Grove Landscaping » Plant Care

Raising Harelson and Honeycrisp apples

Doug Grove — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 12:00:40 +0000

Harelson apple

Last fall’s apple crop was the best ever on our apple trees. We had more than we could ever use, even after giving away several bushels to our friends and our church. I have two Harrelson reds and a Honeycrisp apple tree at my home, which is a 3 acre hobby farm. I’ve had them for about 10-12 years and we’ve had some good yields and bad yields. Unfortunately, for the first few years, the bad years far outnumbered the good ones. The Honeycrisp in particular seem to be susceptible to all sorts of damage. I’ve had to learn the hard way how to get best crop that I can from them, and I’m still not sure I got it right, but the yields are improving!

I’m not an apple expert, but this is what I did to get a nice crop of apples:

Apple maggots have always been my biggest problem. For the first time ever, I trapped Apple Maggot flies to monitor the population and keep the numbers down. I put up sticky traps to trap the apple maggots and also to monitor their occurence on a weekly basis. Each trap is a 4-5” red plastic hollow ball that you put a sticky glue on and hang on the apple tree. I put 3 traps in each tree. Evidently the flies think it is an apple, and they try to lay their eggs on it and get stuck. In this way I could check their weekly activity and relative population to help me determine how often I should spray them. In addition to monitoring the flies, the traps did help to keep the of maggot fly population down a bit.

I waited until the first week of July to start spraying, (when the maggot flies begin to hatch). A number of different sprays work, as long as the directions are followed for timing and amounts to use. Make sure the spray is registered for fruit trees, and are effective against several types of pests. Make sure you DO NOT spray the trees when they are flowering! It will reduce the bee population which is so vital to pollinating the flowers. (You’ve probably heard about the decline in bee population anyway). A combination spray of insecticide and fungicide also improve your crop, although all I used was insecticide.

I stored the apples in our downstairs refrigerator. The inside of any refrigerator is very low in humidity, so I d
Honeycrisp Apple
ouble bagged the apples in plain plastic grocery bags. I added just I bit of water to each bag and tied the top shut and made sure the temp was just above freezing. I removed any apples that had bruises or cuts, so they wouldn’t cause the other apples in the bag to ripen too fast and possibly rot. In mid March, I still some Harrelson Reds in our downstairs refrigerator and they were as good and crisp as the day I picked them! Once they start to loose their crispness, they make great apple crisp!

Urban landscaper: beware of root girdling!

Doug Grove — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 12:00:28 +0000

Root girdling on a young tree

“Girdling roots” are roots that grow around other roots or the trunk of the tree, eventually restricting their growth and choking off any nutrients they carry to the rest of the tree. The girdling can be on one side of the trunk, or in more sever cases, will encircle the entire trunk, causing the death of the tree. It is normally found on trees that are have been planted for several years, which gives the girdling roots time to enlarge and restrict the nutrient flow to the rest of the tree.

It is becoming a problem especially in urban locations, where trees are commonly planted in undersized holes in sidewalks along store fronts.

Research has shown that girdling almost always starts when the tree is young, even before it reaches the planting site. It turns out that a large percentage of the trees that experience root girdling were grown in containers to start. Because they are in a container, the roots grow in a circular fashion, and once planted, they continue to grow that way, eventually growing back on themselves or around the trunk.

Another cause of root girdling is planting trees too deep. Make sure you plant them at the “root flare” where the roots start to flare out from the trunk. Also, make sure that the planting hole is plenty large, because if the hole is too small, especially in a tight clay soil, it may have the same effect as planting it in a container.

Award-Winning Perennials Part II

Doug Grove — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Perennials of the year 2000-2005

2000 Scabiosa ‘Butterfly Blue’

This long blooming “pincushion” flower will make a great addition to the front border of your garden. The small but profuse flowers will start appearing in early to mid summer assn continue in to late mid fall. Dead-head (remove faded flowers) to promote more blooms. The mounded shape with its soft textured leaves makes for a nice mixed container plant or it can be planted close together for a larger, massed effect. Also makes a nice rock garden plant. Grows to 12″ x 12″, likes full sun.

2001 Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’
This upright grass plant seems to becoming used more and more every year.The long bloom period (mid summer through fall) make it a great accent plant or background plant. The Light brown spikes stay on all winter, making it great for winter interest. I like to cut the spikes and use them in fall arrangements. Best in full sun, but will take some morning shade, and is drought tolerant. Makes a nice container plant, too

2002 Phlox “David’
This white flowered phlox makes a great mid-size addition to any flower garden. The white flowers give your garden more color longer in the day, because the white flowers reflect more light in the evening. Plant it next to your garden path or entry, so you can smell the fragrant flowers. It is powdery milder resistant, which is important for a phlox. Make sure you enjoy it inside, too, as it makes a great cut flower. Easy to grow, gets to about 30″, likes full sun. Easy to divide and give to your friends!

2003 Leucanthemum ‘Becky’ Shasta Daisy
One of the easiest perennials to grow, the shasta daisy has been around forever.Grows in about any soil and tolerates the summer heat. Has a long bloom period, from midsummer to early fall. Likes full sun, but will tolerant some shade. May require staking if grown in partial shade. Grows to 36″ hi x 18″ wide. A can’t-miss perennial.

2004 Athyrium ‘Pictum’ Japanese Painted Fern

An easy fern to grow as long as it has a well drained soil to grow in. Grows in partial to full shade, but doesn’t like competition from tree roots. Has a more compact growth habit than other ferns. . The fronds are two toned with grey green and silver/pewter. A great accent due to its unusual coloring and compact growth habit. Also looks nice as a rock garden plant. Grows to 18″ X18″.

2005 Helleboros (Lenton Rose)
Helleboros contains many varieties, accompanied by just as many colors. This is a great plant for full to partial shade. This is one of the earliest bloomers, blooming in early spring, as early as April and early May. It is tolerant of normal soil but likes it to be well drained. Normal size is usually about 18″ x 18″. Makes a good specimen or can be used as a woodland plant.

Award -Winning Perennials, part I

Doug Grove — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Each year, the Perennial Plant Association picks a perennial plant that it feels has the outstanding qualities to be voted Perennial Plant of the Year. With the global warming, Northfield is on the border between zones 4 and 5, depending on who’s zone map you are looking at. (I like the one put out by the National Arbor Day Foundation, because it uses the most recent data). If listed as zone 5, I would recommend you start out with a trial plant to see how it performs over a couple of winters. The descriptions below are from the Perennial Plant Association. Next week I will post some of the previous winners, back to 2000.

2011 Amsonia Hubrichtii Plants thrive in full sun to partial shade This plant performs best in average, moist well-drained soil but tolerates less moisture. Once established, it can tolerate drier conditions. This perennial for the seasons is an asset in borders, native gardens, cottage gardens, or open woodland areas. It is best when massed. Arkansas blue star is attractive when mixed with ornamental grasses and plants that have attractive seed heads. Light blue flowers in spring are followed by marvelous foliage in summer. Golden-yellow fall color is second to none among herbaceous perennials. Zones 4 to 9

2010 Baptisia Australis. Plants thrive in full sun. Plants grown in partial shade may require staking.SoilThis North American native is easily grown in well-drained soil and is drought tolerant after establishment. This spring flowering shrub-like perennial may be used to fill the back of the border or in the wild garden. The combination of flower and leaf color is dramatic in the early blooming season. Flowers are followed by inflated seed pods that are useful for dried flower arrangements. HardinessUSDA zones 3-9

2009 Hakonecloa macra Aurea Long-season ornamental grass may be used as a ground cover, a border-front specimen,a mass planting, or in a patio container. The plant offers vivid highlights in shaded areas or in evening gardens. This grass is also noted for its movement in breezes, offering a cascading or an undulating behavior. Hardiness USDA zones 5-9. Partial shade is the optimum location in hot climates while more sun is suitable in cooler areas. This ornamental grass prefers moist, humus-rich, well-drained soil.

2008 “Rozanne” geranium. It has 2 ½ inch, iridescent violet-blue, saucer-shaped flowers with purple-violet veins and radiant white centers. Bloom time is from late spring to mid fall. 20 to 24 inches tall and 28 inches wide. Best in full sun to partial shade, afternoon shade is advisable in hot climates. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. May be used as a dynamic ground cover or as an attractive specimen plant. It is a good companion plant to Shasta daisy, perennial salvia, speedwell, hostas, and short ornamental grasses. Rozanne’senergetic habit makes it a worthy tenant of patio containers, window boxes,and hanging baskets. The large violet-blue flowers with purple-violet veins and small white centers offer non-stop flowering through the growing season. It has one of the longest flowering periods of any of the hardy geraniums.

2007 Nepata, Walker’s Low One of the tougher perennials you will find. Your cats will love this one, as Nepata is also a variety of catmint. Likes full sun tolerates a wide range of soils, and is drought tolerant. Will bloom most of the summer, especially if it gets cut back after it’s first flush of flowers. Grows to about 30″ (not really low unless you compare it to other catmints), attracts butterflies, very fragrant leaves and stems when crushed.

2006 Dianthus, Firewitch. A great rock garden or edging plant it that is easy to grow. It likes a well drained site in full sun. Tolerant of dry situations once established. An early to mid summer bloomer. Grows to 8″ x 15″ Gray-green foliage makes a nice contrast to the bright pink flowers. Makes quite a show when planted as a mass.

Pruning: the basics

Doug Grove — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 12:00:00 +0000

This is an updated version of the plant care sheet that I give my customers, who often ask about how to best prune a variety of different plants. Feel free to copy it and keep it in a handy place!

Evergreens: Evergreens that grow continuously can be pruned or sheared anytime during the growing season (except late August, which can increase the risk of winter-burn). Plants in this category include: Junipers, Yews, Arborvitae, and Hemlock. If this is started early and done on a regular (2 times a year) basis, your plants will retain excellent form. Pine and Spruce normally put on a single flush of growth, then stop. If you are trying to maintain them at a specific size, (such as Mugo Pine), prune back 1/3 to 1/2 of the new growth (called candles) in early spring. Pruning of evergreen trees will be minimal, especially once they are established. Left photo: Dwarf Mugo Pine

Shrubs: Timing the pruning of flowering shrubs will depend on when they form their flower buds. Early-Spring flowering shrubs, (those that bloom on previous years wood, such as Azalea, Forsythia) shold be pruned immediately after flowering. This allows new flower buds to form for the following Spring. Mid-Spring-to-Summer flowering shrubs, (those that bloom on current year’s wood, such as Gold Flame Spirea, Hydrangea and Potentilla) should be pruned in early Spring and cut back 1/3 to 1/2 to keep them full. Shrubs not grown for their flowers can be pruned anytime, but an early Spring pruning before leaf-out allows the new growth to cover up the pruning cuts. Overgrown shrubs can be renewed by cutting 1/3 of the older branches to the ground (such as Red twig Dogwoods). Right photo: Endless Summer Hydrangea

Trees: Pruning can be done any time, but early spring is probably the best time. Look for crossing branches, diseased or dead wood, weak branch unions, suckers and water-sprouts,and overall aesthetic shape. EXCEPTIONS: Don’t prune Oaks (especially the Red oak genus) or Elms between early/mid April and July 1st. The risk of Oak Wilt and Dutch Elm disease is much greater at these times. Others to watch are Hawthorne, Mountain ash and apple trees, all three which can be susceptible to fire blight, especially if planted in a poorly drained soil. It would be a good idea to sterilize your pruning tool with a 10% chlorox solution between cuts.

Don’t worry if, when you prune your maple or birch, it starts bleeding (oozing sap). It may be unsightly, but it will not harm the tree.You can avoid this by waiting to prune until the leaves are full size. Don’t try to stop it with tree pruning paint. It won’t work!
Unless absolutely necessary, be careful not to top your tree. Topping will result in a flush of new growth and in the long run will be more unsightly than if you had done nothing.
Above photo: Prairie Fire Crab.

For more detailed info I recommend the following websites: The first is an excellent fact sheet put out by the University of Minnesota. The second resource is put out by the federal government that is a liitle more detailed with more pictures.

Peg’s Pond Part II

Doug Grove — Fri, 27 May 2011 13:30:00 +0000

Last time I wrote an entry (Peg’s Pond) about building a pond for my sister-in-law Peg. A planting season has gone by, and as you can see by the pictures, the place has changed quite a bit! Peg now has some Koi and a few goldfish, and they have taken a real liking to their new home. Peg has really done something right, because they have started breeding, and she saw her first batch of Koi hatch-lings last Spring, with more hatching throughout the summer. The pond plants have done well, and combined with the fish, she has achieved a good biological balance to keep her pond healthy, and created a nice aquatic ecosystem.

Part of the design process of determining the location of the pond was preserving the great view from inside the house. There is a wetland area behind her home, and we wanted to incorporate the pond with the view. Now with plants maturing, they help make a smooth transition from the house to the pond to the wetlands. We used mostly perennials and grasses, many of which were native to the area. The photo at the left shows the main waterfall feeding one of the two streams we constructed. That’s Joe Pye plant and Back-eyed Susan around the waterfall.

Even though the picture doesn’t show it, the stream in the photo is one of two streams. It exits in to a small upper pond, which in turn cascades into the main pond. Peg told me she even saw some baby Koi in the upper pond!

The view from her picture window has now become a real focal point in her home. Peg does a lot of work out of her home for people that have mind-body coordination issues (she uses a process called Brain Gym therapy), and the view of the pond and waterfall provides a very relaxing atmosphere for her clients.

The two streams have been a real nice touch. They have created more interest, and the sound of the two streams adds a lot of dimension to the sound of the water. The photo to the left shows the other, larger stream headed down to the main pond.

Peg has really done a great job on her pond. I’m looking forward to watching it grow and mature.”Hey Peg… I could use some Koi for my pond, and I see that you have a few to spare…..”

Is Global Warming here? New Plant Hardiness Zones

Doug Grove — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

If you’re an avid gardener, you have probably seen that the National Arbor Day Foundation has released an updated version of the U.S Department of Agriculture’s hardiness zone map, which was last updated in 1990. The NADF has used data from 5000 National Climatic Data Center stations around the country from the last 15 years to compile their information and come up with the new zone map. The data for both the USDA and the NADF maps are based on average annual low temperatures.

According to the NADF:

The new 2006 arbor day.org Hardiness Zone Map is consistent with the consensus of climate scientists that global warming is underway. Tree planting is among the positive actions that people can take to reverse the trend. Of course existing trees should continue to be cared for… Certain species may be more vulnerable to stress with the current warmer climate, but they will continue to provide environmental and economic benefits as they grow. It’s just a good idea to consider more tree species diversity for the future.”

Go to their site to view the updated climate zone map, which will appear similar to the picture to the upper right. You can also look up your own climate zone, or compare the old USDA climate zones to the new NADF ones. (I have also included a place to look up your NADF climate zone on this blog entry). While you’re at it, check out the NADF press release, which will explain the process of compiling the new info in more detail. [ Click here to look up your arborday.org hardiness zone.]

Just because we may be in a slightly different zone doesn’t mean that we can begin planting landscape plants that were meant for the next warmer climate zone. There are more factors than just the minimum temperatures in a given region. There can be any number of things that effect a plant’s ability to survive a winter in Minnesota. I have been through winters with average temperatures that were devastating to evergreens because of an early ground freeze and a lack of snow cover. The same is true of of other plants, especially ground covers perennials that were planted too late in the season.

A dry fall can also be fatal to plantings (especially evergreens, which can continue to loose moisture in the winter), or plants that entered late fall in a stressed condition. Be sure you find out more about some of the “new introductions” you may read about in your plant catalogues. You can also find out about reliably hardy plants that were developed in Minnesota by checking out the publication “Minnesota Hardy.”

According to an article in UMNews, we should proceed with caution.

Both maps are also limited in predicting plant hardiness because they tell us only one thing: the average annual minimum temperature in a given region,” says Rose…..Since the exact conditions for next winter–let alone the next five winters–can’t be predicted, Meyer and Rose recommend that Minnesota gardeners continue to choose landscape plants carefully. Less-hardy plants may require special care, including the application of winter mulch.