July 2014

Gardening with Mark

In This Issue

Grubs

To Do in Your Garden

Contest

Stay in Touch

Mark's

Gardening Connections

Mark's Choice tools and accessories

Home Hardware

Golfgreen Fertilizer

Toronto Star

Ottawa Citizen

Canada AM

My Facebook Page

Photo Op

Do you have photos on your 'hand held device' that go way back? Me too.

I was scrolling through them this morning when I came across this picture of my back yard, taken from inside the house at the kitchen sink.

Below is a picture from the same spot, taken this morning.

I can't help but be struck by the dramatic changes that occur in our Canadian climate. It was, after all, six months ago that my yard looked like picture #1.

Here we are on the threshold of a 'long' summer season and the birds are singing, the gold finch are starting to build their nests [they are late to the party] and the colours in my garden are astounding. My peonies are just off their peek of bloom and my daylilies are just coming into their own.

We are on the inevitable march through the gardening season and anyone who takes the time to reflect on the lighting speed of it all has to be impressed. Me? I am dumbfounded every year by the drama of it all. Who needs feature length, 3D action movies? I have a garden.

Somehow, I think, the kids won't understand all of this talk. So I think that I will keep this to myself.

Which brings me to grubs:

Drama to grubs?

Well, I have just completed my annual cross-Canada Tour for Home Hardware [Hello Stellarton, Nova Scotia and Port Hardy, B.C.!] and I can tell you that there is problem with grubs in the lawn most everywhere.

You will know if you have grey or white grubs in your lawn if you wake up in the morning to find that it is a moon-scape. Your lawn is torn to bits and there are holes through the root-zone everywhere. This is evidence of raccoon damage.

If you have lots of holes about the size of a quarter [2 cm diameter] you have skunk damage. Different rodents, same problem.

Your grubs are actually shrimp cocktails to raccoons and skunks. They enjoy them without the dipping sauce, just fresh from the roots of your lawn.

Nematodes kill grubs. They are microscopic organisms that already exist in your lawn naturally. By applying a few million more you intensify the population and voila, grub problem taken care of.

Controlling grubs with nematodes is easy, if you do the following:

Buy fresh nematodes. You purchase them out of a beer fridge at your local Home Hardware or independent garden centre. They have a 'best before' date - check it out.
Apply them right away or put them in YOUR fridge until you are ready, being mindful of the best-before date.
Water your lawn for 2 hours before you apply them.
Apply your nematodes through a hose-end applicator [available at Home Hardware] according to the directions on the globe-shaped package.
Water again, only this time for 3 hours.

All of this water is needed to drive the nematodes deep into the root zone of your lawn plants. You should apply them when the temperature is at least 18 degrees Celsius and not more than 30 degrees Celsius.

This is the perfect time of year to apply nematodes as the grubs have migrated up near the surface of the soil and they are feeding actively. So you can 'get them' now, but not later in July, when the heat hits home, as they move deep into the soil during the hot part of summer.

There is another opportunity to control grubs in late August and early September when they, once again, migrate up near the surface.

One application is good for the year and I have had consumers report that they can be effective for up to 3 years, but the supplier does not stand behind that claim.

Nematodes control grubs. Now you know.

Things To Do in your garden in July:

1. Stake tall growing perennials. I am calling in extra troops to help me with this one [thank you Brenda and Sig!] My 27 hydrangea Annabelle need serious support before they bloom and the blossoms fill with water.

My delphiniums and the giant rudebeckia will become high risk of falling over in the wind in about 2 weeks if I don't get to this.

2. Stake tomatoes. Use a Mark's Choice spiral stake [no twine needed]. When you get your tomatoes off the ground you double your crop.

3. Fertilize roses and perennials now with Green Earth Rose, Annual & Perennial Food 4-8-4 and fertilize tomatoes with Green Earth Tomato & Vegetable Food 4-6-8, unless you used the 'once a season' fertilizer like 'Shake & Grow' in early spring.

4. Pick veggies like peas [mine will be ready next week], beans, radishes, etc. as they become ready. Finish picking your strawberries and pulling rhubarb now. For most of us Canadians that is about it... maybe another week or so for others in cooler parts.

5. Plan on picking currents and raspberries. You waited all year, don't miss out!

6. Weed. It is no fun, perhaps, but it is easy now and drudgery in a month. Get them young, fresh and with a shallow root: now!! Sharpen your hoe with a Mark's Choice garden file.

7. Mulch. July is mulch month [did you know that?] Yup. I use lots and lots of finely ground up pine and cedar bark around roses, perennials and where I don't want to weed or labour over watering.

8. Herbs. Pick them. Use them. Ignore them [i.e. don't over water them] they like it hot and dry, except for basil which requires a little more attention. No need to fertilize herbs.

9. Eat.

10. Pray

11. Love

12. Garden

13. Write [I love to hear from you as do your loved ones]

14. OK the last 5 were not mine: I took them from Elizabeth Gilbert.

Keep Your knees dirty,

Mark

p.s. Happy Canada Day!

p.s.s. If you live in Qualicum Beach, B.C. be sure to join me at Bryan Virgin's Home Hardware store on Thursday July 24th (10am) and the Garden Talk community event at 7pm, Qualicum Beach Civic Centre.

Summer Photo Contest

I enjoy taking photos in my garden at least once a week. This gives me a great record of the changing beauty in the garden throughout the entire growing season.

I share many of these photos on my Facebook page. When the snow flies this winter I will have these photos to inspire my plans for 2015.

If you have a 'favourite' photo of your garden from this year, I would like to see it. Submit one photo to [email protected]. I will post all of the photos on my Facebook page.

I will select 30 winners randomly from all entries. Each winner will receive a copy of The Harrowsmith Almanac Gardening Digest ($4.95 value).

(Deadline for entry is July 8, 2014)

Mark's Choice Product of the Month

Pigtail Plant Supports

The Mark's Choice line of gardening products includes a great selection of plant supports.

My favourite are the pigtail supports. They are great for delphiniums and other tall blooms. Install plant supports early to prevent damage from rain and wind.

Home Hardware item# 5094-499.

Watch the video.

Stay in Touch

You can stay in touch with my gardening tips by visiting my:

Weekly blog post - From the Garden Shed - every Wednesday

Weekly audio tip - The Green File - every Wednesday

Daily Facebook page updates

Daily Tweets

And Weekly Canada AM segments, on Wednesdays.

Submit Your Event Listings

Events

Do you have a 'gardening' event you would like to promote, I would be happy to include your event listing in my monthly e-newsletter.

Send your info to [email protected] with the subject line 'Newsletter Event Listing'. Please provide a brief description of the event, along with a website for further information.

15th International Garden Festival

Quebec

Dates: June 28 to September 28

Location: Reford Gardens, Grand-Metis, Quebec

22 contemporary gardens. Conceived by sixty-five designers from around the world.

These installations invite visitors to enter and contemplate new ways of seeing the landscape and the world.