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!”
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow?
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?”
“This one secret hack will save you time and money!”
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!””
Po-TAY-to, po-TAH-to: Let’s call the whole yam thing off!
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!”
Big Blog on the Block
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?
Frosts and freezes: As cold as ice…
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…”
Understanding how weird weather affects our plants
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”
Tulips for the desert?
Spring bulb planting time is on across North America! Many types of bulbs do well in desert and xeric gardens: hyacinths, ranunculus, iris, narcissus, crocus, alliums can all be happy. One bulb that’s often left off the list are tulips. Why is that?
The tall flashy hybrid or Darwinian tulips that fill the catalog photos are usually considered an annual in most desert gardens. They require more chilling than the our desert winters can usually provide and can be a little fussy about soil and water.… Continue reading this article “Tulips for the desert?”
Predicting hurricane tracks and what they leave behind
In my last blog post in late August, the Atlantic tropical season was just beginning to wake from a long nap, with several areas of interest appearing on the National Hurricane Center’s (NHC) map. Since that time, the season has become incredibly active, with Hurricanes Fiona and Ian causing tremendous damage in North America. Other parts of the world have also seen damaging storms, including Hurricane Kay in the Eastern Pacific, post-typhoon Merbok in Alaska, and Typhoons Hinnamnor in South Korea, Nanmadol in Japan, and Noru in the Philippines.… Continue reading this article “Predicting hurricane tracks and what they leave behind”
Irrigation bags: the good (rarely), the bad (frequently) and the ugly (all of them)
Irrigation bags, often called “tree gators,” are durable plastic bags used for irrigating newly planted trees. These projects have been discussed here and here and I still don’t like them as they don’t consistently benefit trees and often create conditions conducive to pests and disease. Plus, as the blog title suggests, their aesthetic attributes are nonexistent.
