| Greetings!
Camping and cabin season is around the corner and, once again, a reminder to not transport firewood from home to vacation spot. This is one strategy to slow the movement of emerald ash borer (EAB) from region to region.
To get the latest information on EAB, visit Minnesota's Department of Agriculture. MDA put together a four-page guide to helps homeowners weigh emerald ash borer treatment options. It describes ways to protect trees and the environment when using insecticides. The Minnesota Zoo's backyard lecture series will offer information on rain barrels and backyard composting on June 10.
Past newsletters are now archived and available for viewing. |
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Can You Prune in Spring? |
Early spring bloomers, like lilacs, should be pruned after flowering. |
Pruning during dormancy (winter or early spring) is generally a good rule of thumb for trees and shrubs. However, there are always exceptions to rules, and even exceptions to exceptions. Typically if it has an early spring bloom, pruning should occur immediately after blooming. These plants' buds are formed on last season's growth.
Prune These Trees and Shrubs After Spring Bloom
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lilac
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azalea
- chokeberry
- cherry
- magnolia
- chokecherry
- forsythia
- apricot
- clove currant
- Juneberry
- flowering plum
- early blooming spirea
Apple trees, including flowering crabapples, mountain ash, hawthorns and shrub cotoneasters should be pruned in late winter (February-early April). Spring or summer pruning of these trees and shrubs increases chances for infection and spread of the bacterial disease fireblight. Autumn or early winter pruning is more likely to result in drying and die-back at pruning sites.
For More Information and Diagrams
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| What's Blooming? Yellowwood |
Flower panicle of Yellowwood | The stunning, fragrant white flower panicles of Cladrastis lutea, commonly known as yellowwood, will draw your attention to this smaller shade tree. Yellow leaves adorn the branches in fall and the smooth silver bark adds an interesting element to a winter landscape.
Yellowwood will grow to 45 feet tall by 45 feet wide at maturity. It has a low canopy around 5 feet, so don't plant it where you will need to walk under it. Use it as an accent tree or a shade tree for smaller yards.
This tree needs full sun. It is not particular about soil type although it prefers alkaline soil. It does best in average to evenly moist soils. It will not tolerate standing water. It is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should be pruned after it flowers in early spring.
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I welcome your feedback on the newsletter. If there are topics you want to learn more about, please email me at nancy.dahl@integra.net.
Sincerely,
Nancy Thorman Dahl, CLP
Cattail Design LLC
Creative Designs for Land and Lakeshore | |
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Money-Saving Tip | |
Powdery mildew on plant | |
There are times when your plants are not looking their best. Maybe powdery mildew has hit one of your flowers or a disease has attacked your rose bushes. Here are two simple concoctions you can make using everyday kitchen ingredients.
Solution for Roses
If a pest or disease is attacking your rose bushes, use this simple mixture. In an empty one-gallon milk jug, mix the following:
1 ½ tsp. of baking soda
1 T. of vegetable oil
½ tsp. of liquid dish soap
½ cup of white vinegar
Fill the rest of the jug with water and add it to a sprayer. (Use an empty household cleaner bottle instead of buying one from the store). Spray all the leaves and stems of your roses at least once a week during the growing season.
Solution for Powdery Mildew
With powdery mildew you will notice a white, powdery coating on leaves. Powdery mildew, a common fungus that hits plants, appears most often during hot, humid days and cool nights. While it typically doesn't kill plants, it is not attractive. To avoid powdery mildew, choose PM resistant plants, provide good air circulation, and water in the morning. Should this fungus appear try this home remedy.
1 T. of baking soda
2 ½ tsp. of vegetable oil or horticulture oil
1 gallon of water
Mix these together and pour into a spray bottle. Spray the entire plant and repeat every fourteen days.
For More Information:
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