Gardening myths

The intent of this blog is to pass on important information not quote others but I came across the following thoughts searching for information on a work topic.  The information is too good not to pass on to readers.   Here it is word for word. 

The Garden Doc

By Robert Cox, Horticulture Agent, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension
Many consumers assume that products on the store shelf must have been tested to prove their claims.  Certainly, fertilizers have to meet nutrient content requirements, and pesticides are rigorously tested for safety before EPA registration.
For some other garden products, however, no such testing is required before sale to the public.
A good example is vitamin B1 (thiamine), often sold to "prevent transplant shock" and "stimulate new root growth" when planting trees, shrubs, roses and other plants.  A study in the 1930's provided the basis for such claims.   Pea roots cut off from the plant were placed in a culture medium in the laboratory.
The researchers knew that thiamine was normally found in roots, so they put thiamine in the culture medium and found that root growth did occur.  Vitamin B1 is manufactured in Plant leaves and sent to the roots, but if roots are cut off and placed in a petri plate, vitamin B1 stimulates growth of the roots when it saturates the culture medium.
Planting trees in a soil environment, however, is vastly different from a laboratory culture.  Most important, gardeners aren't in the habit of cutting off the root system when planting. Several studies using intact mums, apple trees, orange trees, pine, tomato, beans, pepper, corn, pear, watermelon and squash have failed to demonstrate that vitamin B1 treatments provide any type of growth response.
Some "root stimulator" products contain a rooting hormone and fertilizer along with vitamin B1.  These materials may increase rooting and growth, not the vitamin B1.
The bottom line: While root stimulator products are not necessary for transplant success, if you do use one, make sure it contains a rooting hormone and fertilizer rather than just vitamin B1. The vitamin B1 is for marketing purposes rather than actual effect.

Sulfur

Sulfur is claimed to "reduce alkalinity."  When applied to our soils, sulfur must be oxidized by soil bacteria to the sulfate form; then sulfate reacting with water forms sulfuric acid.
In our soils, the bacteria responsible for sulfur oxidation are sparse, so the reaction may take many months or years.  If sulfate is formed, it just reacts with the lime (calcium) usually prevalent in our soil to form gypsum (calcium sulfate).   The bottom line:  Don't spend a lot of money on it unless a soil test shows that your soil has low lime levels.

Gypsum

Gypsum is claimed to "break up and loosen clay soils."  Again, in the Front Range area of high calcium (calcareous) soil, this is a local myth.  Gypsum (calcium sulfate) added to clay soils having high sodium replaces the sodium with calcium, a much more desirable soil condition.  The sodium is than leached out of the soil with water.
Locally, however, clay soils already are high in calcium.  High sodium soils are rare along the Front Range.  Adding calcium to a soil that does not need it is a waste of money.  Additional calcium in the form of gypsum, a salt, will only make soils more saline.

Wound Dressings

Wound dressing for pruning cuts have been shown not only to be unnecessary, but many actually inhibit callus growth over the cut.  Tars, emulsions, asphalts and waxes can dry and crack, especially in Colorado's climate.  When water gets behind the crack, disease may be promoted rather than prevented.
The best treatment of a pruning cut is not treatment at all. Many people expect to treat tree wounds just like they would treat cuts in the human body--with a dressing.   the public expects to see tree wound treated in some way, usually with a black "sealer."  As a result, one city tree crew, knowing that dressings are not helpful but also aware of public expectation, applies a thin coat of black spray paint to pruning cuts.

The Myth of Day Watering

Still showing up in some popular garden literature is the notion that "day-watering can burn plants."  The notion says that sunlight is "magnified by the water drop on the leaf to cause a leaf burn.
Anyone who ever burned ants using a magnifying glass and the sun knows that the magnifying glass did not burn the ant if it were placed directly on the ant.  Rather, it had to be held a distance (focal distance) from the ant to concentrate the sun's rays enough to burn the ant.
If this notion were true, all gardeners would cover all their plants prior to every rainstorm.
Farmers would not be able to prevent widespread "leafburn" after rain clouds gave way to sunshine.  The root of this notion may have come from the effects of applying poor-quality water high in dissolved salts.  As water drops evaporated from leaves,the salts left behind could cause a leaf burn.
These are but a few of many claims and examples of conventional wisdom offered to the gardening public.
Ever since gardens were planted, observations and anecdotal claims have been offered to improve garden success.  Some of these may be myths in Colorado but good advice in other areas of the country.  Be cautious of label and advertising claims for garden products and skeptical of what you hear--and read!

The Trees in Your Yard



Did you ever wonder why the trees you have in your yard are there?  When our family moved into our first house we bought, there was a stump about 10 feet from the road and 10 feet from the driveway.  The previous owner had cut it down because it had branches that somewhat limited his view of the road.  I replaced that with a 3 to 4 inch caliper maple I selected from a nearby woods and bare root transplanted in the same location.  Twenty five years later it is a 15 to 20 inch beautiful tree with high branches that set of the corner of the property. 

Ash tree lining a city street

Much of the country from Minnesota to Missouri, and Tennessee to New York are undergoing a tree transformation not of our choosing.  The rest of the country is going to be affected where ever ash trees grow.  The emerald ash borer is chewing its way through America’s ash trees.  Twenty to forty years ago many streets were lined with beautiful elm trees.  Dutch elm disease has caused most of those to be replaced, 

Dead Ash from Emerald Ash Borer

including the beautiful trees lining my mother-in-law’s street in Aberdeen, S Dakota.  Previous to any of our memory the major forest tree in much of the Eastern US was the chestnut tree.  Chestnut trees succumbed to chestnut blight. 

An Emerald Ash Borer and tunnels under the bark

The lesson to learn when putting trees in your yard is to choose a variety of species so when the next tree malady occurs you will not loose all of your trees.  Cities are replacing ash trees with a variety of trees.  No more monoculture of trees lining the streets of the USA.  You should make sure your yard is not a monoculture.  The reasons ash trees replaced elm trees were, they were hardy, grew fast and had gorgeous foliage with beautiful fall color.  Until emerald ash borer, they were considered the perfect tree.

If or when you lose your ash tree consider this advice from Beth Corrigan of the Morten Arboretum near Chicago.  Make an assessment of the sun, soil condition, and space.  “It’s tried and true: put the right plant in the right spot.  Does the space get full sun? Only west sun?  Is it near a downspout?  High and dry on a berm?  This data will help you find a tree that’s happy in your yard.  There will always be another pest or disease coming down the block.  A healthy tree will resist attacks better than one that’s stressed.”  Other thoughts to consider are:  Do you want to shade your house or patio?  Screen an ugly view?  Or do you want a tree to just look pretty?  Will the mature tree fit the space?

For the ash tree you have now, if you don’t want it or it is unhealthy remove it and replace it with a better tree for that location.  If you want to keep your ash tree, get it treated.  You can pay a professional to treat the tree for about $200.  You can treat it your self for $10 to $40 based on size.  The product to choose from are either Merit based products with several Brand names, many from Bayer Advanced or Safari based products from Green Light.  Safari based products are Emerald Ash Borer Killer or Tree & Shrub with Safari.  Most Safari products are granules and Merit based products are liquids.  Both are easy to apply.  You will have to make an application every year.  If your tree is already infested you may salvage the tree if it has lost less than 40% of the foliage.  If it is in bad shape remove it.  Dead ash trees don’t stand for very long.  They have large branches fall and whole trunk will eventually fall possibly causing damage to cars, houses, and possibly people. 

Home yard with multiple tree species

The Garden Doc

Honey Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder, CCD

January 11, 2012

An article came out showing what may be causing millions of bees in hives to quickly disappear from their hive.  A picture of a small fly on a bee may show the cause.  The fly lays its eggs in the bee, the eggs hatch, the larvae grow, the bee gets disoriented, flies out of the hive towards light and dies.  The larvae mature and the cycle continues until the hive is empty.  How could this go undetected for this many years?  Science is a never ending learning process.

This may solve the question causing CCD or cause more confusion as to the cause.  Previous to finding this fly scientists from many major Universities thought it may be a combination of a virus with honey bee mites aggravated by some carry over disease or pesticide damage.  Science has not been able to link any direct cause to CCD.  Bees like all other animals have ectoparasites (insects that live on other insects or animals) and diseases caused by bacteria and viruses. Most of the ectoparasites and diseases are well understood and beekeepers treat hives to control these maladies.  Pesticide science is good at providing instructions to nearly eliminate bees being killed or damaged from insecticides.  The best way to maintain good hive health is to have a good queen and a good strong hive.  The survival of the fittest rule, rules.  There are treatments for most of the diseases and parasites. 

How does this affect you and your garden?  Some of the garden vegetables do not need bees to pollinate.  Most produce originating from a flower needs pollinated.  Some are self pollinated, some are pollinated from other insect species other than the honey bee, but some do produce much better yields if honeybees are in the area.  These crops are apples, blueberries, strawberries, cane berries, cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and the melons.  Many crops like onions will produce a good supply of vegetables, the onion bulb, but need pollination to produce seeds which are not eaten.  

I keep a few colonies of bees and through the years have had great success overwintering bees, even in the state of Wisconsin.  Three years ago I may have lost all my hives to CCD.  Beekeeping is a fascinating hobby with extremely sweet rewards.  This past summer my 5 hives produced over 60 lbs each.  The excess honey I can’t use is sufficient to supply The Downtown Grocery which is a store that offers many unique foods including a good supply of organic produce for those that desire that life style.

The Garden Doc