Inland Northwest Gardening

Check out the Ellensburg section of the photo gallery for summer images from five very different gardens in the Kittitas valley. It’s often very windy in Ellensburg and these gardens are designed to stand up to the blows, either through plant selection or the use of a very effective tall Arborvitae hedge as a windbreak in Donna Umland’s garden east of town. In addition to Donna’s garden, there are new photos from the gardens of David Stambaugh, Cinthia Krieble, Won Cha Hansen, and Annette Williams.

At 8 a.m. this moring, there was snow in the rain. This is June 10 for crying out loud and I’m at about 2100′ in elevation. My tomatoes have been in the ground for almost three weeks. The beans took three weeks to come up and I haven’t seen the corn or squash. In my 30 years gardening here, I’ve never seen it this cold.

So how do we combat it and still get a garden?

Cover tomaotes, peppers, eggplants, melons, cucumbers, and other warm season crops with a tent of floating row cover and leave it on into the early part of July. Floating row cover is a spun polyester fabric that lets light and water in but helps retain some heat. During the day, the extra heat helps the plants grow. At night the heat retention can save a crop from freezing.

You can make an inexpensive hoop house frame of PVC pipe to hold up the row cover and make a mini-greenhouse. It should be big enough to cover the plants and the tomato cages.

Cut the bottoms out of milk jugs and large juice bottles and place them over the plants. remove the caps during the day and replace them each night.

Unless you are willing to religously remove and recover plants with plastic in the morning and evening, I would not reccomend covering plants with clear plastic. A couple of hours of warm sun in between cold rains can cook the plants.

I have been watching people buy basil since early May not realizing that it needs HEAT and lots of it to grow at all. Our air and soil are just too cold. I usually don’t seed mine until the end of June and usually get a nice crop by mid-August.

by Pat Munts

First published in the Spokesman-Review, November 13, 2007

Happy day! The garden finally got nailed with a killing frost. I can quit for the winter. There is one last chore to do before I can really lock the door on the tool shed, though. I need to clean and repair the tools that helped me work in the garden.

Basic tool care

Remove caked-on dirt from all tools. A wire brush will make fast work of even the hardest patches in hard-to-reach corners. If left on the tool, rust can set in and eventually reduce the life of the utensil. Rub all metal surfaces with a bit of used motor oil to further keep rust at bay. If wooden tool handles are a bit rough, lightly sand with a fine grit sandpaper to remove burs and the potential for getting a sliver in your hand. Nothing can slow you down faster than a sore hand. Lightly oil the handles with a little linseed oil to extend their life.

Sharpen blades on cutting tools like pruners, loppers, shovels and hoes. It is amazing how much easier it is to use a tool if it is sharp. Pruning tools should be sharpened with a whetstone following the angle of the cutting edge. Hoes and shovels can be placed in a vise and sharpened with a mill file, again following the angle of the cutting surface.

Clean dirt off wheelbarrows and carts. Tighten any loose bolts and screws. Park them out of the weather so water doesn’t collect in them. Drain all sprinklers and hoses to prevent freeze damage. Coil hoses so they won’t kink and store them out of the weather. Triple-rinse any spray and fertilizer application equipment. The chemicals don’t hold through the winter and can freeze in the container damaging the seals (been there, done that). You will certainly forget what was in it by spring.

Last, remove caked-on dirt and grass from mowers, tillers, weed cutters and edgers. Tighten any loose bolts and inspect for metal fatigue. Run the equipment to remove the last of the fuel from the tank. Gasoline changes over the winter and can form deposits that can clog the carburetor and make it hard to start in the spring. Running the engine also warms up the oil, making it very easy to change. Dispose of it properly to avoid environmental damage. Sharpen cutting blades according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

If you don’t want to do all this, now is a great time to take your equipment to your favorite repair shop before they get into snow-blower season. They aren’t as busy right now and you will miss the spring rush.

by Pat Munts

As a child, Tsuneko Horton spent many long afternoons gathering wild lilies. They grew everywhere on her small island off the southern coast of Japan. She fell in love with them. Today, on the other side of the Pacific, in the pine forests of northeast Washington, she and her husband Don have recreated as close to a wild garden of lilies as their harsh climate will allow. Even with its challenges, each July, her “Queens of the Garden” treat her again to great bouquets.

Lilies are a mainstay of the mid-summer garden. They are the perfect companions to any number of perennials and small shrubs. When they bloom, they light up the garden with both color and fragrance. They are truly the regal ladies of the garden that we should meet.

Asiatic Hybrids

Native to China, Korea and Japan, Asiatics are the earliest bloomers and the easiest of the lilies to grow. They generally grow two to four feet tall and bloom from the end of June into late July. This makes them perfect of the middle or front of a border and for container planting. They range in color from bold oranges and reds to subtle pinks, yellows and creams. Their blooms are usually upfacing but some can be outward facing or pendulous trumpet-shaped. Most are cold hardy to USDA Zones 3-8 and can handle heat in the AHS Heat Zones 8-1.

Oriental Hybrids

Orientals are native mostly to Japan and parts of China and are best known for their strong fragrance and large flowers. These are hybrids of Lilium aratum and Lilium specious that Horton used to gather in the forests of her native Japan.

Orientals are not as colorful as the Asiatics, but what they lack in color they have in boldness and fragrance. Dwarf Orientals grow to 18 to 30 inches while standard forms can reach as much as eight feet. Last year Horton had one that grew so tall “it started bending down and I had to tie it to the roof gutter to keep it upright,” she said. They generally bloom in July and August. The Orientals need some light shade from the afternoon summer sun in eastern Washington but will do well in the sun on the west side of the state. They are winter hardy to USDA zones 5-8 and heat tolerant in AHS Heat Zones 8-1.

Martagons or Turk’s Cap

Martagons are characterized by many small, down-facing fragrant flowers with tightly reflexed or backwards curved petals that give the appearance of a traditional Turkish cap. The flowers are held on a single tall spike and come in shades of pink, rose, magenta and white, blooming in June and early July. The plants can grow to between four and six feet tall. The Maragons are quite shade tolerant and do best in the dappled shade of small trees amongst hostas and other shade perennials. On the west side of the state they will handle morning sun well and afternoon sun if they are away from heat sinks like walls and rocks. They are similar to the Asiatics in cold and heat tolerance.

Trumpets and Aurelian hybrids

These are the plants people usually think of when they think of lilies; huge, waxy fragrant, trumpet-shaped blooms held high on tall, stately plants. The flowers can also have a flat-faced, bowl or recurved shape and come in pinks, yellows and whites. Aurelians are a cross between the trumpets and the species lily, Lilium henryi. L. henryi lends its characteristic sunburst shaped yellow flower to the cross. Both generally grow four to eight feet tall and bloom in July to early August. They are cold hardy to USDA Zone 3-8 and heat tolerant in AHS Heat Zones 8-1.

Oriental trumpet — the OT or Orienpet Hybrids

This is a relatively new group of hybrids that bring together the best characteristics of the Orientals and trumpets; huge size, strikingly bold flowers and overall vigor. They grow between four and eight feet and come in shades of pink, red and white. These are one of the last of the lilies to bloom coming on at the end of July and well into August. They are much more heat tolerant than the Orientals and hardy in USDA Zones 3-8.

Growing Lilies

Lilies prefer a humus-rich, loam soil that drains quickly. “They are susceptible to root rot if the soil doesn’t drain well,” says David Sims who grows several hundred plants on a sandy river bench in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho. Sims recommends that if you have thick clay soil or damp places, lilies need to be planted either in a six to ten-inch high raised bed or in a deeply dug bed with several inches of porous material added to the bottom before planting.

With the exception of the Orientals, lilies tolerate soils with a pH of 6-7. The Orientals prefer acidic soils with a pH no higher than about 6.5.

Sims fertilizes his bulbs in the spring when the shoots first appear and then again just as the buds appear. Because the Orientals prefer an acid soil, they should be fertilized with a rhododendron-type fertilizer.

“Most lilies (except the Martagons) like full sun to full sun” to grow bushy and bear lots of blooms says Sims. That said, Sims and Horton both agree that in the hot, sunny climate of eastern Washington, Orientals do better and hold their color longer if they get a little light shade in the afternoon. On the west side, they will do fine in all but the hottest and brightest garden spaces.

Keep lily roots cool by mulching them with two to three inches of organic mulch. This can also be accomplished by planting them with other perennials or small shrubs. Horton plants her lilies amongst rhododendrons and under the high shade of tall Ponderosa pines.

Most lilies need to be divided every three to five years. Dig them in the fall after the stalk has yellowed. Separate whole individual bulbs, but don’t break the bulbs into scales. The bulbs should replanted immediately at a depth of three times their height. Because they grow whenever conditions are right, they can’t be stored like daffodils or tulips. Newly planted bulbs benefit from a winter mulch their first year. Plant in groups of five or seven to create more of a garden presence.

Lilies can be purchased and planted in the spring but they will bloom later and will take a year to reach their full size.

Diseases and Pests

Lilies are somewhat susceptible to fungal diseases like botrytis in the cooler, moister coastal areas. East side gardeners don’t have to worry about it as much because of the drier climate. Botrytis cinerea is the most common fungal disease. It is appears on the upper leaves as wet-looking, teardrop or boat-shaped spots. The center can be a slightly different color than the outer edge. Botrytis occurs most often during wet, foggy conditions (common in coastal areas) when the temperature stays between 50 to 65 degrees for several hours during the day or night.

To reduce the potential for botrytis, don’t plant lilies too close together; leave room for good air circulation. Pick up all plant debris in the fall to remove overwintering spores. If you have a major problem, you may need to dig your bulbs annually and rotate your plantings beds.

Aphids can be a problem on lilies, not only because they can damage tender new growth in the spring but also because they can carry viruses from plant to plant. Use a hard stream of water or an insecticidal soap to remove them from the plants.

Lilies Make Beautiful Cut Flowers

Wait until the first bud on a stem is barely opening to cut the stem. Leave two-thirds of the stem when you cut so that the plant has enough leaves to rebuild the bulb. Place the stems in deep cool water for a few hours to hydrate them and then arrange them. Trim out the pollen covered stamens before bringing them indoors as the bright yellow pollen will stain. If you do get pollen on you or tablecloths, don’t try to wipe it off with a wet rag as this will set the stain. Instead brush it off with a brush or pick it up with a piece of tape. Or try Sims’ method: “If you get it on a shirt, lay it out in the sun and it will bleach it out very quickly.”

Resources

North American Lily Society
http://www.lilies.org/index.htm
Executive Secretary: Stephanie Sims
PO Box W, Bonners Ferry, Idaho 83805

The Lily Garden
4902 NE 147th Ave
Vancouver, WA 98682-6067
Phone: (360) 253-6273
http://www.thelilygarden.com

The Lily Pad
3403 Steamboat Island Rd NW
PMB 374
Olympia, WA 98502
Phone: (360) 866-0291
http://www.lilypadbulbs.com/

B and D Lilies
PO Box 2007
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Phone: (360) 765-4341
http://www.bdlilies.com/

What a summer. When it got hot in July, I was not looking forward to it being hot all the way to Labor Day. Not when we were trying to plan a wedding reception in the yard in mid-August. I had dreams of watering in my pajamas. But Mother Nature fooled us “again” and sent us a very comfortable August with just a bit of rain.

Just enough cooler weather and rain for the fall weed crop to pop back up, that is. No worries though, early fall is one of the best times to go after the weeds and renovate weedy lawns. You will save yourself hours of work next spring and get a greener lawn earlier.

Get Healthy
The best defense against weeds is a healthy lawn. Since most weeds need sunlight to germinate, a thick stand of grass will block light from reaching the ground and cut germination rates. Start your renovation by removing weeds either by digging or treating them with the appropriate herbicide. Avoid using weed and feed products as the indiscriminate use of herbicides can cause problems for trees and shrubs, is expensive and may actually reduce the vigor of the lawn you are trying to save. Following label instructions, it will probably take several weeks for the weeds to die completely.

While you are waiting for the weeds to die, bring in an aerator and thoroughly work your entire lawn. Run the machine in one direction and then run it over the lawn at right angles to the first course. I don’t recommend thatching because the process tears out too many good grass plants.

Feed and Water
Once you have aerated the soil, apply a balanced slow release fertilizer and water it in well. These are sold as fall blends of conventional fertilizers or a good quality organic fertilizer. Research has shown that the application of fertilizer in the fall is actually the most important feeding you can give your lawn. The plants go into winter with plenty of food stored in roots and are able to draw on it when spring comes.

Because it has been dry this summer, plan on watering your lawn deeply well into October. The grass plants will go into winter well hydrated and better able to withstand the rigors of some of the sudden cold snaps with no snow cover.

Prepare for Spring
Now back to the weedy areas that don’t have much grass. Once the weeds have died down, rake out the areas well and work an inch of compost into the ground. Spread new grass seed over the area, rake it in lightly and then cover the area with a mulch to hold in moisture and provide some protection when it gets cold. The ground is still warm from the summer so the seed should germinate quickly. Be sure to keep it evenly moist until the grass is several inches high. Pull any errant weeds that pop up.

[originally published Sept. 11, 2007 in the Spokesman-Review]

Heat took toll on zucchini plants

Q: Last year, our zucchini did real well. Like many people, we couldn’t harvest them fast enough. This year, our zucchini plant looks great and is putting out a lot of flowers and is setting zucchini as expected. However, when the zucchini are about 3 to 4 inches long, they suddenly stop growing and slowly begin to shrivel from the blossom end.

This year, we have black landscape cloth under our squash and tomato plants (we did not use it last year). Also, this year, since it has been so hot and dry, we have been watering every day. Our soil is very sandy and dries out quickly. Based on the color and overall appearance of the plants, we do not think they are getting too much water.

Walt & Shirley Jakubowski, Spokane

A: When it was hot in July, it was impossible to have put too much water on anything unless you let the hose run constantly. Your zucchini were victims of the early heat. The flowers sometimes have enough energy to grow a small fruit but because it didn’t get pollinated correctly it fizzled and shriveled up. They should be doing better with the cooler weather. With your sandy soil, try adding lots of compost this fall to help hold more water next year.

The trouble with tomatoes
Q: I would like to know what causes your tomatoes to split on the top. If you could let me know I would really appreciate it.

Janet Goulet

A: Most splitting in tomatoes is caused by overwatering or uneven watering that causes the plant to take up more water than the fruit can stretch to hold and it splits either on the top or down the side. Tomatoes also like to be watered regularly and consistently. Now that lots of fruit is setting on, keep to a regular watering schedule but cut back a bit on the amount you put on at any one time. This should reduce the problem.

A cure for carrots
Q: This year, our carrots were fine in size on top, but they are growing multiple roots, some shaped just like a chicken foot, as many as four. We use nothing but rabbit manure, and peat moss in our garden. What could be causing this? Also, not every carrot is like this. Some are beautiful.

Anonymous by e-mail

A: It is likely you have a fungal infection called pythium fungi that infects carrots early in their development and is generally more prevalent with moist soil conditions. Other conditions that might have caused the problem are the presence of too much nitrogen, nematodes, compacted soil that they are trying to grow through, poor drainage or “if you are in the Spokane Valley” rocks. Next year, move the carrots to a new spot and work the ground deeply to break up any compacted areas. Add compost instead of peat moss and work it in well. Apply your aged rabbit manure as a top dressing around the plants and see what happens.

[originally published Sept. 4, 2007 in the Spokesman-Review]