Mulching Plants is Important

Mulching Plants in your Garden

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Friday, May 1, 2020

Q: I have my vegetable transplants in the ground, now what should I do: DK

A: Congratulations on getting your young veggies in the ground. This is an exciting time. One thing you can do, maybe one of the most important things you can do, is surround them with a layer of mulch. Here is why.

Mulch helps your garden in a variety of ways; one of these is water conservation. A good layer of mulch surrounding your plants will directly correlate to how much time you need to spend watering. Mulch helps hold moisture in the soil by reducing evaporation, and water that does not evaporate is still available to your plants. Seems simple, but you would be surprised how many people don’t do this.

Soil temperature will also be much more consistent with a good layer of mulch. Research has shown that on a hot summer day, the temperature of your soil may rise as much as 30 to 40 degrees, while properly mulched soil temperatures may vary as little as 10 degrees during the same time period. A more constant soil temperature is going to help keep your plants happier and more productive. And to the previous point about water conservation, water evaporation will be much more consequential with a soil temp of 120 degrees than with a more comfortable 80 to 90 degrees.

A mulch barrier between the leaves of your plant and the soil will also help reduce disease. Many of the fungal diseases of vegetables originate in the soil. Without mulch, as it rains or as you water, these diseases can splash up from the soil onto the lower leaves, enabling the disease to find a place to grow. Mulch provides a barrier between the soil and the lower leaves, reducing this splashing and therefore reducing the opportunity for disease.

Additionally, mulch decreases the ability of weeds to grow in your garden because it covers the soil, discouraging those tiny, pesky weeds from breaking through to the outside world. Weeding must be one of my least favorite things, so anything that reduces my time down on my knees in the garden is golden in my book.

There are quite a few options concerning what type of mulch to use. Personally, I mow the leaves from my trees in the fall with a mulching mower. I bag them and save them till now when I can scatter them around my plants. However, I know that ship has sailed for many of you.

The primary recommendation on type of mulch is to use something organic, such as leaves, straw, cotton seed hulls, etc. We say this because most soil in our area is low on organic matter. If you use an organic mulch, it will deteriorate naturally and can be tilled back into the soil at the end of the season. This helps increase the organic matter in your soil, which is always a good thing.

For more information on different types of mulch and best practices, go to the Hot Topics button on our website (tulsamastergardeners.org) and click on the Mulching Garden Soil link.

Garden tips

·        After moving potted plants from inside to outdoors, irrigate the pots with 2-3 pot volumes of water to remove salts that may have accumulated from fertilizers.

·        Spring-blooming bulbs are best fertilized in fall and late winter when leaves emerge. After blooming, they go dormant and cannot use fertilizer applied at that time.

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.

Starting vegetable Sprouts from Seed

Starting vegetable Sprouts from Seed

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Q: Now that I have more time on my hands at home, my kids and I were thinking of starting a vegetable garden. How should I get started? AJ

A: The situation we collectively find our community in is a bit scary, but what better way to social distance ourselves than working out in the garden? And it’s a great way to supplement our food, as well as a fun activity for your kids. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

First, you’ll need to decide what you want to grow. Good vegetables for first-time gardeners are tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and bush beans. Potatoes are also a good choice. You can supplement these with some herbs, such as basil and oregano.

Seeds for these are available online if you don’t want to get out, or you could visit one of our local garden centers to pick up what you need. I am guessing that some of our local vendors would be more than willing to bring your order out to your car for you.

Of the crops we mentioned, it’s best to start your seeds for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and the herbs indoors, so you are going to need some type of container to plant your seeds. These can be as simple as used yogurt or butter containers or something more elaborate like the peat pot starters you can get at the store. Whatever you decide to use, it would be good to get some seed-starting soil. Seed-starting soil is much less course and is a great medium for starting new plants.

Next, fill your containers with the seed-starting mix, moisten it, and place a seed in each one. Move your newly planted seeds to a sunny, warm location, and wait. Germination times vary, but with any luck, you should see your plants start to emerge in a few days. Seed germination heating mats can speed up the process, but that may be something you what to think about for this fall or next year.

Be sure to keep your seeds well-watered without drowning them. In these small containers, it is easy to overwater, especially if you are using a container without drainage in the bottom.

The typical day we say you can plant your seedlings outside is April 15. This is historically after the last threat of frost has passed, but in Oklahoma, all options are on the table.

Seed potatoes can be planted now, and bush bean seeds should go in the ground after April 15.

Most gardeners started their seeds a few weeks ago, but better late to the party than never showing up. We have an entire page on our website about growing vegetables with resources that you should find helpful. Just go to tulsamastergardeners.org and click on the button marked Vegetable Garden Help.

Good luck and happy gardening!

Garden tips

·        All cool-season vegetables, strawberries, asparagus and other small fruit may be planted this month.

·        Established broadleaf weeds can easily be controlled in lawns at this time with post-emergent broadleaf herbicides. These herbicides are most effective in spring and fall when weeds are growing.

·        Cut down dead pine trees as soon as possible. Most of these trees died of pine wilt disease due to a nematode infection. The infection is spread by the pine sawyer beetle, and dead pines are a source of infection carried by these beetles.

Growing Vegetables in Containers

Growing Vegetables in Containers

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Q: I would love to have a vegetable garden, but we rent our home. Any suggestions? KT

A: This is a dilemma faced by a number of people whether you rent a home or an apartment. Fortunately, there are a number of options that will enable you to grow your own vegetables.

The best solution for your dilemma is container gardening. Almost any kind of container can be used to grow vegetables. The simplest would be a 5-gallon plastic bucket.

Just get a bucket, drill some holes in the bottom to allow for drainage, fill it with garden soil, and you are ready to go.

Buckets are great for tomatoes. There are even some smaller “patio” varieties of tomatoes that can produce all summer without trying to grow 6 feet tall.

You can also grow peppers, bush beans and any number of herbs, such as basil. You could even grow potatoes.

Fabric pots are another container option. These pots are typically made of a felt-like material and come in a variety of sizes. They even have handles on top to ease in moving them around. Many of us grow potatoes in these pots as we can start the potatoes in shallow soil and add soil as they grow. This helps increase your harvest.

Another great thing about containers is that they can be mobile. If you live in an apartment, you can move the container into the sun in the morning and then maybe place them in shade for that late-afternoon sun. Also, spring weather can sometimes be challenging for vegetable gardeners because we are likely to get a hail storm or two.

In case there is news of a hailstorm, you can just move your containers to a protected area. This is a luxury those of us with raised-bed gardens don’t have. These are not the only options, but at least these will get you started.

Garden tips

• Remove flowers from spring-blooming bulbs after blooming is completed. This will allow the plant to direct its energy into its bulb for next year's blooms, rather than producing seeds.
• Allow foliage of these bulb plants to die and turn brown naturally before removal. If the leaves are green, they are storing energy for the following year.
• These bulb's root systems become inactive after blooming and cannot absorb fertilizer. It is best to fertilize them at the time of planting, in the fall or in the spring when their leaves first emerge
• The Master Gardener Online Plant Sale continues through April 1.

Oklahoma Proven Plants for 2020

Oklahoma Proven Plants for 2020

Tom Ingram: Ask a Master Gardener

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Q: I have a friend who suggested I try some Oklahoma Proven plants. What is he talking about? BC

A: Oklahoma State University has a program called Oklahoma Proven, where plants are tested to see how well they perform in the somewhat unpredictable and oftentimes brutal Oklahoma climate. Each year, a variety of plants are evaluated, and several are selected to become that year’s Oklahoma Proven selections. The winners for 2020 are out. You may or may not be familiar with some of these, but any of them would be great additions to your garden.

The tree for 2020 is the Hornbeam (Carbines species). This tree does great as an understory tree and needs little pruning. It is slow growing and can be used as a tree or a hedge, typically reaching heights of about 20-30 feet. It grows well in full sun to part shade. Plant in a place with well-drained soils.

The shrub this year is the Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora). This perennial has evergreen leaves from 2-3 feet in length while the flower stalks can rise up to 5 feet with coral-colored tubular flowers. It’s drought-resistant, and the flowers can attract hummingbirds. This one would be great for xeriscape or low-maintenance gardens.

The perennial for 2020 is the Golden Variegated Sweet Flag (Acorus griminess “Ogon”). This grassy plant is native to Asia and will do well in full sun to part shade but will appreciate some afternoon shade if planted in a full-sun location. Boggy or consistently moist areas are not a problem for this one. The Ogon cultivar is a dwarf variety that should grow to 6-12 inches tall, making it great for a border or an interesting filler plant.

The annual is the Brazilian Verbena (Verbena bonariensis). This plant usually has a 1-foot-tall base of dark green leaves with flower stems of up to 3½ feet. Even though it is technically a tender perennial, in Oklahoma it is considered an annual. If sheltered, it might survive the winter. Even if they don’t, they are self-seeding, so you may be able to enjoy them for years to come. It is heat- and drought-tolerant and has the added bonus of being a great attraction for pollinators.

Oklahoma Proven has been around for 20 years and has compiled a book that can be purchased or downloaded for free. Check under the Hot Topics link on our website if you would like a copy.

Garden tips

• If you had previous damage to the tips of pine tree limbs, especially non-native pines, it may be diplodia tip blight (a fungus) or Nantucket pine tip moth damage. Both are controlled with pesticides starting this month. Call the Master Gardener office for recommendations.
• Preemergent herbicide to control crabgrass and other summer weeds should be applied by the middle of March.
• Divide and replant overcrowded, summer- and fall-blooming perennials. Mow or cut back old liriope (monkey grass) and other ornamental grasses before new growth begins.
• The Master Gardener online plant sale continues through April 1.