Bird Friendly Gardens

Bird Friendly Gardening

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, April 26

Q: Since I have been spending more time at home, I really enjoy watching the birds in my garden. What can I do to encourage more birds to visit? BG

A: Bird watching is great fun, and with time and some internet searching, it’s fun to learn all the different varieties that pay you a visit. However, birds are not only fun to watch, but also they provide a valuable resource in helping to control insects, so it’s a win-win.

Birds are like most of us when it gets down to it (and we have been reminded of this lately). Their primary needs are food, water and shelter. So, let’s look at each of these.

You can encourage birds to visit your garden by being sure there is something for them to eat. The easy way to do this is to add a bird feeder to your yard. To attract a variety of birds, fill your feeder with a seed mix that includes large and small seeds. Some birds, such as finches, will search out a specific type of seed. So if you want finches in your yard, you will need to get a feeder that is built for thistle.

However, you can transition from a feeder to a natural source of food by planting fruit or seed-bearing plants. Sunflowers are the first that come to mind. Tomatoes are another one if you are willing to share your tomatoes with the birds.

Some flowers are beautiful, like forsythia or lilac. However, they do not provide any food. Instead, for your bird sanctuary, you might want to consider a holly, whose berries are always a bird favorite.

Keeping your lawn healthy and vibrant is another attractor to birds in that healthy lawns encourage worms, and robins, mockingbirds and flickers all love worms.

Water is important for birds, just like humans. Typically, we think of a bird bath as a water source; however, water features, such as fountains, are also appropriate if they have a shallow area of no more than 2 inches. If you do have a bird bath, be sure to place a small rock in there to give them a place to stand. And remember, a standalone bird bath will need to be washed out every three to four days and disinfected with bleach once or twice a year.

There are a variety of ways to provide shelter for birds. Broken branches in a pile will attract cardinals, wrens, towhees and sparrows. Trees and shrubs with dense branches, leaves or perhaps thorns will also provide excellent shelter.

Plants such as honeysuckle or grapes are a double win in that they not only provide a food source but can also be used as shelter.

Vines on fences are also prime real estate for food, nesting and shelter. Clematis, honeysuckle and grapes would fit in this category.

One thing to remember if you install a bird feeder or bird bath is to place it at least 10 feet away from other trees or shrubs because birds are lower on the food chain than some of the other creatures that visit your yards.

Building a bird house is another topic, and you can find information on this and more on gardening for birds in a great fact sheet from OSU on landscaping for birds. You will find a link to it in the Hot Topics section of our website.

Good luck and stay safe out there!

Garden tips

·        Lace bugs, aphids, spider mites, bagworms, etc. can start popping up in the landscape and garden later this month. Keep a close eye on all plants and use mechanical, cultural and biological control options first.

·        Remove any winter-damaged branches or plants that have not begun to grow. Prune spring-flowering plants as soon as they are finished blooming.

·        Proper watering of newly planted trees and shrubs often means the difference between success and replacement

Vegetable Transplants. When and How to Transplant

Vegetable Transplants. When and How to Transplant

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Saturday, April 18, 2020

Q: I am itching to get my little vegetable seedlings in the ground. Is it safe for me to do that now? DS

A: Every year, the question “when can I plant” comes up and, for us, the answer is always “after April 15th.”

There is no magic in that date other than it is Tax Day (except this year) and a special birthday around our house, which is always magical. But the reason we say April 15 is because this is historically the last of the days we tend to get a freeze.

Many of us want to jump the gun because it gets warm. I mean we even had a few days in the 80s recently. These warm days convinced a lot of us to go ahead and plant. But mother nature does what Mother Nature wants and now we have had freezing or near-freezing temperatures right before April 15. So, if you jumped the gun, you were likely out covering your plants to do your best to keep them safe from the freeze.

Looking at the weather right now, we should be good to plant our transplants this weekend…with a special emphasis on “should” and the caveat: have you hardened off your plants?

Hardening off is the process of preparing your veggie plants for their new life outdoors. You can begin this process while they are still indoors by using a rotating fan at low speed. The gentle breeze from the fan will help strengthen your baby plants and better prepare them to be outside.

Another thing they definitely need to ease into is getting used to the outdoor sun. One of the worst things you can do to your baby transplants is to take them from your house and plant them directly in the open garden. Their entire life (thus far) has been indoors in a controlled environment, so they need to get used to the sun gradually, not all at once. If you place them in the soil or a container outdoors without hardening them first, they will likely burn up and not recover.

To harden your baby plants, they need to be placed outside in a protected place, maybe an area that gets dappled or partial sun to start. But, don’t just put them out and forget them. Maybe start with a couple of hours on the first day and increase for an hour each day until they get used to the sun. Be sure to bring them in at night if it is cold. But after a couple of weeks of hardening, they should be ready to go out in your garden. If you follow these simple steps, your chances of having delicious veggies all season long are greatly increased. Good luck and happy gardening!

Garden tips

·        Lace bugs, aphids, spider mites, bagworms, etc. can start popping up in the landscape and garden later this month. Keep a close eye on all plants and use mechanical, cultural, and biological control options first.

·        Remove any winter-damaged branches or plants that have not begun to grow. Prune spring flowering plants as soon as they are finished blooming.

·        Proper watering of newly planted trees and shrubs often means the difference between success and replacement

Master Gardeners Springtime Activities During ClOVID-19 Times

Brian Jervis: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, April 12, 2020

If there is any type of silver lining to be found in what we are currently going through, it will likely be found in doing things we have wanted to do and never done, or having the time to fan the flames of an old passion.

For many of us, that would include a desire to either start a vegetable garden or renew our efforts in that area. It’s a shame that it took a coronavirus to get us there, but perhaps this is also a lesson we will learn moving forward: Don’t put off the things that truly bring us joy. And for many of us, gardening is a great source of joy.

One thing that brings the Master Gardeners joy is our yearly plant sale. It is a lot of work, but we like nothing better than helping you get awesome flowers, veggies and herbs to take home to your garden. However, as you know, we had to cancel the plant sale this year so that we could do our part to help us all stay safe and healthy.

We even had to close our Diagnostic Center at the OSU Extension. But please know that even though it is currently closed, we are still at work answering your questions and providing the best gardening advice we can. How are we doing this, you might ask? Good question.

At the end of this article, you will see a phone number and email address for our Diagnostic Center. While we do not go into the office, we have Master Gardeners who are monitoring the phone messages and emails and responding to your questions in a timely manner Monday through Friday. In addition, we have our Facebook page where we share daily garden tips, as well as insect coloring pages for the kids.

Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Well we do, and it hosts our video podcast called Garden Talk. In each Garden Talk episode, we discuss a variety of topics, which usually include Pest of the Week, Plant of the Week, Right Now (advice on what to be doing in your garden right now) and answers to some of your questions. There are currently more than 50 videos there, including full episodes, as well as breakout videos on individual topics. To find them, go to YouTube and search Tulsa County Master Gardeners.

Last, but certainly not least, is our website (tulsamastergardeners.org). This site not only contains information on the various programs the Master Gardeners are involved with throughout our community, but also we have an extensive Lawn and Garden Help section that includes not only links to a variety of helpful garden topics, but also a lot of instructional videos.

So the Master Gardeners are still here to help you in a variety of ways. Good luck, stay safe, and maybe start that vegetable garden you’ve always wanted.

Garden tips

·        Don’t spray insecticides during fruit tree bloom or pollination may be affected. Disease sprays can continue according to schedule and label directions.

·        Mowing of warm-season lawns can begin now. Cutting height for bermudagrass and zoysia grass should be 1 to 1½ inches high, and buffalo grass 1½ to 3 inches high.

·        Harden off transplants outside in partial protection from sun and wind prior to planting.

·        Hummingbirds arrive in Oklahoma in early April. Get your bird feeders ready using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water. Do not use red food coloring.