocket gopher is more distinctively horseshoe-shaped. Voles, on the other hand, do not create mounds at all, but rather well defined tunnels near the surface, about two inches in width. Vole tunnels result from the critters eating the grass blades as well as from the traffic of many tiny feet.
Let’s say that you’ve determined that it is, in fact, moles that are causing areas of your yard to resemble a veritable mine field. What can you do?
You can turn, first, to the “mean” method of poison. Aside from the risk to pets, there is the risk that any animal up the food chain from the mole will fall victim to the poison. This could be anything from your neighbor’s cat, to a skunk, to a fox, to that gorgeous hawk that cruises your yard at 9 a.m. every morning. Not necessarily the best choice.
There are a number of traps on the market designed specifically for eliminating moles. These frequently resemble, in both name and appearance, mini-medieval torture devices; scissors mole trap, choker mole trap, harpoon mole trap – Oh my! There is also the popular Havahart trap, though you will still have a live mole to get rid of after you’ve trapped it.
Trapping is the early spring can eliminate pregnant females, which will nip in the bud what could be a greater mole problem later in the season. Placement of the traps is vital for successful trapping. You will need to place your traps near tunnels that are active and in use.
Here’s how to determine if a mole tunnel is active:
1. Using your hand or other implement, flatten sections of the raised portions of the tunnel.
2. Mark these sections with something bright so it will be easy to locate them later. Maybe a
small flag or a bit of ribbon tied to the end of a stick.
3. Check your flags in a day or so and inspect the flattened areas.
4. If the flattened areas are raised back up, you’ll know this is an active tunnel, as the mole will
have re-dug to make it available. This is where you will want to locate your trap.
5. Remove the turf over the active tunnel and remove the soil right down to the bottom of the
tunnel where the moles are taking their daily strolls. Moles have very poor eyesight, but are
also very sensitive to touch. Be sure to remove ALL the loose soil from the tunnel floor
leading up to the trap. If you don’t do this, the moles will find it and back away from the
trap.
Now, let’s look at repellants. The formula for most mole repellants is based on castor oil. A popular one is Mole-Med. When applying such a repellant, you must often water the area where you place it, both before and after application, so that the surrounding soil absorbs the repellant. While products such as Mole-Med are advertised as a “safe” alternative, the cost effectiveness of a product like this should be weighed against the likelihood of necessary reapplications. If you are hosting a large number of moles, this could get expensive.
Many mole control success stories include the planting of barriers composed of specific plants whose smell moles find offensive. While this method is likely less reliable than the use of traps, pesticides or commercially prepared repellants, it’s also a lot more fun and a whole lot safer! These are visually appealing plants that are worth growing for their decorative value as much as their repellant value. If you’d like to send Mr. Mole packing, but aren’t desperate for immediate results, using these plants as a completely natural solution may be the right choice for you.
Several bulbs are said to repel moles. One of these is the well-known harbinger of spring – the daffodil. These are known to naturalize in the Rogue Valley and thus are a self-propagating mole repellant. Two others are also spring-bloomers but perhaps not as widely known as the daffodil. These are the Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and the crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis). Squill bears lovely bell-like flowers in shades of lavender, blue, white or pink. Over time, squill will multiply and fill in an area. Squill is hardy and naturalizes in zones 4-8.
Yellow crown imperials, such as Fritillaria imperialis ‘Lutea’ bear six to eight hanging yellow flowers. The scent of its bulbs is said to resemble that of the fox, which would definitely be unpleasant for our little burrowing friends. These plants grow to about 3’ in height and are hardy in zones 5-7.
The Allium family of bulbs is made up of garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and chives, as well as ornamental flowering onions, sometimes referred to simply as “Alliums.” This flowering plant ranges in size from 6” to about 5’ in height. Garlic is reputed to be a mole repellant, but Allium is probably a better choice if you are interested in the aesthetic value of the plant as well as its repellant value. Allium giganteum is a taller version of the ornamental Alliums, growing from 3’ to 5’. Since this plant dies back in early summer, you’ll want to plant these behind other plants to screen the view as the foliage dies back for the season. Plant Alliums in the fall or spring at a depth of 6”. These are cold hardy to zone 4.
Other living mole repellants are the Mexican marigold (tagetes minuta) and is a stinky, yet attractive, plant widely used for its ability to repel a variety of pests in addition to our friend, mole. It is said that planting it amongst your veggies will prevent horn- and cutworms from taking up residence. This is known as “companion planting” and is an example of organic pest control.
Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) has gained such notoriety as a living mole repellant that it is often referred to as “mole plant.” An annual, mole plant readily reseeds itself. It is often grown as an ornamental and is a very attractive addition to the landscape. The milky sap of the mole plant is apparently what is offensive to moles. This plant should not be grown near where children play.
The final living repellant to be addressed is the castor bean (Ricinus communis), also known as the castor-oil plant. Used in the old days as a laxative, I’m sure there are many folks who can attest to the repellant qualities of castor oil! It would appear that moles don’t like it any better than humans do! In the right climate, castor bean can grow to a height of 15’, suggesting it could be used as a privacy screen. It grows quickly; a boon for those who don’t want to wait years for other shrubs to reach such a height. Castor bean, like mole plant, is poisonous.
Lastly, some residents of the Rogue Valley say that the only sure-fire way to repel moles is with a shotgun. Others say, “even moles have a purpose”. I’m sure that in the grand scheme of things, they do. I just wish that they’d find their purpose lie in areas other than our yards, gardens and orchards.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself screaming curses while pounding a pitchfork into a new mole run in your yard, do yourself and your blood pressure a favor and try some less exerting alternatives.
While many of us in the Rogue Valley don’t have the goal in mind of growing a putting green that has the look and texture of velvet, I think a number of us can say – with absolute certainty – that we have a love-hate relationship with moles and other excavating varmints. In that relationship, one could say that it’s most likely 1% love and 99% hate. You might experience a slight feeling of closeness when your dog digs one up and starts playing with it, but that’s probably about as close to a “warm fuzzy” as you’re ever going to get.
If you’re looking for solutions to a mole problem, there are a number of “remedies” out there. First, you need to identify what, exactly, is using your yard for it’s subterranean excavations. Moles, unfortunately, are not the only pests responsible for tunneling into your lawn or garden areas, although they are often confused with these other pests.
Who are these interlopers? Pocket gophers and voles. Because all of these critters are rarely ever seen, it’s easier to identify them by their handiwork. Moles produce two types of tunnels in your yard. One type runs just beneath the surface and is a feeding tunnel. They appear as raised ridges running across your lawn. The second type of tunnel runs deeper and allows the mole to unite his feeding tunnels into a network. The soil that is excavated from this second type of tunnel, appearing on your lawn like a miniature Vesuvius, is what gardeners are most familiar with. The mound of the pocket gopher is more distinctively horseshoe-shaped. Voles, on the other hand, do not create mounds at all, but rather well defined tunnels near the surface, about two inches in width. Vole tunnels result from the critters eating the grass blades as well as from the traffic of many tiny feet.
Let’s say that you’ve determined that it is, in fact, moles that are causing areas of your yard to resemble a veritable mine field. What can you do?
You can turn, first, to the “mean” method of poison. Aside from the risk to pets, there is the risk that any animal up the food chain from the mole will fall victim to the poison. This could be anything from your neighbor’s cat, to a skunk, to a fox, to that gorgeous hawk that cruises your yard at 9 a.m. every morning. Not necessarily the best choice.
There are a number of traps on the market designed specifically for eliminating moles. These frequently resemble, in both name and appearance, mini-medieval torture devices; scissors mole trap, choker mole trap, harpoon mole trap – Oh my! There is also the popular Havahart trap, though you will still have a live mole to get rid of after you’ve trapped it.
Trapping is the early spring can eliminate pregnant females, which will nip in the bud what could be a greater mole problem later in the season. Placement of the traps is vital for successful trapping. You will need to place your traps near tunnels that are active and in use.
Here’s how to determine if a mole tunnel is active:
1. Using your hand or other implement, flatten sections of the raised portions of the tunnel.
2. Mark these sections with something bright so it will be easy to locate them later. Maybe a
small flag or a bit of ribbon tied to the end of a stick.
3. Check your flags in a day or so and inspect the flattened areas.
4. If the flattened areas are raised back up, you’ll know this is an active tunnel, as the mole will
have re-dug to make it available. This is where you will want to locate your trap.
5. Remove the turf over the active tunnel and remove the soil right down to the bottom of the
tunnel where the moles are taking their daily strolls. Moles have very poor eyesight, but are
also very sensitive to touch. Be sure to remove ALL the loose soil from the tunnel floor
leading up to the trap. If you don’t do this, the moles will find it and back away from the
trap.
Now, let’s look at repellants. The formula for most mole repellants is based on castor oil. A popular one is Mole-Med. When applying such a repellant, you must often water the area where you place it, both before and after application, so that the surrounding soil absorbs the repellant. While products such as Mole-Med are advertised as a “safe” alternative, the cost effectiveness of a product like this should be weighed against the likelihood of necessary reapplications. If you are hosting a large number of moles, this could get expensive.
Many mole control success stories include the planting of barriers composed of specific plants whose smell moles find offensive. While this method is likely less reliable than the use of traps, pesticides or commercially prepared repellants, it’s also a lot more fun and a whole lot safer! These are visually appealing plants that are worth growing for their decorative value as much as their repellant value. If you’d like to send Mr. Mole packing, but aren’t desperate for immediate results, using these plants as a completely natural solution may be the right choice for you.
Several bulbs are said to repel moles. One of these is the well-known harbinger of spring – the daffodil. These are known to naturalize in the Rogue Valley and thus are a self-propagating mole repellant. Two others are also spring-bloomers but perhaps not as widely known as the daffodil. These are the Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) and the crown imperial (Fritillaria imperialis). Squill bears lovely bell-like flowers in shades of lavender, blue, white or pink. Over time, squill will multiply and fill in an area. Squill is hardy and naturalizes in zones 4-8.
Yellow crown imperials, such as Fritillaria imperialis ‘Lutea’ bear six to eight hanging yellow flowers. The scent of its bulbs is said to resemble that of the fox, which would definitely be unpleasant for our little burrowing friends. These plants grow to about 3’ in height and are hardy in zones 5-7.
The Allium family of bulbs is made up of garlic, onions, leeks, shallots and chives, as well as ornamental flowering onions, sometimes referred to simply as “Alliums.” This flowering plant ranges in size from 6” to about 5’ in height. Garlic is reputed to be a mole repellant, but Allium is probably a better choice if you are interested in the aesthetic value of the plant as well as its repellant value. Allium giganteum is a taller version of the ornamental Alliums, growing from 3’ to 5’. Since this plant dies back in early summer, you’ll want to plant these behind other plants to screen the view as the foliage dies back for the season. Plant Alliums in the fall or spring at a depth of 6”. These are cold hardy to zone 4.
Other living mole repellants are the Mexican marigold (tagetes minuta) and is a stinky, yet attractive, plant widely used for its ability to repel a variety of pests in addition to our friend, mole. It is said that planting it amongst your veggies will prevent horn- and cutworms from taking up residence. This is known as “companion planting” and is an example of organic pest control.
Caper spurge (Euphorbia lathyris) has gained such notoriety as a living mole repellant that it is often referred to as “mole plant.” An annual, mole plant readily reseeds itself. It is often grown as an ornamental and is a very attractive addition to the landscape. The milky sap of the mole plant is apparently what is offensive to moles. This plant should not be grown near where children play.
The final living repellant to be addressed is the castor bean (Ricinus communis), also known as the castor-oil plant. Used in the old days as a laxative, I’m sure there are many folks who can attest to the repellant qualities of castor oil! It would appear that moles don’t like it any better than humans do! In the right climate, castor bean can grow to a height of 15’, suggesting it could be used as a privacy screen. It grows quickly; a boon for those who don’t want to wait years for other shrubs to reach such a height. Castor bean, like mole plant, is poisonous.
Lastly, some residents of the Rogue Valley say that the only sure-fire way to repel moles is with a shotgun. Others say, “even moles have a purpose”. I’m sure that in the grand scheme of things, they do. I just wish that they’d find their purpose lie in areas other than our yards, gardens and orchards.
So, if you’ve ever found yourself screaming curses while pounding a pitchfork into a new mole run in your yard, do yourself and your blood pressure a favor and try some less exerting alternatives.
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