Volunteer

 August 2025

Pickaway to Garden

Volunteer

By Paul J. Hang

A volunteer is someone who performs a task without pay. If you garden you are a volunteer, unless you garden for someone else for pay. In the plant world a volunteer is a plant that grows without having been intentionally sown or planted. Weeds come to mind. Of course the old definition of a weed is a plant growing where you don’t want it. But that can apply to real weeds like ragweed, poison ivy or Canada thistle. Or, it can apply to plants we like and might want to keep.

I often hear people mention their volunteer tomato plants. They are free but you don’t want to let them grow where they came up if it is where you grew tomatoes the last couple years. Diseases in the soil can carry over. We should rotate most crops. You could dig them up and plant them elsewhere. However, you might be surprised at what variety you get. If they came from the seed of a hybrid you won’t know what traits it might have inherited.

Some of the volunteers I get are trees, some I like, and some I don’t. Thanks to squirrels I have to dig up about a dozen walnut trees every year. I like walnuts and walnut trees but I don’t want them growing near my desirable plants and vegetables. They produce a chemical, juglone that retards the growth of most other plants, especially tomatoes. I also get Pin oak seedlings from the tree across the road. I get Shingle oaks from who knows where. I only know of one over a mile from “This ole Thistle Farm.” I get Mulberry and Hackberry trees. I don’t want the Mulberry because they are weedy and they are almost always the non-native White or one of its hybrids from the native and disappearing Red Mulberry. I already have enough Hackberry, another rampant volunteer.

Nice trees I might dig up to give away. Often I don’t see the volunteer trees until they appear in or even above a shrub. If a sapling is straight I might leave it until it is the right size to make a walking stick before I remove it. Don’t get me started about Silver Maples. Learn to recognize their leaves. It might be a Red or Sugar Maple. The other day I was admiring my late blooming Tardiva hydrangea only to see a maroon Rose of Sharon, another prolific volunteer, staring out at me among the white blooms.

If I see an unfamiliar plant beginning to grow “out of place” I might let it grow until I know what it is. Then, I decide whether to let it be, transplant it, or remove it to be given away or put in the compost bin. I am a Master Gardener Volunteer so I am not against volunteering. Volunteering can be a useful and good thing. Many valuable things would not get done if it wasn’t for volunteers. Volunteering is good for us. But just like with plants, you need to be discerning and choose wisely. Know what you like and then go for it.

Big tomatoes not ripening? I learned at the Midwest Native Plant Conference, the cause is night time temperatures in the mid 70’s. Once our nights cool off they should start to ripen.

Things to do in the garden:

August is Tree Check month. Water if we don’t get at least an inch of rain each week. Water at the base of the plant and do it in the morning. Water trees and shrubs planted in the past two years or if they look distressed. If you see lichen on your trees, rejoice it’s a sign of clean air.

You can still have a fall garden. Plant healthy looking broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage plants early in the month. Direct-seed beets, spinach, turnips, and snap peas mid-month. Other vegetables that grow well in cool weather but should be planted a little later are lettuce planted through August and September, carrots and radishes in September.  Count the days before the average frost (mid-October), veggies that have that many days to harvest can still be planted. Check the seed packet. Given our milder winters don’t be afraid to experiment. Keep the seeds and soil moist for best germination.

Harvest vegetables and herbs in the morning for best results. Dig potatoes if the vines have died. Harvest onions when the tops fall over and cure them in the sun for a few days. Consider donating excess to the food pantry.

As plants die back or stop producing in the vegetable garden remove them so bad insects and disease don’t have a place to over-winter. Some landscape plants, such as coneflowers and those with hollow stems, also native ornamental grasses, can be left alone for insects and for seeds for wintering birds or for visual winter interest. Put the debris of healthy plants in the compost bin, diseased plants in the trash. Pull crabgrass and other weeds before they go to seed.

This is the time to renovate or build a new lawn. Do your research at ohioline.osu.edu. Start cuttings of coleus, begonias, geraniums and impatiens for growing indoors this winter. Move houseplants to a shady spot to prepare them to move indoors. Disbud and fertilize your dahlias for bigger blooms. Fertilize (side dress) peonies and roses with a balanced fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 12-12-12. Order garlic and spring flowering bulbs, plant biennials. Divide, transplant or give away perennials that are overgrown and plant new container grown ones. Add new mulch where needed. Pull weeds before they go to seed.

Big tomatoes not ripening? I learned at the Midwest Native Plant Conference, the cause is night time temperatures in the mid 70’s. Once our nights cool off they should start to ripen. By the end of the month consider disbudding your tomato plants. Remove the growing tips of each branch and pinch out all the blossoms that bloom. It takes six weeks from blossom to fruit. This results in bigger tomatoes and prevents those marble size tomatoes that never reach the table. Experiment! Try this with melons and winter squash. Consider picking tomatoes before they are completely ripe. They will ripen off the vine if they show a blush of green on an otherwise red, purple or yellow tomato. Totally ripe tomatoes still on the vine can burst with a glut of water from rain or the hose, if we should be so lucky. They can also be sampled by birds and mammals.

Monitor for pests. Check under the leaves. Use organic methods first. Remember, 97 percent of insects are either good or neutral. To eliminate bad bugs, the two-step stomp technique can be quite effective.  Or, just flick them into a cup of soapy water. No bug species has developed a resistance to these tactics. Need gardening advice? Call the Gardening Helpline at the OSU Extension Office 474-7534. Other resources are ohioline.osu.edu and Buckeye Yard and Garden Line (bygl.osu.edu). 

The Old Gardener

 

July, 2025

Pickaway to Garden

 

The Old Gardener

By Paul Hang

 

It’s July the month we celebrate our independence as a nation. We did not want one man, no matter of what title or office, having sole authority over us. We also honor the person who wrote our Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson was also a gardener. I would like to compare myself to him, as a gardener. For any other characteristic I might have, or hope to have, in common with him there would be no comparison. He said “Though an old man, I am but a young gardener.” 

 

Well, I too am an old man. However, unlike him, I suspect that I am also an old gardener. This is something that has just recently occurred to me. Not that I am an old man but that I am also an old gardener. I understand what Jefferson was referring to, the fact that you can never learn everything about gardening. There is always more to learn. And, there are always new discoveries, new twists, new techniques, and new styles. Yes styles. Have you heard of No mow May? Kill your lawn? Plant all natives? Plant a meadow? Plant for wildlife? Plant trees with no leaves or birds? (I made up that last one.)

 

I’ve known that I am an old man for quite a while. I am 83 years old, the same age Jefferson was when he died! No snow on the roof, just scalp. I have stents in various tubes. I’ve had my cataracts removed, my prostate reamed out, my lower eyelids lifted. I have heart disease and Type II diabetes. I have had skin cancers frozen and excised from my head and face. I have passed a kidney stone and other less solid substances. I could go on with my maladies but that would make me sound old. You know how we are. In other words, I am an old man, a codger.

 

I am, unlike Mr. Jefferson, an old gardener in need of assistance. I graduated from a push reel mower as a lad, to a push power mower to a self-propelled mower to a riding mower. I’ve recently hired people to mow my lawn this summer. My goal is to replace my lawn with mulch or AstroTurf. I bought a sprayer that I can pull along on wheels rather strap on my back or lug around the estate. I have a pair of loppers that I can ratchet closed rather than have to squeeze all at once. I have raised beds and may raise them even higher. The higher they are the shorter distance there is to bend over or to fall into them. I have more container grown plants.

 

I have an electric battery-powered string-trimmer, no more despair trying to start the old gasoline one and it doesn’t stink. I can change new strings with a push of the button. That alone will save years off my remaining life. I just bought a blower, my first. You guessed it; it too is battery-powered. It’s not too loud but it can end an extended and tedious conversation. I haven’t used my chain saw in about ten years. I have more houseplants.

I use an app to remind me of the names of plants I’ve known for years. I am strictly a no-till gardener. I have fallen in the garden, damned hose. I have drip irrigation on a timer for my vegetable garden. I have a reciprocating saw with a pruning blade for those pesky shrubs and dead branches. I haven’t completely fallen for some of the new-fangled garden regimes now in fashion no matter how important their goals. I will mow in May, or have it mowed. I plan to keep some non-native plants. I will grow food and flowers. I do plant for wildlife whether it’s intended or not.

 

Perhaps the latest, but hopefully not the final, straw is I may need to have back surgery soon. Old Thomas had it partly right, though I am an old man; I am also an old gardener.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

On July 2nd we are exactly at the halfway point in the year. The dog days begin July 3^rd.  Time to take stock. What has gone wrong in the garden and what has gone right? Some days I am tempted to “throw in the trowel.” Once I see my daylilies in bloom, some tomatoes forming on the vines I get over that feeling and I resolve to keep on. Maybe the next half of the year will be better than the first.

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Are you waiting on cucumbers and squash to start bearing fruit? They get male flowers first then later the female flowers come on. This is the time to dry herbs. Harvest before they flower. Pick on a sunny dry day and in the morning. Tie them in small bundles with rubber bands. Hang them upside down in a hot, dry, dark, well ventilated spot in an attic, barn or shed. It is time to harvest garlic. Harvest when leaves are turning yellow but there are still one or two green leaves. Hang them or lay them out to cure.

 

Weeding, deadheading and watering are high on the list of routine activities. If July turns out to be bone dry, water the equivalent of one inch or more per week. Don’t let your plants wilt. This will cause blossom end rot in tomatoes and other solanaceous plants like peppers and eggplant. Mulch to conserve moisture and keep down weeds. If you haven’t mulched yet do so after a soaking thunderstorm or a good deep watering. Vegetables high in water content need more water e.g. tomatoes, watermelons, onions.

 

Keep your mower blades sharp; cut your grass long, 3-4 inches is ideal. If you use a pesticide for grubs you are also killing the ones that produce fireflies. Consider organic methods if you have a grub problem.  Kill Japanese beetle scouts before they let their comrades know about your garden. Brush them off into a cup of soapy water or alcohol (not Jim Beam). Repeatedly letting the lawn go dormant and reviving it by watering can kill the grass. Either keep watering or wait for Mother Nature to do it for you. Don’t forget to water your compost heap. It needs to remain moist for fast decomposition.

Container plants in the hot sun may need watering daily.

 

If grafted trees or roses are suckering below the graft, cut the sprouts off. Keep picking seed pods off the annuals and clipping spent flowers (deadheading) to encourage bloom all summer. Pinch back mums July 15^th for the last time. Thin out fruit on heavily laden fruit trees. Prune climbing roses after bloom. Divide bearded Irises and do not re-plant too deep. Plant gladiolus up to mid-month. Add soil to potatoes as they grow.

 

Always read the labels on your plants for fertilization. Most woody plants have completed their growth and their buds for next year so fertilizing trees and shrubs after early July is a waste of money and may harm the plant. Keep watering trees and shrubs planted in the past 2-3 years. Ten gallons for every inch in diameter every week is good.

 

Consider planting a fall garden later this month. Plants such as cabbage, broccoli, spinach, collards, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts (plant seeds now, seedlings later), kale, Swiss chard even beets and parsnips thrive in our fall weather. Consider starting your plants indoors (except for root crops). Acclimate seedlings to the sun before putting them out in the garden. You can still plant beans, cukes, summer squash, greens and corn.

 

If you would like to see much more of things to do in the garden, as if this is not enough, see Margaret Roach’s web site awaytogarden.com (no relation). She gardens in Zone 6a in upstate New York. Have gardening questions? Call the Gardening Helpline 740-474-7534. To read about problems facing those of us who “grow things,” check out bygl.osu.edu.

Cool It

 

June 2025

Pickaway to Garden

Cool It

By Paul Hang

Did you ever say this to someone? Cool it, meaning to calm down, don’t heat up the situation, let cooler heads prevail. I am not talking politics, although that would be good advice. Not just about their rhetoric but about climate related legislation. It seems our weather has been pretty cool this spring. I don’t know when you will be reading this so you may be sweltering from the heat, but as I write this it was 62 degrees this morning. It has been this way, with a few exceptions, all spring. For gardeners this has required adaptations. We wish we had planted more cool weather crops. Our warm weather crops, like tomatoes and salvia, are languishing, waiting on the heat. I have been tempted to plant more cool weather plants, like lettuces and radishes, but afraid that, by the time they are up, it will have turned hot and they will bolt.

Benjamin Franklin said, “Some people are weather-wise, but most are otherwise.” As gardeners, we should be weather-wise. We soon learn that most plants need about one inch of rainfall a week. But how do we know if that has happened in our garden? Rainfall can be pretty spotty. I can have a downpour but just across the street it is sprinkling or not raining at all. Rainfall reports are for the location where the rain gauge is located.

Most people notice the weather, how could we not? It is all around us. I am not typical. My job in the U.S. Air Force was as a Weather Observer. I received training in what to look for, clouds winds, haze, fog, etc. I learned how to report conditions and how to launch weather balloons and report the data received. If you too are not part of the “otherwise, “ or, even if you are, you might be interested in a group called CoCoRaHS (The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network).

CoCoRaHS, Is a non-profit, community based, network of volunteers who measure and report rain, hail and snow in their backyards. It only takes a few minutes to check the rain gauge and report your observations. If you have an interest in weather and would like to help your local community, as well as scientists and others interested in precipitation this is for you. You participate in real citizen science. It is educational and will help you be a better gardener. You can get more information at www.cocorahs.org.

Still interested in our local weather? Attend the Pickaway County Master Gardener Volunteer’s Founders Day Celebration. Dr. Aaron B. Wilson Asst. Professor-Ag Weather and Climate Field Specialist, Department of Extension-CFAES; The Ohio State University, will present, “Weather and Climate Conversations.” This will be held Wednesday June 25^th at 6 PM. Bring a chair and join us at the Starkey Pavilion MVCH Park, 1230 Pontius Rd., Circleville, Ohio. It’s FREE.

Come at 5pm and discover the world of Eastern Bluebirds at the park, their habitat, behavior and conservancy. As always, call the helpline at the Pickaway County Extension office at 740-474-7534 with your gardening questions. Or, go to www.Pickaway.osu.edu, click on "Ask an expert."  

Things to do in the garden:

To avoid the wilting of cucumber and melon vines cover the new plants with row cover material until the plants flower. Then remove the cover so that the pollinators can do their work. Use row covers on all vegetable plants that do not need to be pollinated: cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, onions and root crops are examples. We eat them before they flower and go to seed, thus no need for them to be pollinated. I have begun to do this on more vegetables and it keeps most pests away. Mulch vegetables in mid-month after the soil has warmed up. You can fertilize all vegetables, corn two times, this month.

Weed and thin plants. Crowding plants more than is recommended results in all the plants doing poorly. Water deeply (not a little each day) one inch per week all summer.  Apply the water to the base of the plants rather than on the foliage. If you use a sprinkler, water early in the day so the foliage can dry before nightfall. Wet foliage overnight encourages fungal diseases to develop.

Remove seed heads from perennials. Don’t allow fancy hybrids to ripen and self-sow as their offspring will not come true. Deadhead flowers for more blooms. Iris can be divided and replanted after blooming. Pinch back mums once they are 4 to 6 inches tall. Continue to pinch back until mid-July. If your daffodils or other bulb plants didn’t bloom well it could be because they are now growing in the shade of larger grown trees or shrubs. Or, perhaps they are too crowded? Once the foliage turns yellow you can dig up the bulbs and divide and/or move them.

Fruit trees often shed small fruits in early summer called June Drop. Thin after this occurs. Thin apples to one fruit per cluster and one fruit every four to eight inches. Other tree fruit can be thinned a little less. This will cause bigger fruit. Don’t thin cherries. Pick up all fallen fruit. Only compost fallen fruit if you have a “hot” heap. Otherwise dispose of diseased fruit in the trash.

If you notice a “volunteer” tomato plant in your garden, yank it out or transplant it. Good gardeners, like good farmers, rotate their crops. A volunteer growing in last year’s tomato area allows disease to accumulate in that spot. Mulch under tomatoes keeps the soil from splashing up on the fruits. Soil on the leaves and fruits promotes disease. If you don’t stake, trellis or cage your tomatoes and let them sprawl on the ground, mulch will keep the fruit off the bare ground. Mulch also keeps the ground from drying out, suppresses weeds and moderates the soil temperature. Several layers of newspaper topped with organic mulch, leaves, untreated grass clippings, coarse compost, shredded bark etc. should do the trick. Never let your tomatoes wilt. Uneven watering causes blossom end rot.

Water your roses well but hold off on the geraniums. They will bloom best when kept somewhat dry. Roses sprouting from below the graft should be replaced. Peonies should be fertilized after they finish blooming. Newly planted trees and bushes should be watered well each week for the first two years if the weather turns dry. Give them a good soaking. Don’t give them a booster feeding of fertilizer this year. Force those young roots to search for food by stretching out into the soil. Mow the lawn high, 3-4 inches, it crowds out weeds and needs less water, and mowing.

May Day

 

May 2025

Pickaway to Garden

May Day

By Paul Hang

 

Mayday is a distress signal. May Day is a celebration. People cavort around the May Pole. May Day is May first. Another name for that day is Beltane. It is the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The month gets its name from Maia which is the name of the Greek goddess of the hunt and the Roman goddess of fertility. May marks the complete awakening of nature. May brings greenery, leaves, buds, flowers. The month symbolizes rebirth, renewal, fertility, hope. It seems every poet must write a verse about May. Samuel Scoville wrote “…honey-sweet May, when the birds come back, and the flowers come out, and the air is full of the sunshine scents and songs of the dawning year.”

 

There are many celebrations in the month across different cultures. Some of ours are: Cinco de Mayo; Mother’s Day; Memorial Day; Churches may celebrate Mother Mary, Catholics have their May processions. The first full moon in May, Vesak, is celebrated as the birth of Buddha. Observing the awakening of nature may inspire us to embrace our own inner renewal and personal growth.

 

Then, of course, there is the celebration that I have long advocated for, Ground Hug Day. We could have parades. Farmers would drive their tractors. Guys on their zero-turn mowers could zip around like Shriners on their little motorcycles, groups of mowers all in neat rows, ranks of rototillers; all could be decorated with crepe paper and ribbons. Little boys would not have to bathe on that day. Ranks of gardeners carrying various gardening tools, spades, loppers, rakes, pruning shears, and hori-hori knives could march in formation followed by ranks of master gardener volunteers busily paging through reams of OSU Extension bulletins. There would be speeches touting the virtues of tilth, soil texture and structure, loam, sand, silt, clay, organic matter and fertilizers.

 

I have never settled on a date for this dirty extravaganza. It could be the Tuesday after White Oak leaves reach the size of a squirrel’s ear? It could be a lot of fun. Mud wrestling, Night Crawler races, riding mower pulls. There could be contests for making the most mud pies in five minutes by different age groups, who can spade up a 10ft by 10ft. area the fastest and who has the loudest leaf blower? Prizes could be: plants, seeds or tools. When the day was over we could all go home and plant something in addition to our rear ends in a chair.

 

Finally, we will not be celebrating No Mow May or Kill the Lawn. Some of us may not be turning all of our lawns into a meadow. We may cut back on the size of our lawns by widening the areas of mulch around our trees, establishing a new flower or vegetable patch, planting a tree or shrub. We might want an area where kids can play and a way to get from one flower bed to the next.

 

The Master Gardener Volunteers are having their Plant Sale on May 17, 9am-1pm in the parking lot at the Pickaway County Library on N. Court St. Lots of plants, annuals and perennials are for sale. And, as always, the Helpline can be reached by calling the OSU Extension Office at 740-474-7534.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Everything! The month of May is a busy one. You can direct-seed corn, beans, potatoes, melons, cucumbers and squash. Those last three are usually planted in “hills” of groups of three or four plants. Place cheesecloth or row cover cloth over vines until they bloom. With any luck you will have prevented the cucumber beetles from invading the plants. This also works on the caterpillars of cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts.

 

You can set out tomato, pepper and eggplant plants if the soil is warm (60 degrees). There is still a chance of frost but each week the chances become less and less. Be prepared to cover those tender plants if frost threatens. Don't be tempted to over-fertilize tomatoes, extra nitrogen will delay ripening and produce more vine than fruit. Remember tomatoes can be planted deep with the top few branches of leaves above ground. Roots will form along the buried stem. If you stake your tomatoes put the stakes in before you plant. Consider pruning your tomatoes and peppers.

 

If you plan to put houseplants outside for the summer, a period of transitioning to the new environment will help assure their health and vigor. Fertilize and place in the shade. You can divide and move perennials now. As the soil warms (50 degrees) you can plant summer-flowering bulbs such as caladiums, cannas, dahlias, and gladioluses. You can begin spraying roses for black spot following the directions on the product.

 

Cut the seed pods off your lilacs (after the blooms fade), but do not prune the stems. If your lilacs are getting overgrown and leggy, cut a third of the old stems this year at the ground. Do this to a third next year and the final third the year after that. This way you will rejuvenate the bushes. Stake or cage floppy perennials like peonies. For bigger peonies, remove small buds near the larger ones. Ants on buds are not harmful.

 

Remember "June drop." It is a time when fruit trees rid themselves of excess fruit. This is a natural process. Then thin apples, peaches and other tree fruit (not cherries) to a fruit every six inches.  Pines can be pruned back. Cut just half of new “candle” growth, otherwise the branch will grow no further.

 

Mulch your beds after the soil has warmed. When you set out those tender plants protect against cutworms that can chew off new transplants. Use collars of aluminum foil, plastic, cardboard or other material to encircle the stem. The collars should extend into the soil an inch and above an inch or two. There are pesticides that can help control these pests (Google "cutworms extension”). I have also placed a toothpick in the ground right next to the plant stem with success.

 

This is a busy time for pollinators. When you spot a bug identify it before reaching for the spray. Fully 97% of the bugs in our gardens are beneficial or of no threat. Singular bugs are almost always beneficial predators. Crowds are often pests. Know your enemy! Consider starting a compost pile. Grass clippings, if not mulched and left on the lawn are a great “green” to add to the “brown.” Search (compost extension) for recipes.

Finally, it’s not how fast you mow but how high. Mow at least 3 inches high for a healthy lawn.

 

What is That Plant?

April 2025

 

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

What is that Plant?

By Paul J. Hang

 

Recently, on 60 Minutes, I saw a segment about a factory in British Columbia that captures carbon out of the atmosphere in the form of CO2 and finds uses for it or stores it underground. It uses a chemical process to do this. Carbon and CO2 can be used in cement, plastic and other building materials and put the fizz in soft drinks. The process is fairly complicated and it uses fossil fuels and so is controversial. When the narrator referred to the factory as a plant I had to laugh.

 

I know of millions of plants that, using a chemical process, capture CO2 out of the air and find lots of uses for it and sequester it. The chemical process is called photosynthesis and the chemical is chlorophyll. The plants use energy from sunlight not fossil fuels and, Hydrogen from water and carbon from CO2 to produce sugar- the basis of life. Along the way they use carbon for their tissues (stems and leaves and roots). Oxygen is a by- product. Carbon is sequestered in trees and underground in their roots and in the soil. These plants produce food, fiber and useful chemicals.

 

Plants and animals also sequester carbon in our bodies. We return some CO2 in our breath when we breathe and plants when they transpire. When they and we die carbon is released through decomposition or continues to be sequestered. Long-dead prehistoric plants and animals were sequestering carbon in the form of coal, oil and gas. Then we burned it releasing all the CO2 which is now warming our atmosphere with catastrophic results. Until we sequester the same amount of carbon that we have released we will continue to get warmer. The answer is balance.

 

We do not sequester the amount of CO2 that we produce annually let alone reduce the surplus that we have built up. One of the best answers is to leave our old forests of big trees alone. Plantations of mono-cultures of trees do not do the job. Peter Wohlleben, the German Forester and author of “The Hidden Life of Trees,” covers the topic in his new book “The Power of Trees: How Ancient Forests can save us If We Let Them.”

 

No foolin the trees are bloom’in all around us. To identify the plants and trees around us, these two Plant ID apps can help; Pl@ntNet and iNaturalist. April 25^th is Arbor Day, time to plant trees. Join the City Tree Commission, Circleville High School students and city workers for an Arbor Day celebration at Barthelmas Park at 9am and see how to plant trees successfully. For information about planting and mulching trees see bygl.osu.edu. Gardening questions? Call the helpline at the Pickaway County Extension office at 740-474-7534.

 

Things to do in the garden:

Tomato, eggplant and pepper seeds should be started indoors. The seedlings should be moved from the cells after 4 weeks into larger pots. Move them into the garden only after hardening them off and the danger of frost is past. As usual make sure you water-in the transplants. When you water, water deeply (top six inches wet) and water the base of the plant not the foliage. Water when the plants need it, not every day. Most plants require 1 to 1 and a half inches of water per week.

 

Vegetables that can be planted by seed directly into the garden are: beets, carrots, peas, onions, spinach, leaf lettuce, radishes. These should be watered enough to keep the soil moist to begin germination. Don’t let them dry out. Beets and carrots should be thinned at the seedling stage. Cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli plants can be planted as soil and weather conditions allow. The soil temperature for cool weather plants should be 50 degrees, warm weather plants at least 60 and some even higher. Put an inch of compost on the beds.

 

Use row covers (Google it) on your vegetables right after planting to keep the bad bugs off. For vegetables that produce fruit (beans, cucumber, pepper, squash, etc.) remove the covers after blooming to let the pollinators go to work. Tomatoes are self-pollinating and so you could leave the covers on. For those that don’t need pollinating (Cabbage, broccoli, onions, chard, kale, lettuce, beets and radishes, etc.) you can leave the covers on until harvest. Make sure you buy the right covers that let in enough light and rain. I have found this to be an effective method to protect plants without insecticides. Place collars around transplants that are susceptible to cut worms.

 

Most annual flowers can be seeded directly into the soil after the danger of frost has abated. Some popular annuals that you should consider starting indoors are: snapdragon, wax begonia, sweet William, impatiens, sweet alyssum, petunia, gloriosa daisy, blue salvia, viola, pansy and zinnia, among others. This can save you a considerable amount of money that you can then spend on a perennial (native) plant.

Fertilize lawns lightly, if at all. The time to re-seed is when night time temps consistently reach 50 degrees and above. This is also the time to aerate lawns. Apply a pre-emergent herbicide now to prevent crabgrass, unless you plan to seed. When common lilac or Ohio buckeye begins to bloom it is too late for a pre-emergent herbicide to be effective and too early for a post-emergent. Leave clippings on the lawn. Their nitrogen content is high and will reduce the need to fertilize. Mowing height of at least three inches will retard the growth of crab grass and other weeds.

Unless you are prepared to cover plants in case of frost, don’t put out those tender plants such as tomatoes and peppers until mid-May or later when the soil warms up. The average last frost date is now April 23rd. There is a 50/50 chance of frost then and the chance decreases about 10% per week after that. Cool season transplants, after hardening them off, can be planted now (Lettuce, broccoli, kale, cabbage, and cauliflower).

Spring flowering bulbs should be fertilized after they bloom. Remember to leave the leaves of bulbs until they yellow. Brown is better. Pinch off any developing seed heads. If April brings its showers don’t work the soil if it is too wet.  Wait until it dries out a bit. If it seems wet enough to make a clay pot, wait. Squeeze a ball of earth about the size of golf ball and let it drop from waist high, if it breaks apart it’s ready to be worked. Don’t apply mulch until May. Allow the soil to warm.

Cut back your ornamental grasses to six inches or to the green stems. They can be divided now. Cut back your butterfly bushes (buddleia) to a foot or two and apply a balanced fertilizer. Prune spring blooming shrubs after they bloom. Bagworms on shrubs and trees hatch out shortly after the Snowmound Spirea blooms. This is when you can spray an insecticide (Bacillus thuringiensis, also called Bt, read the label) to kill the caterpillars. Now is the time to prune roses. Depending on the variety, you may prune back to a foot in height or to green growth. Fertilize monthly until Labor Day. You can plant new ones now. Large hostas can be divided as soon as they emerge.

Wait until several 50 plus degree days in a row before cleaning up debris of stems to save beneficial insects. If in doubt store them temporarily before putting them in the compost heap.Don’t prune your oak trees after the middle of the month or after they leaf out. Sap beetles are attracted to the open wounds and will bring oak wilt, a disease which will kill them and has been found in this part of the state. If pruning can’t be avoided paint the cuts with a pruning sealant. 

The Great Awakening

 

March 2025

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

The Great Awakening

By Paul Hang

 

 

Beginning in the 1720’s and periodically to today, there have been waves of religious fervor and evangelical movements in America. These movements have been called Great Awakenings. They initiated religious conversions and spiritual regeneration. The term awakening implies a slumber and passivity that changes to a new awareness and subsequent beliefs and actions.

 

In March the earth has a great awakening. From a sleepy but often restless slumber, wintry earth begins to stir. If we are alert enough we will see the signs. We “see the light” as the days grow longer. The Spring Equinox marks the return of the sun to the northern hemisphere. The green spears of daffodils suddenly appear in the most unlikely of places. Likewise the blooming of snowdrops, Gilanthus nivalis, often pushes up through the snow to take a peek.

 

The signs are many: blooms of pussy willows seem to climb up the stems like their namesakes clinging to a curtain; the buds of trees swell. Some cannot be missed, like the huge terminal buds of the hickories. The Red maples look different, yet we don’t know why. Upon inspection we see the buds and why.  Then, from a distance, the whole tree seems to blush red as if our inspection has somehow invaded its sense of modesty.

 

Many people find the urge to join in this process. What young man hasn’t had his fancy turn to love in spring? The poets say, “Sweet lovers love the spring.” Gardening, tending to plants, puts us in sync with the happenings in nature. Observing changes in a plant gives lessons about seasonal changes. We see processes of growth, perhaps of flowering and going to seed, perhaps of the growth of stems and leaves. Perhaps the plant dies. These observations often lead us, by analogy, to notice the similarities to our own lives.

 

Observing nature hopefully makes us realize that we are a part of nature. Her rules and protocols apply to us as participants in processes beyond our making and control. Native Americans realized this and we ignore it at our peril. We are in need of a great awakening. We are on the earth and part of the earth. We are earthlings.

 

I recommend you spend more time observing nature. Even if it is just a single tree, bush or plant that you encounter on a regular basis on your daily routine, make a point of regularly taking notice. Or get a house plant to care for. Gardeners have an advantage as they are encountering plants most of the year. But even we can forget our relation- ship to plants. The very act of observing results in recognizing the other, the not-me. The changes, often with the seasons, of plant life can awaken in us the truth that we are all in this together.

 

 

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Begin fertilizing houseplants with a weak solution. Now is a good time to propagate houseplants. Have your soil tested. Materials and directions are normally available at the OSU Extension Office.The last average frost date here in zone 6B is April 23^rd. That means there is a 50/50 chance of frost on that date. A number of seeds should be started this month. Check your seed packet for the number of days to harvest and count back to the date you want to plant your seeds or set out your plants. A word to the wise, don’t set out your plants too early unless you are prepared to protect them should the odds work against you.

 

Rake the lawn to remove the twigs, leaves, and other winter detritus. Mow high, 3-4 inches. Dig out those biennial weeds before they get established. Now is a good time to plant evergreen and other trees and shrubs and bare root roses. The earlier you transplant perennials the better they will do. When is the soil ready to be worked? Soil that sticks to your spade is too wet to work and will be compacted. Make a ball of soil and drop it. If it crumbles it is ready to work. 

 

Before those buds break, spray fruit trees with dormant oil. Read the directions. Prune damaged, diseased, and dead limbs. Also, prune those limbs that grow inward, suckers and water sprouts. Do not remove more than a third of the tree. Prune deciduous trees and shrubs that bloom in the summer. Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after they bloom. Prune raspberry canes and grapevines and fall flowering clematis. Divide snowdrops after they have bloomed. You can plant spinach, radishes and peas from seed unless the soil is wet.

 

If you cut back perennials and ornamental grasses (tying up the grasses before cutting them back to about six inches saves a lot of clean up). Don’t throw them in the trash or onto the compost pile. Store them until we have a few warm days (temps above 50 F) to give overwintering insects a chance to emerge. Pull back mulch from around perennials on warm days but be prepared to cover them back up if a hard freeze threatens.

 

Late March and April is the time to apply a pre-emergent to the lawn if you want to prevent crabgrass. The best indicator for this is the first bloom of Callery Pear. But be forewarned, pre-emergents prevent seeds from sprouting. Apply pre-emergent on a calm day. There are now selective pre-emergents that do not affect grass seed. If you plan to seed any parts of your lawn, don’t apply a non-selective to those areas. This warning also applies to areas where you plan to plant vegetables and flowers by directly seeding in the soil. A light fertilization of the lawn is all you’ll need.

 

Go to weather.cfaes.osu.edu/gdd for phenology information on when plants flower and insects emerge. Gardening questions can be answered at the Pickaway County OSU Extension Office 740-474-7534.

Alien Invasion (UFO's)

 

February 2025

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

Alien Invasion (UFO’s)

By Paul Hang

 

This story may invade your consciousness, out competing other thoughts for a short period of time. UFO’s (Uncontrolled Foreign Organisms) are recognized this month. February 24-28 has been designated National Invasive Species Week. There are a lot of invasive species: fish, insects, mammals, birds. And, some would argue, that we earthlings, are an invasive species. However, what we cover here are plants. What is an invasive plant?

 

An invasive plant is “an alien (non-native) species whose introduction does or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health.” Invasive plants are often spread by human activity often unintended. Invasive plants are often confused with aggressive plants. “Aggressive plants are species that spread rapidly and can outcompete other plant species. Aggressive plants can be native or non-native, and they may be aggressive in some situations, but not others.” They may or may not be invasive.

 

“Native plants …are adapted to local climate and soils. They have co-evolved with native insects and wildlife and are critical to ecosystems functions…native plants are those species present prior to wide-spread European settlement.” “Non-native plants are those introduced to a new place or habitat.” They did not evolve locally and may not support ecosystem health. They can be introduced from other countries or other areas of a country (Colorado Blue Spruce). An ecosystem is a biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment.

 

Invasive plants are often introduced because they are pretty (Burning Bush), smell nice (Japanese Honeysuckle), have an impressive size (Siberian Elm) or shape, are exotic or unique (Callery Pear). They may be brought in for food for wildlife (Autumn Olive), domestic animals (Kudzu), pollinators or humans (Garlic Mustard). They may provide shade (Norway maple), fast growth (English Ivy) or erosion control. Some arrive by accident (Emerald Ash Borer).

 

They, by definition, harm forests and their understories(the non-native Bush Honeysuckles), wetlands (Purple Loosestrife), lawns (Lesser Celandine), fields (Common Teasel), gardens, waterways and landscapes. They alter these by obstructing sunlight, depleting oxygen, clog waterways (Phragmites), alter the chemistry or composition of soil, smother or crowd out other vegetation (Japanese Stiltgrass), hybridize with other species (White Mulberry), reduce forage for livestock, are toxic to humans and other animals (Poison Hemlock), form thickets (Common Privet), have thorns (Multi-floral Rose), harbors ticks (Common Barberry), increase fire risk. They can be allopathic i.e. exuding chemicals that suppress other competing plants (Tree of Heaven). They alter habitats and outcompete native plants. This is not an exhaustive list. There are lists of prohibited noxious weeds of which some are invasive and some not. All invasives are non-native but not all non-natives are invasive. All invasives are aggressive but not all aggressives are invasive. UFO’s have been identified, you read it here.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Check perennials and bulbs for heaving out of the ground. Press them down gently with your foot. Make a list of plants you want. Inventory seeds you have saved to make sure they aren’t past viability. Send in your seed orders. When you make out your seed and plant orders consider planting more native and heirloom plants. Native plants are plants that evolved here and are adapted to our conditions, diseases and native pests. While you’re at it try googling the name of a flower you’re thinking about ordering.  You will be able to see pictures and planting information.

 

This is the time to prune trees and shrubs (after you sharpen your tools). You can see their structure now that they are dormant and the leaves are down. Cut out crossing and rubbing branches and unwanted suckers.  Pruning can be done to reduce the size of a tree or shrub to bring it in to balance or to remove overhanging branches blocking a view or path. Insects are less likely to be attracted to cuts while trees are dormant. Remember, spring flowering shrubs should be pruned after flowering if you want to enjoy the blooms. Summer flowering shrubs can be pruned now. Cut back butterfly bush (Buddleia) severely.

 

On smaller trees you may want to take care of problems yourself. On larger trees you should call in an expert to inspect and perhaps correct any problems. Arborists are in a slow time of year. The ground, if frozen, will not be damaged and compacted as much from equipment and crews. The Arbor Day Foundation recommends that you have Certified Arborists check any safety problems you may have noticed. To find them go to www.isa-arbor.com click on “Verify Certification” and then “Find an Arborist.” They will not recommend topping your trees. The City of Circleville has a Comprehensive Tree Plan. You can find it at ci.circleville.oh.us, in the search box type Tree Plan. There you will find lots of information on caring for trees.

 

If you dug up bulbs for storage check on them. Spritz them with water to prevent drying out. Throw away any rotting or shriveled ones. Water any dormant or overwintering plants in your garage or basement. Water houseplants with lukewarm water, don’t overwater and turn them a quarter turn once a week, no fertilizer yet.

 

Seeds of onions, cabbage, cauliflower, and other members of the Cole family can be started indoors this month for setting out in late March or early April, depending on the weather: The University of Minnesota has a good discussion; go to www.extension.umn.edu/garden /flowers/starting-seeds-indoors. Also Google Winter Sowing. There you will read how to recycle plastic milk bottles to easily germinate some seeds. It is a good way to raise a lot of seedlings for planting “drifts,” those bands of like plants that wander serpentinely through flower beds. Now is a good time to start building raised vegetable garden beds.