Dead Heading or Cutting Back...

You gotta do it. You will be happy if you do. But man what a chore!

At the greenhouse after we plant the special order pots. We spend the next several weeks dead heading. All of us would rather, plant, water, fertilize, move. Anything other than deadhead. Oh man it is tedious. The task never ends. And it is back breaking! Honestly a killer. Leaned over those pots like that. Man, I have a back ache thinking about it.

O.K. What is it?

Deadheading or cutting back are pruning methods gardeners use on perennials, annuals & shrubs. I also cut back vines, especially if they flower.

Yea, but Why?

Deadheading stops a plant from going to seed or producing fruit, and in many cases encourages the plant to produce more flowers. Yup! You want lots of flowers all summer? Deadhead. A flowering plants sole purpose is to re-produce itself. All of a plants energy is used to produce flowers. After the flowers are done, the dead flower really isn't dead. It is now spending all of its time & more importantly energy making seeds. You want to divert that energy back to making flowers and looking pretty. At the Greenhouse we actually cut flowers back in the spring to produce bushier, healthier plants. Also deadheading makes plants look tidier or more the shape you like. I like having all the dead flowers, or almost dead flowers removed. Brown spent blossoms don't look that great to me. I also think that some plants get leggy, or gaingly looking. Some of my shade beds have over grown, and this year my ferns have been a little sun

damaged. So I try to visit each bed once a week. And pots even a little more often. Just tidy up the place a little.

Alright, I am catching on. Now How?

Honestly the most straightforward way I can explain deadheading is, "to remove only the faded flowers." When all the flowers on a single stem have been taken off, I cut the stem back to a floret, leaf or even to its base. Example of cutting to the base would be a daylily, or tulips. I cut those to the base. But I like to leave the grassy part.

I will discuss that later when I talk about tulips in the Fall.

Some people do "disbudding," which is removing smaller flower buds. Then the plant’s energy will go to the remaining flowers. There may not be as many flowers, but those left over will be larger. I personally don't do this. I have precious little time in the garden as it is.

I use several methods to prune, cut back & dead head.

Pinch- this is basically me pinching a plant off with my fingers. Simple, no tools required.

Snapping- I use this method with my potted geraniums, especially. When a blossom is spent, I follow the stem back to the base and snap it in the opposite direction. The stem will make the "snap" noise and then I remove the entire spent blossom.

Snipping- I have a little pair of nippers I use for snipping. I use this method when the plant is just a little thicker in the stem, and I might damage it by pinching. (because I end up pulling) Or if I might be damaged. Not a lot of people Pinch roses.

Shearing- I use this with grasses and some shrubs like Honeysuckle. (the shrub not vine) A lot of stems at once takes so much less time than one at a time. Shear them off.

Pasque Flower

I don't dead-head when I "want" to produce seed (or fruit) Some plants can remain as winter interest if you like the look of the spent flower. My example would be the pasque flower. I like the little fluffy leftovers. I also leave my Echinacea, I like those brown bally things. The birds munch them, and sit on them. I don't grow roses in my yard but often I see people leave the hips. In the late fall things left are often eaten by birds and small critters. That adds interest to the yard... I will admit that most of my dead heading and cutting back is in the spring. With a few exceptions.

Here is the spent Pasque Flower.

A few red flags. Be careful especially when cutting back shrubs. Most flowers grow on "new wood." Basically branches that have just grown in the past year. I would use the example of Lilacs. If you cut back stems this year. Next years flowers will be sparse, or non existent. But the year after that, watch out. You will be bombed again. Just don't plan on having your sister's wedding reception in your back yard in the spring the year after you hacked away at all of the Lilacs. But do hack the lilacs. They will stay thicker, less woody and keep growing beautiful flowers if you cut back on alternating branches. There are few shrubs I hate more than out of control Lilacs.

When "Cutting Back" you will remove part of a plant’s (usually shrubs or vines) top growth. The amount removed depends on what type of plant and what time of year. But I want to send another red flag here. Try never to take more that 1/3 of any shrub, anytime. I think it is to hard on them. Often the results are disastrous. If you need to really work over a shrub, consult your local nursery. You can also e-mail me with questions, because there are some exceptions to that rule. Butterfly Bush (Budlea) being one. You can mow that puppy to the ground in most cases, even if it is 6 feet tall.

My suggestions for each season-

In the spring

I cut back to remove the dead growth from last year. Usually, perennials are cut back to a few inches above the ground. Wow, that much? YES! For the most part Perennials will love you for letting them "start over again". I cut my Shrubs by about 1/3, but only if they have summer blooms. I don't cut back any Spring blooming shrubs, wait until they have finished the show...

In the summer

Most perennials & annuals should be cut back to encourage thicker plants and more blossoms. It is also good if you want less height in the plant. Chrysanthemums (mums and granny called them) in greenhouses have tons of flowers because they have been cut back. But look at the ones you plant, they are pretty but don't have nearly the same amount of flowers as the ones that are cut back. I myself MUST cut back the "blue" variety of perennial geraniums. If I don't, they get so tall and leggy. They take over the garden. And I like them, but not that much! Red Flag again, I wouldn't hit any huge perennial or shrub small or large in the heat of the summer. It is so hard for them to come back from. Deadhead yes, cut back? Not so much...

In the fall

I cut back perennials to prep them for winter. Unless I get lazy, because some I just wait for cutting back until next spring. I figure if a plant has "interesting to me" or strong stems that can make it through the weight of snow, leave them until next spring. If the plant has thin, small stems, I whack it.

Most all plants (perennials, annuals, shrubs) will benefit from some pruning. Don’t be afraid to venture out with your garden nippers or scissors or something. I have learned so much from just trying. There are some things I will never trim again, still others I straighten up weekly.

Happy Gardening...

I'm back! Do you have Squash Bugs?

I am back after a long break. My Dad passed away, and it has taken me a while to re-group. But I am jumping in with both feet.Every year I am bombarded with questions about Squash bugs. This year has been no different. I myself am fighting my own battle. These dirty bounders have killed one half of my crook neck squash, and they are working hard to kill my straight neck yellow squash, zucchini and pumpkin.

First let me explain the life cycle of the beast-

Here is the adult. Pretty hu? These are really hard to kill. Lots of people mistake them for stink bugs. They look similar, and also have a nasty small when you disturb them or squish them. (don't squish them, that smell attracts other squash bugs) They are grow-dy. Adults have a hard shell, and often pesticides don't work on them. They are hardy. The only way I have found to kill these are to pluck them from the plant and stick them in a jar of bleach. (be careful not to spill any on the plant) I have heard that many people use soapy water, or vinegar. Those are probably better. I use Bleach because it kills them FAST!

The adults get together and create these little eggs. They seem pretty well organized. I have never scene a plant that the eggs aren't right in neat rows. These eggs will take about 10 days to hatch. You MUST scrap these little creeps off into the bleach as well.

If you do not get the eggs. Or if you miss some. This is the cute baby (or babies) that hatch! Ohhhhhhh. Any bug mother would be proud. The good news is, these are easy to kill. Squish them. They die. But I would try NOT to get to this stage. You'll be happier if you get them in egg form. Then you don't have 10 or 15 bugs crawling around killing you squash.

What do they do?

These nasty bugs have a piercing mouth that they will use to suck the sap out of leaves. When they eat they cause yellow spots that then turn brown. The feeding also screws up the flow of water and nutrients. So your plant will start to wilt. (Even after it has been watered.) I mention this because when I see something wilting, I run and water it. In this case, you should continue to water like normal. But the plant will continue to wilt and eventually die if you don't kill the squash bugs. I always notice that their are dead leaves, and the actual squash fruit looks yellowed and shriveled. Pick them off, they are not going to snap out of it. By picking it you will actually help the plant to work on new more healthy fruit.

Points to Ponder-

Try to control squash bugs when the plant is young. It is easier to find them, and eliminate the problem before your plants start fruiting. (Besides the plant is smaller then. It will be easier to find them) Don't get a false sense of security. Squash Bugs may rear their ugly heads again. (educate the neighbors about cleaning up debris) So keep vigilant watch. I go out and check the plants at least once a week. And right now, more often.

Squash bugs love to hide on the bottom leaves or at the base of the plants. That is where is it nice and cool in the heat of the summer. They come out in the morning and evening. They hate water, so I set my watering wand to a light spray and wet down the plant. The adults will climb for higher ground. We plucked 15 off of one plant, one evening. It gives me a sick sense of happiness to pull the jerks off of my plant and toss them into their bleachy death. But the very easiest way to tell if you have squash bugs is to check the lower leaves for eggs. If you have eggs, you have adults. Don't make me explain the birds and the bee's. Or in this case the bugs and the bee's.

Idea's on killing the beasts-

I am going to give to so practical tips on how to control these nasty little buggers. But I warn you, it does not happen overnight. In the end, if you love your summer squash. You will want to take the time to get rid of these nasty bugs.

To start- you must clean up all of your garden debris. It is easier to start with no bugs, than to begin with the adults that survived the winter. These bugs love to hid under old boards, tarps, piles of leaves and garbage. Anything that they can crawl under and enjoy a sheltered winter. So clean your yard at the end of the season.

For me, this is a bit impossible. I have a huge field behind my property and there are just to many hiding spots. So I pretty much can ensure that I will spend the spring, summer and fall fighting squashies. That is what my daughter un-affectionately calls them. And I call her the Squash-bug-anator!

Maintain healthy plants. Water regularly. Make sure to fertilize. Squash bugs may injure a healthy plant, but healthy plants will bounce back.

Remove your plant debris. Any dead leaves and fruit. Pluck them off and trash them.

When you know you gott'em-

Try putting a board next to each plant. I have heard that the bugs crawl under the board during the night. Then rise early, lift your board and place each nasty bug into your bleach. I have not tried this, but I know several who have. They swear by it.

I am not a fan of chemicals like seven. I worry about something that me or my family may ingest. But I have used seven in desperate times. So no judgement here. I do use insecticidal soap. It is organic and safe. It will kill nymphs and young squash bugs, if it touches them. But it does nothing to the adults. Whatever you use, you will need to get it on the underside of the leaves. You wont do much good only treating the tops of the leaves. The bugs don't hang out much there.

My sister swears by chickens. Yup Chickens. If you got the space, she claims that her chickens wander the garden. Chewing up the wandering bugs. This is her first year with chickens, and first year of no squash bugs.

I apologize for jumping around a bit. This is a difficult subject to blog about. It makes my skin crawl. But I love all of the benefits that my family gets from a bumper crop of summer squash. If you have any other questions feel free to comment me. I would love to hear your idea's and what has worked for you. Also, tell me if you actually have squash bugs. Happy squash bug hunting.

Spirea, you gotta have some.

Its been a week! Did you miss me? I'm not sure anyone is listening to me ramble on about gardening. (or reading as it were) Today I am blogging about Spirea. Over the last week I have designed 3 yards and at least one bed. I still have one to do! Overwhelmingly I have found that everyone is in love with Spirea. Here are some reason's why...

Most Spirea are easy to grow. Enough said? Well, there is more. Spireas are adaptable, fast-growing, and easy to maintain. Hold on, there is even more... Spireas even have a huge range of foliage and bloom colors. Read on-

Plant the spring-blooming bridal wreath type Spirea in partial shade. Summer-blooming spireas produce the most flowers and best color in full sun. But they do well in part shade as well. All spireas prefer moist, but well-drained soil.
The summer-blooming spireas bloom on new growth. I would prune them in late winter or early spring before the shrub gets leaves. If you deadhead spent flowers during the summer it will not only prevents the formation of seed, but will encourage repeat bloom later in the season. These summer spireas are drought tolerant after established.

Here are my favorite varieties-

Anthony Waterer- This Spireas leaves emerge as bronze/red and mature to deep blue-green as, pink flowers appear in early summer. It typically grows 3–4 feet tall and 4–6 feet wide. Blue Mist-This is a very fast growing shrub that has blue to purple flowers during the last half of the summer & in the early fall. Promote more flowering, by cutting the shrub almost to the ground in late February or early March. Blue Mist Spirea needs full sun and lots of heat. It gets 4' high & 4 feet wide. This is a great picture, but I think it over emphsizes the blue color. Dont base your purchase on that...Goldflame- I love this spirea for its distinctive gold leaves. The new leaves of this Spirea emerge a copper red before maturing to chartreuse, & it gets dark pink flowers. (bonus) In fall, the leaves become a warm bronze color. This spirea is a fun way to add color to your miserable hot sun garden, without having a flower... Little Princess- has pale pink flowers on 2- to 3-foot tall plants. Small but striking, I think Little Princess holds its shape very well.. Magic Carpet- A fairly low growing spirea. Has an intense lime green color to the foliage in the spring. Love the orange/red new growth, & very nice bright pink flowers during bloom. generally under 3 feet Snowmound- grows 3–5 feet tall Showy flowering shrub with dark blue/green leaves. Then it is contrasted by masses of white flowers in late May. This Spirea is one of the more prolific bloomers of all spireas. Vanhoutee or Bridal Wreath- This is probably my most favorite Spirea of the bunch. No picture can do it justice. If you have a shady spot, this Spirea is for you. The white flowers are almost overwhelming in the spring. I love the leaf & look of the shrub when it is not in bloom to. But this is also the biggest Spirea. It can get 6 to 10 feet tall, and just as wide! So you may want to plan for a big shrub, or pull out your nippers... Bridal wreath blooms on old wood (that really is cool I must say) only prune this shrub to keep a good shape and size. Prune soon after all the plants’ flowers fade. There are few maintenance requirements for spirea. Fertilizing in early November will help encourage growth and pruning dead and broken branches in early spring keeps the shrub neat. Lastly, Mulch, Mulch, Mulch!

I am sure you can find a Spirea for your garden. Happy Planting!