Newsletter Fall 2010

Nov 19, 2010

Posted by: wayside

Vol. 24, No. 2
Fall 2010

DESIGN TIP

Criteria for selecting plants in the landscape – listed in order of importance:

1. Hardiness – Make sure the plant can survive in your climatic zone. We are in USDA Zone 6.
2. Size – Make sure the plant's mature size will stay within the allocated space.
   Note: It is critical to consider mature size when selecting plants. A frequent mistake is selecting young plants that eventually get too big; this usually results in adverse maintenance consequences.
3. Shape – This is closely related to size. Space has both size and shape. Plant shape may be just as important as size. For instance, do you need a tall, skinny plant, or a short, wide plant? Other possible shapes include vase, globe, mound, pyramid, column, etc.
4. Environmental Preference – Select plants that thrive in the given environmental conditions. For example, hot/dry/sun for ornamental grasses, and cool/moist/shade for ferns and mosses.
5. Leaf Persistence – Do you want the leaves to persist (evergreen) or drop (deciduous)? If you want evergreen, do you want broad leaves (e.g., holly) or needles (e.g., pine)? Frequently, this is important enough to make it the second choice in the plant selection criteria.
6. Leaf color and texture – This is self-explanatory.
7. Flower / fruit characteristics – Factors to consider include color, size, shape, smell, and phenology (i.e., time of bloom). Note: This is often the #1 selection criterion used by people, but it should not be. Most flowering periods are brief (2 weeks or less), so this single plant characteristic should be put in proper perspective.
8. Branch / bark characteristics – If the plant is deciduous, this may be far more important than flowering and fruiting characteristics.
9. Other important considerations – Deer resistance, wildlife value, insect and disease resistance, sentimentality, function (e.g., thorny hedge to prevent trespassing), and availability.

 

PLANT FIELD NOTE

Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire,’ or ‘Midwinter Flame,’ Red Twig Dogwood
 
Although this plant is in the red twig dogwood group, it is more of a yellow twig dogwood. According to the plant’s breeder, “It has brightly colored winter stems that flicker yellow, orange and red to warm the winter tundra. Mass plantings create a bonfire effect.” It is hardy to USDA Zone 4; we are Zone 6, so it is plenty winter hardy for us. Left alone it will grow to 10’ high and 10’ wide; however, best stem coloration is achieved by pruning the plant to the ground when its bark build-up begins to hide the color, which is about every 3 years. The plant is good for fresh and dried flower arrangements. This plant is a relatively new introduction and can be hard to find. Also, it can be slow to get established, but once established seems to thrive.

 

BOOK REVIEW

Weeds of the Northeast. Richard H. Uva, Joseph C. Neal, and Joseph M. DiTomaso. 1997. Cornell University Press. 397 pp.

This is the best weed identification book I have found for our area (western North Carolina). Proper identification is important for effective control. It has an excellent vegetative key to the weeds, and good, clear pictures for ease of identification.

 

LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE
Smart watering tips: These tips were copied from the NC State Cooperative Extensiondocument entitled
scape practices for water savings. Watering Tips.”

Smart watering tips:  These tips were copied from the NC State Cooperative Extension document entitled "Waterwise works.  Landscape practices for water savings.  Watering Tips."

1. The most efficient time to water is between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. It is cooler and less windy, minimizing evaporation. Irrigating during this period does not lead to increased disease development, as once thought.
2. Irrigate thoroughly, but as infrequently as possible. Look for wilting of landscape plants to determine the need for watering. Turf will hold footprints or change to a dull grey color when it needs water.
3. On average, small shrubs need 5 gallons water / week; large shrubs need 10 gallons / week; trees need 2 gallons per inch diameter (measured at 4.5’ above the ground) / week; flower beds need 5 gallons of water / 10 sq. ft. (1 minute of water at medium pressure); and lawns require about ½-1” water per week, depending on the grass type. High-use turf areas may need more frequent irrigation. Automatic irrigation systems should be designed with separate zones for turf and plant bed areas to ensure you do not overwater.
4. Any newly installed landscape takes time to establish. New turf may need daily watering while new trees and shrubs may need watering once or twice a week depending on rainfall and temperatures. During hot, dry conditions plants may need more frequent watering. Proper establishment can take several months followed by supplemental watering during periods of dry weather, regardless of the time of the year.
5. If hand watering, use a water breaker on the end of your hose to deliver an even, gentle flow to the base of the plants. Typical garden hoses deliver 5 gallons of water per minute. Use 5-gallon buckets with small holes in the bottom, use watering bags and soaker hoses or install automatic drip systems. Apply water at root zone. Drip systems use 50% less water than sprinklers.
6. To prevent runoff, do not apply water at a rate that exceeds your soil’s ability to absorb the water. Apply water over a longer period in smaller amounts. Measure your sprinkler’s output. For directions on how to determine how much water you are applying, visit: www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/tims/
7. Make sure your automatic irrigation system has a rain sensor to turn off system when sufficient rain has fallen. Have your irrigation system evaluated annually to prevent water waste. Don’t water the sidewalk, driveway or street!
8. Decide before summer heat and dry conditions arrive whether to water your turf or let it go dormant. Letting it go brown and then watering to green it up again can rob it of energy reserves. Either water regularly or let it go into dormancy.
9. Vacations offer a concern, particularly during the summer, so have a friend or neighbor tend your plants while you are away.
10. Each plant has a distinct rooting area: lawns – roots are 4-6” deep and don’t spread beyond lawn; annuals / perennials – roots in top 12” and spread a short distance; woody shrubs – roots 12-18” deep and spread beyond canopy; trees – roots 18” deep and spread about 2 times beyond canopy. Thoroughly water the root zone for that particular plant type and then let it partially dry out before watering again. Rain means you do not have to worry about watering for at least a week.
11. Plants in containers may need more frequent watering than plants in the ground. First, make sure the containers have drainage holes to prevent overly wet roots! Water when soil surface feels dry, not before. Frequency and amount of water depend on soils type, location, sunlight, temperature and type of plant. Some plants, like Fuchsia, may require daily watering, but most containers only need a thorough watering once or twice a week.
12. Don't overwater! Many plants that are overwatered will wilt or the leaves will turn brown. This often leads us to water even more. Follow the guidelines presented here. If in doubt stick your fingers in the soil, under the mulch, and check the soil wetness. With sufficient rain, it is not necessary to water.

 

LANDSCAPE CONSTRUCTION

Expect concrete to crack – One thing you can count on with concrete is that it will crack. The objective is to get it to crack where you want it to, but even that can be challenging. Concrete’s propensity to crack is due to its poor heat conducting characteristics. The steel commonly used in concrete helps to distribute heat and minimize temperature differences that affect expansion and contraction. Uneven heat distribution during expansion and contraction is one of the primary causes of cracks. When using concrete in the landscape, embed plenty of “temperature steel”, and cut, trowel, or form plenty of expansion joints. Despite these measures, however, you will probably still get some cracks. Fortunately, most of these cracks are usually cosmetic and of little structural significance. The important thing to remember is that concrete will crack in places you don’t want it to despite your best attempts to prevent it.

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Wayside News is published twice annually and distributed free of charge. It covers topics on landscape design, plant identification, book/literature review, landscape maintenance, and construction. It is intended to be brief but informative, if not argumentative. We welcome any comments and suggestions from readers, particularly concerning topics for future issues. We can be contacted through our website www.waysidelandscape.com

Andrew J. White
President