Master Gardener: Andrea L. Tomsic
Most of us have spent many days of this Southwestern Pennsylvania winter indoors, dreaming of our gardening escape outdoors in the spring. As the last days of winter approach, if you are planning to install any type of landscape plant material, there are a few things you should know before spending your money.
Start with a good design. If you don’t have the money to hire a designer to create something for you, note the conditions of the site where you plan to plant. Is it sunny, shady, wet, dry, windy, sloped or a combination of them all? What is around this area? Is it near concrete or your house, which can reflect the sun’s heat? Or is it protected from wind and heat? Do you have deer? It will be well worth your time to find these things out now, before you buy anything, so that the site dictates the plant. You don’t want to coddle and nurture a plant in a site that is inappropriate, only to have it die anyway. Make sure you will be able to water the plant in case of a drought at least for the first year. One inch of water per week is a good rule of thumb for any plant, so if we don’t get much rain, you will need to water. If we do have rain, don’t over-water, because our clay soil can hold too much water near the plant roots and damage the plant.
Also, note the size of the area. Decide if you want to fill the area with plant material or leave spaces in between the plants. Then, when you go plant shopping, you can note the mature size of the plant and know how many will fit in the space you are landscaping.
While many trees, shrubs and perennials do well when planted in the fall, there are a few that you need to plant in the spring. Plants that are slow in getting established should be planted in the spring.
The Monongahela YMCA will again be offering their annual gardening series, “Gardening through the Seasons,” to both members and non-members. Instructors for the classes, Hazel Murray and Peggy Brown, are Penn State Certified Master Gardeners from Washington County. Hazel and Peggy have been actively involved in the development of the Donora Community Garden at Second Street and McKean Avenue in Donora. Peggy is also involved in developing and planting the Pollinator Garden in Monongahela.
They have designed this seminar with the beginning and intermediate gardener in mind. Emphasis will be on gardening organically as much as possible. Different methods of weed and pest control using organic methods are on the agenda, as is composting and organic fertilizers. Discussion and demonstrations will involve both vegetable and flower gardens. Methods and effectiveness of do it yourself soil testing will be demonstrated.
The general class schedule and topics to be covered are:
March 3 – imaging and designing your garden, locate the sun in your garden, starting seeds indoors, soil testing, starting and using compost, early spring pruning , spring clean up
April 7 – moving seeds outdoors, transplanting seedlings outdoors and when to do it, spring fertilizing, what’s a weed and what isn’t, bugs and what to do about them, more pruning, what about my roses?
May 5 – where to buy plants and shrubs, starting tubers in pots, constructing and vegetable gardening in a raised bed, collecting rain in rain barrels, rain chains, vegetable gardening in straw bales
June 2 – organic alternatives for fertilizing and pest control, planting a pretty container, edging plants, walkways and garden paths, even in a vegetable garden!, pollinating your vegetables and plants by hand – Hazel’s specialty!
Sept. 15 – the Pollinator Garden, designing the garden, benefits, a project with your children and grandchildren, planting to attract pollinators through the year, State and National certification for your Pollinator garden. This class will be held off site, location to be announced
October 13 – wrapping up the garden, leave the leaves, fall pruning, cleaning and sharpening tools, planting seeds and overwintering outdoors, fall fertilizing and composting
Classes are open to members of the Y as well as non-members. Cost for all six workshops is $25 for members, or $5/class. For non-members, the cost is $35 or $7/class. Most classes will involve hands-on instruction and involvement. Any supplies needed, like seeds, soil, and the like, will be provided. Coffee and snacks will also be provided.
To sign up, or for additional information, please contact Jodi Lignelli at the Mon Valley YMCA, 724-483-8077 ext. 207, monvalleyymca.org. A limited number of scholarships are available. Please contact Jodi for additional information.
Another consideration is how the plant is purchased: bare root (no soil on roots, sometimes wrapped in plastic), balled and burlapped or container-grown. Bare-rooted plants need to be dormant when received and planted. This way, the roots have a chance to get established before top growth occurs, which is early spring. Containerized or balled and burlapped plants do not need to be dormant when planted, but it still is a good idea. Early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked, is the best for all of these plants.
Some trees that need to be planted in the spring because they are slow to get established are: golden-rain tree (Koelreuteria paniculata), tulip or yellow poplar tree (Liriodendron tulipifera), oak trees (Quercus spp.), magnolias (Magnolia spp.), black gum or tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica), and Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata).
Lucky for us, most shrubs and perennials do well when planted in the spring or fall, but if you are fall planting you need to be sure the plant establishes itself quickly. Summer planting can be a gamble, especially when we can go weeks of hot temperatures without water, then weeks with downpours.
Lastly, try to dig the holes before you buy the plants, and plan to plant within a day or two. This way, the plant spends as little time out of the ground at your home as possible. It’s easy to go on a shopping spree without realizing you don’t know where you are placing the plant at home. Then several days later, the plant is dead because you forgot to water it.
If you follow these easy tips and do your homework now, you will be rewarded with a healthy landscape for years to come.
For more information on gardening, or to find out about the Master Gardener program, contact the Washington County Cooperative Extension office and speak with a Master Gardener. In Washington County, call 724-228-6881.