As we close out 2022, I thought I would spend a few minutes reviewing the weather and climate of the past year, both the average conditions and some of the extremes we saw. While this is skewed towards the United States, I did include some events happening in other parts of the world for our non-US readers.
We have seen many high-profile examples of insect invasions, and as gardeners, we have probably come across some of these species in our very own landscapes and experienced their impacts first-hand.
If you live in the Eastern part of the United States, you have probably already heard about one of these invasive insect species that is currently wreaking havoc. The Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, is a 1 inch long planthopper native to China, and has since spread to Japan, South Korea, and the United States.… Continue reading this article “Pest Profile: Spotted Lanternfly”
Given the growth in home gardening, the fervor around houseplants, and the interest in hydroponics and other growing methods, it makes sense that the interest in home greenhouses is also building. Sure, home greenhouses have been a “thing” for a long, long while – from well-to-do folks with conservatories on their estates to the more common and basic home greenhouse in the last few decades. But shifting interests, and more/cheaper options have made home greenhouses more accessible to the masses. … Continue reading this article “So you think you want a home greenhouse, do you?”
I have a very interesting research project on the effects of urban pressure on Coast Live Oak (CLO). CLO is a California native oak and I am interested in seeing if urban cultural conditions prevent the development of mycorrhizal fungi on their roots. My study is blocked, that means that all the treatments occur in a block and the blocks are repeated for replication. Blocking allows the statistics to account for variability in field locations. Its a good thing too, since one of the blocks has never done well. … Continue reading this article “Landscape Fabric Strikes Again–Oh the Horror!”
If you follow current weather news, you have likely read the astounding story of the recent lake effect snowfall in Buffalo, New York, and other areas downwind of the Great Lakes, where over 6 feet of snow fell in just a day or two in some locations. My mom, who still lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan where I grew up, reported that in her city some areas got up to 30 inches during the same time frame.… Continue reading this article “Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?”
I’m resorting to clickbait tactics to get your attention. Here’s another – “Warning! Graphic photos follow!”
Uncorrected roots in containers or landscapes will create chronic water stress problems for trees.
If you have failing trees on your own property or on property you manage, you need to do one simple thing before you assume that pests or disease are responsible: you need to determine whether the root system is healthy and functional.
Now, I know you can’t see underground, but you can draw some informed conclusions based on whether you can see the root flare.… Continue reading this article ““This one secret hack will save you time and money!””
As most folks in the US prepare for a Thanksgiving meal, or at least eat more Thanksgiving-inspired fall meals, potatoes and sweet potatoes often play a major supporting role in these most delicious victuals. Whether mashed, smashed, baked, candied, or turned into casseroles or pies, these starchy vegetables are stockpiled in grocery stores and markets in the fall for shoppers to turn into those tasty treats.
But sometimes there is confusion lurking in those grocery aisles and even in the minds of unwary shoppers….enter… Continue reading this article “Po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to: Let’s call the whole yam thing off!”
There’s a new1 blog on the social media block—The Big Blog of Gardening (BBoG). Already it’s a heavy hitter in the gardening social media world. The question is: How may foul balls are hit?
My wife came to me recently saying “Hey! Did you know that your friend Linda Chalker-Scott changed her institution?”
“What?” I said.
“Yeah, she moved to University of Washington. It says right here on this MSNBC article.”
“It’s from the Big Blog of Gardening?
Here in the Southeast we were surprised last week by a much earlier than usual freeze, putting an end to many gardens full of tender plants, although the cold was not deep enough to kill more cold-hardy species. In many parts of the region the frost came earlier than the 10% probability of frost indicating that early freezing conditions like this will come in fewer than one in ten years. Of course many of you in more northern interior parts of the United States have already seen your first frost this year, but here we never seem to be ready for it.… Continue reading this article “Frosts and freezes: As cold as ice…”
I’d intended to write the column earlier in the year, but it’s as relevant now as it was in the spring. This post will familiarize you with how unseasonable weather can affect your plants. Though I’ll be focusing on my own location in Tacoma, the phenomena are global. You just have to pay attention to what happened last week, last month, last year in your own location.
Our spring started out wet and cool, which is nothing new.… Continue reading this article “Understanding how weird weather affects our plants”
