Transplant

Good afternoon!

There is a lot to talk about in the lawn and landscape world on this beautiful day in the Midwest. Later this week I will update everyone on how fruit trees fared during the ice and snow this past weekend. I may have good news to share, but I need to consult with a few more people.

Today, I want to write about a tree we recently transplanted. At our office in Overland Park, we had a blue spruce that had started to grow into the building. Instead of removing it, we transplanted it to a better location.



It is best to transplant large trees in late fall or early spring to give them ample time to adjust to their new home before summer's heat hits. We bare root planted this tree, a planting method that was popular a few decades ago and is seeing a resurgence. You can read more about it here .

Since the roots need time to establish, we staked this tree. We will likely remove the stakes a year from now.

Thinning Burning Bush

This is a burning bush that we got from someone last year. They were removing it from their landscape, so my husband brought it home and we planted it in the back yard. It is actually quite an old specimen. You can tell from the large stems that is has.

Since it has had time to become established, I decided to try to thin it before the leaves come out. (My before picture is shown above. The after picture is shown below.)

I wanted to thin it for two reasons: First, burning bush are known for getting spider mites (at least here in the midwest) during our hot summer months. Thinning them can increase air circulation and may help reduce the degree of infestation.

My second purpose for thinning it is to try to generate more new, younger growth. I will see how the shrub responds to this pruning. If it responds well, I will try to remove more of the old stems next season. Large, overgrown shrubs can be rejuvenated this way without loosing the overall size of the shrub. (Remove about 1/3 of the oldest canes or stems each season.) I'll let you know how is responds.

New Grass and Other Signs of Spring

We got a good rain the other night. I went outside yesterday and noticed I have grass in back! It's like it came up overnight! I'm so excited. I'll let you know how it goes as it fills in more. I also snapped some other pictures of things around my landscape that show spring is on its way (even though we are supposed to have rain changing to snow tomorrow!)

I have a small forsythia that is blooming (pictured above.) I also have some rhododendrons that have started blooming after that rain we received (pictured below.)

Even the leaves on my Korean spice viburnum (above) and oak leaf hydrangea (below) are emerging. I love spring!

Cutting back liriope

The weather has been so nice lately, I’ve tried to get outside and clean things up before they really start growing. I cut back my liriope a few days ago before it had the chance to start to grow back. Liriope is a grass-like ground cover. You can see the dead leaves in the top picture. I used my hand pruners to cut the foliage off about ground level. The bottom picture shows the liriope after I was finished. This will allow the new growth to fill in as temperatures warm.

Tree Topping IS NOT Proper Pruning

A topped tree is easy to spot. The tree’s natural shape is destroyed when it is topped. Many people believe topping is okay. Some people want their tree topped because they are afraid of storm damage. In reality, the fast growing, extremely long and weakly attached shoots resulting from topping are more susceptible to breakage and storm damage. The wounds from topping a tree actually reduce the lifespan of the tree and that tree can become a hazard and cause property damage, making it a liability instead of an asset to your landscape.

If you have trees that need to be pruned, please select your arborist carefully. Look for someone who is educated and knows the industry standard. At Ryan Lawn & Tree, we have many ISA (International Society of Arboriculture) Certified Arborists on staff all year round. ISA Arborists adhere to industry standards and need to keep up on current industry practices and techniques to keep their certification.

Choose your Arborist wisely. You trees will thank you.

Remove Tree Wrap

Now is the time to remove tree wrap from trees. Spring months are wet months and leaving the wrap on during this time can cause rotting to occur.

Sunscald (or southwest injury) is damage that occurs as a result of rapid temperature changes during the winter months. Wrapping tree trunks can help protect the bark from temperature changes. (Resulting damage can look like the tree pictured above.)

Young trees with thin bark (like ash, maple and fruit trees) are prone to this type of injury during the winter if the bark is not protected. To protect the bark, it should be wrapped from the ground to just below the first set of branches. Tree wrap materials are available from your local garden center. Trees should be wrapped from late October or early November until late March or early April.

Protect your Crabapples

Crabapples are starting to leaf out. This means it’s time to get on a preventative program to protect susceptible varieties of crabapples (and hawthorns) from fungal diseases like apple scab or cedar apple rust. These are two very common diseases that occur during our cool, wet spring months.

At Ryan Lawn & Tree, we recommend a series of three preventative applications for the best results. The reason more than one application is recommended is because the leaf tissue must be protected as it emerges; otherwise, disease symptoms (like those pictured above) will appear later in the season.

SPRING

Today is officially the first day of spring. On my way to work, I noticed the buds on our lilac bush had swelled.*

(There will be more posts on said lilac bush down the road.)

Happy Spring!

If you are ready to start planting, I suggest pansies. They come in some beautiful colors, and can withstand colder temperatures, so your work won't go down the drain if we get some crazy weather.

*This is, of course, not a picture of OUR lilac. Weren't you paying attention? I noticed the buds on my way to work--I don't allow enough time in my commute for picture-taking.

NOW Is The Time To Stop Crabgrass

Crabgrass can be prevented now.*

If you live in the Midwest, the window to prevent crabgrass with a preemergent is narrowing. Crabgrass is difficult to treat once you see it in your lawn. Applying a preemergent to your lawn will stop this ugly weeds before it breaks the soil surface.

If you have a lawn service, be sure they are getting your preemergent down now. If you want to treat your lawn yourself, go to your local garden store and follow the directions on the label.

At Ryan Lawn & Tree, we actually use two preemergents, one now and one in approximately six weeks.

*Bare areas are prime locations for any weed to break through. The best defense against a weedy yard is a thick stand of grass, achieved through regular fertilizing and proper mowing and watering.

Spatial Relations

I am not good at eyeballing distances. In fact, I am often quite wrong. That's why, whenever I plant anything, I use a ruler to measure how deep I have dug my hole.

The number one reason trees fail is because they were planted improperly. I think the same probably holds true for flowers, bulbs and vegetables. It is not difficult to determine how deep to plant a particular specimen--just read the label that comes with your seeds.

Of course, their is some margin of error, but, in general, planting depth should be as close to that recommended as possible.

Why?

Different seeds have different needs. Parsley seeds, for instance, germinate in the dark. They also risk drying out easily, so it makes sense to plant them a little deeper than, say, lettuce seeds which need light to germinate.

Photo From herbgarding.com
Parsley seeds need lots of moisture and complete darkness to germinate,
so they should be planted deeper into the soil than other seeds.

Vegetable Garden?

It is okay to plant onions in the Midwest at this time.

Plant them close together if you want more green onions as pictured above.

I talked to my parents on Sunday to find out that after several years of non-gardening, they are once again planting a vegetable garden. (It sounded like they already had planted a few veggies--Mom, you must have missed my post about the possibility of a late cold snap!)

Today, I came home and my husband had tilled up his garden plot as well. He is still trying to figure out what to plant this year--we have a squirrel/rabbit problem that has affected our yield the last three years.

I am actually looking forward to the whole growing food thing this year. I *may* even help with the planting and watering. (I definitely draw the line at weeding!)

If you live in the Midwest, and want to get your own vegetable garden started, now is the time to plant onions. Plant them close together if you want to harvest the stalks (green onions) and further apart if you want to eat the bulb. It is also okay to plant cabbage and broccoli, if you are so inclined.

Happy planting (and eating)!

I just couldn't let it go...

And bought two of these the last time I was at the nursery:

That's right: Ranunculus. I just couldn't give up on the idea of having a few. It is likely a little early to have them outside (especially since they are in pots), so I am going to watch the weather closely so I can bring them in if it gets too cold.

I am looking forward to many blooms from these two plants.

Early Seeding

There have been some bare areas in my lawn in back that are in a high-traffic area partially under a large pin oak tree. I have some landscape beds under part of the tree and around my house in back. I would really like some lawn on the other side of my oak tree, so I thought to try and overseed these areas before it got any later into the spring.

When seeding in the spring, earlier is better. By getting your seed down early, it has a chance to absorb water without actually beginning to grow. (The soil temperatures are too cold.) Once the soil temperatures warm, this seed has a head start and can start growing.

When doing any lawn seeding project, it is important to choose your seed carefully. Great seed makes a great lawn! I used Gold Tag seed because it has zero percent “weed seed,” and zero percent “other crop”. Even a tiny percentage of either of these two categories would lead to potentially thousands of weeds in my new lawn!

My husband & I broadcast the seed by hand and worked it into the soil. Hopefully we will be successful and will have a thicker lawn in a few months. I’ll keep you posted.

Winter Descication

I’ve been noticing some winter damage on my boxwood in front of my house. I snapped a picture of some of the damaged foliage. This is winter desiccation and it is caused by lack of moisture during the winter months.

Most people think all plants go dormant during the winter; however this is not true for evergreen plants. Evergreens (like boxwood) never go completely dormant during the winter months and need to be watered. If they do not receive enough moisture, they dry out and winter desiccation is the result. Desiccation is visible by browning of foliage (like my picture above shows.)

Tree Roots Exposed

Like I mentioned yesterday, my family and I were enjoying the nice weather at Shawnee Mission Park over the weekend. We stopped by the river that runs through the park and I snapped this picture of some trees at the water’s edge. I know the height of the river changes often depending on the amount of rain that we receive. (I’ve seen grass laying down from the force of the water when it’s been full.)

I thought it incredible that these trees are able to stay standing so close to the water's edge. The majority of a tree’s root system is in the upper 10-12” of soil. The roots of these trees are very exposed because of the soil being washed away over the years. You can see that the trees closest to the river's edge are starting to lean over the river. Eventually enough soil will wash away and they will fall into the water below.

Beaver Damage

This weekend I was with my family at Shawnee Mission Park in Lenexa, KS. We enjoy biking and hiking at this park when we can. We came across this beaver damage on two hackberry trees near a stream and river that run through the park. I thought it was neat. The beaver used its large teeth around the circumference of the trunk of the tree. When there was not enough wood left to support the tree, it fell over. You can see where the inner bark was stretched and beginning to tear.

I do not know much about beavers, so I googled it. I found it interesting that beavers are the second largest rodent in the world. They are active mainly at night and slap their tail on the water surface to signal danger to other beavers. Their homes (lodges) are constructed out of sticks, twigs and mud in lakes and streams and they build dams using deciduous wood.

Flowers on Maples

Have you ever noticed flowers on trees? I’m not talking about the trees with showy flowers like magnolias, crabapples or pears. I’m talking about shade trees like maples or ash. Growing up I never really noticed the flowers on shade trees, but I do now. Every spring I look for them. Maples are one of the first trees to flower, letting me know that spring is on its way.

The weather over the weekend was beautiful. While I was enjoying a walk, I noticed the maples were flowering. I brought some branches home so I could snap a picture to share. The top picture is a red maple with flowers in full bloom. The bottom picture is a red maple with the flower buds swelling, right before they open. I love spring!

Random Friday

It is a BEAUTIFUL day here in the Midwest. Has spring finally sprung? My local extension agent cautioned gardeners not to get too excited, yet, as there is still a chance of a hard freeze.

Luckily, this is the prime time for me to plant my sweet peas, so in my world, spring has arrived.

I noticed the other day that my tiny witch hazel had bloomed--and I think I missed it. The blooms now are a little shriveled and down-facing, but maybe that is what the blooms look like on tiny witch hazels. (The other witch hazel didn't survive its first season--it was brought low by the post man.)

The tulips in the backyard still have not been brave enough to peak through. What are they waiting on?!?! Maybe they are afraid of a late, hard freeze, too!

Yesterday I went on a walk and passed one of my favorite landscapes in the neighborhood. Mostly because he has dwarf dawn redwoods, three of them planted in a kind of cluster. Oh, how I want you in my yard, redwoods.

That's all for now--have a great weekend!

Sweet Peas

Photo from: American Meadows

Along with the daffodils, I will be planting some of these little gems as well. I haven't been so successful in the past growing flowers from seeds. Of course, I think the squirrels are the culprit, not my stellar gardening skills *wink*.

Stay tuned for pictures of all the planting fun!

Too Late?

Sorry for the late post today--time got away from me! I don't know if you noticed...but this is also our 50th post!

It is appropriate that today's post is on the late side...because I wanted to let you all in on a little secret: Last fall I was gifted several daffodil bulbs to plant...which I STILL have not done. So, in the nice days ahead, I am going to plant them.

Novice gardener that I am, I'm not even sure if these babies are still viable. My heart is just to weak to simply give up on them, though. I'll let you know how it turns out.



Grow little bulbs, grow.

New Bulbs!

I just bought 100 of these:



Anemones. Red anemones. I am SO EXCITED. Well, I am a little disappointed, because I wanted to plant ranunculus, but ran into some road blocks:

1. They are not really hardy for zones 5-6.
2. You have to buy a mixed bag, instead of buying a single color.
3. They are a little expensive for a novice gardener.

I won't give up on my ranunculus dream, yet, but this year's anemones will have to tide me over to next spring. I think they will look great with the sand cherries and tulips that are already in the bed.

Can you believe it?

Last week, I was so excited to see some of my bulbs start to come up:


Then, over the weekend, nature brought us this:

I am sure spring will get here eventually, but I am starting to get impatient.