The following article is from the DDD Foundation. For more great inspiration on planting bulbs, visit their website.

Fall Has Arrived But Spring Is Already in Our Sight

It’s a sure sign that fall has arrived when dozen of boxes and crates, adorned with brilliant images of spring-blooming bulbs, appear on our garden center shelves. Take a closer look through the pretty packaging, however, and what you see may seem totally unimpressive. It is hard to believe that in just a few short months these diminutive, subterranean dynamos will blossom into amazing forms of living art. What is even more incredible is how very simple and absolutely foolproof it is to achieve this beauty, no matter what shade of green, brown or black your garden thumb may be. These petite organic parcels encapsulate everything necessary to burst into astonishing flowers, and even the most inexperienced gardener can be a floral artist with spring bulbs.

Bulb Varieties

The only difficult thing about growing spring-flowering bulbs is choosing which blooms to showcase in your yard. The sheer variety of flower types, colors, sizes and bloom times is outstanding and virtually limitless, which can be overwhelming. Tulips alone are available in early, mid- and late-blooming varieties in just about every color under the sun, including multi-colored and variegated shades. The stems can be short or long, and the petal count may be single or double. The petals may be colorfully veined, like the ever popular parrot tulip, or fringed on the edges for a lacy look. Some tulips resemble peonies and some resemble crocuses. And that’s just tulips – other spring-blooming bulbs can have just as many varieties to choose from!

This fall, just about every garden center will be carrying at least a few varieties of ever-popular, widespread favorites, such as...

• Allium
• Crocus
• Daffodil
• Dutch Iris
• German Bearded Iris
• Grape Hyacinth
• Hyacinth
• Narcissus
• Tulip

Then there are the specialty spring-flowering bulbs that may not be as familiar, but are stunning additions to the spring landscape, such as...

• Anemone
• Belladonna Amaryllis
• Cassima
• Chionadoxa
• Freesia
• Fritillaria
• Ranunculus
• Snowdrop
• Wood Hyacinth

These are just a few examples of the amazing variety of bulbs available. Which new ones will be the showstoppers in your yard next spring?

Growing Bulbs

What’s most exciting is that if you’ve got soil and sunlight you can grow bulbs. It is absolutely that simple. Where you garden makes no difference at all, whether it is in the city, suburbs or countryside. Bulbs look fantastic blooming in a large landscape, small garden or simply in a pretty pot. They can be planted around trees and bushes, alongside driveways or sidewalks, or even in broad, flowing beds. Because they require very little care and maintenance, bulbs are ideal for busy gardeners or anyone who wants to stick their thumb in the soil but may not have much time to devote to an intensive flower garden or elaborate layout. There are just three steps to growing bulbs…

1. Dig: Dig the hole of an appropriate depth for the bulb size – but they aren't too picky!
2. Drop: Drop the bulb in the hole, covering it firmly with soil and a layer of mulch if desired.
3. Done! That's it – the bulb will do the rest with the nutrients it has stored. Just be sure it has water at the appropriate time, and the blooms will amaze you.

So why not get out there and explore this big beautiful world of bulbs? Plan now for your spring floral explosion, and feel free to stop in our garden center for ideas for the best bulbs to suit your landscape, soil type and climate. Use the Dig Drop Done website and other web resources, like Pinterest or Instagram, for information and inspiration. Get here early for the best bulb selection and get excited for unbelievable blooms in 2017!

Dig. Drop. Done. Seriously, folks, that’s it!

By John Moretti, MCH

A frequently asked question is whether woody plants need to be on a regular fertilization program in order to do well. If plants in nature do perfectly well on their own, why this constant push to maintain landscapes with fertilizer applications?

Landscape plants usually need fertilization because of the inadequacies of the soils in which they are planted. For the most part, these plants are not growing in natural settings where their roots rest undisturbed and nutrients naturally recycle. Native soils normally contain naturally occurring organic matter, are less compacted, and do a better job of retaining both moisture and available nutrients. In contrast urban and suburban planting sites usually have depleted and degraded soils that lack many of the 16 necessary mineral elements essential to plant growth. These nutrients may need to be re-introduced in order to establish healthy landscapes.

University research points to the fall (late September and the beginning of October) as the best time to fertilize woody plants. Early Spring, before new leaves emerge, is the next best time. Summer fertilization is usually discouraged. Because root growth and nutrient absorption can occur anytime soil temperatures are above 40 degrees F., the fall offers a prolonged period where plants can benefit from feeding. Top growth has ceased and bud formation is nearly complete, so nitrogen and other nutrients absorbed at this time are converted into stored carbohydrates. This energy will be used to support healthy spring growth and development. In addition, we expect plenty of natural rainfall in the fall, which increases uptake of plant nutrients.

Whenever we choose a fertilizer, it is important to know what kind, how much, and where to put it. Depending on the time of year, too much fertilizer can lead to weak or excessive growth and can actually damage plant tissue, especially roots. As a general rule, established trees should receive 1 lb. of an 8-8-8 fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter measured chest high. A second formula calls for 1.5 lbs of 8-8-8 per 100 sq. ft. of root area. Since root systems on mature trees can spread as much as 1.5 to 2 times beyond the drip line, measuring the canopy spread can be misleading. The square footage method probably works better with shrub beds.

Application methods vary. Trees typically need fertilizer applied closer to feeder roots and well below the competing roots of turf. Use of a punch bar or an auger to place the fertilizer 6 inches or deeper is often recommended. Fertilizer for shrubs and perennial beds can be applied to the surface using the broadcast method; the amount is based on square footage. Liquid feeding on a repeat basis with high nitrogen, soluble synthetic-type fertilizers is not generally recommended for woody plants.

As always, the sales staff at Weston Nurseries is ready to assist you with any questions about fall plant maintenance.

With the cool nights all evergreens, including broadleaf evergreens such as rhododendrons, start to show fall shedding on the interior of the plant.  This is very natural and occurs on mature growth only.  With rhododendrons, you'll notice the interior leaves will yellow and then drop. This may be happening earlier in your yard, due to the reduced rainfall in September.

Usually fall shedding is heavier on newly installed or transplanted evergreens. From year to year the shedding can vary from little to much. Needle drop is not an indication that the plant is unhealthy. Your plants will probably develop more growth in the following season to compensate for the leaf drop this year.

General maintenance can be done to  keep your plants healthy:

• Watering as needed until the ground freezes
• Pruning dead branches.
• Spraying for pests that are actively feeding on the plant.
• Fertilizing with a fall blended fertilizer or Holly Tone fertilizer.

By R. Wayne Mezitt

I’m gratified and quite taken that the issue of pollinators has recently so effectively caught the attention of the public. Decade after decade, dedicated members of the nursery industry have searched, formulated and tried countless approaches to raise the awareness and importance of horticulture in the minds of the public. Over the 50+ years I’ve been involved with this industry, the pollinator issue is one of the few topics to prove so universally relevant, and that’s encouraging.

Given how fundamentally critical the world’s food and fiber sources are to human existence, it should be obvious that people are concerned about pollinators. According to Wikipedia, “at least 80% of our world's crop species require pollination to set seed. An estimated one out of every three bites of food comes to us through the work of animal pollinators.” And “declines in the health and population of pollinators pose what could be a significant threat to the integrity of biodiversity, to global food webs, and to human health.”

Pollinator “animals” include so many species like bees, butterflies, birds, bats, moths, flies and beetles, all of which are in some way threatened by human activities. Pollinator Partnership, the worldwide organization dedicated exclusively to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems, cites “disturbing evidence that pollinating animals have suffered from loss of habitat, chemical misuse, introduced and invasive plant and animal species, and diseases and parasites.” Who hasn’t been aware of the “sudden hive collapse” disaster reported on the media in recent years, of major concern to crops and farmers in all regions?

Fortunately, it’s easy for each of us individually to make a difference, protecting pollinators and enhancing their wellbeing in our daily activities. We encourage beneficial insects to better thrive by limiting our use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, instead applying organic principles and techniques for our gardens and yards. Mulch around our plants and use manual or mechanical maintenance methods--mowing, cutting, pulling, girdling, or tilling--to control weeds and intrusive vegetation. Some pollinators use plants as their overwintering sites, so consider that at fall-garden-cleanup time.

Homeowners typically tend to plan their home plantings for peak springtime bloom. And who can argue that spring is the most opulent time for garden color. But utilizing trees, shrubs and plants that spread their flowering features across the entire year encourages more pollinators, all the while enhancing the value and appeal of our yards and gardens. Summer, autumn, and even the “shoulder seasons” of earliest spring and pre-winter can offer exciting flowering opportunities that attract pollinators and add weeks to the enjoyment of our yard.

Native plants are favored by native insects and animals, so using native plants is important when conditions are appropriate. But many pollinators have been introduced from other areas of the world, so using so-called “exotic” (nonnative) plants is beneficial too. The more pollinators we encourage, the more productive and healthy our gardens become.

As summer turns to autumn, here are some suggestions for plants that bloom near the end of the growing season in the northeast, are particularly favored by pollinators and are often underutilized in our gardens:

• Woody trees and shrubs: Hydrangea, bluebeard (Caryopteris), summersweet (Clethra), rose-of-Sharon (Hibiscus), seven-son-flower (Heptacodium), harlequin glorybower (Clerodendron), witch-hazel (Hamamelis) and many rose cultivars;
• Herbaceous plants: goldenrod (Solidago), Joe-Pye-weed (Eupatorium), Russian sage (Perovskia), Japanese anemone, blue mist (Caryopteris), tickseed (Coreopsis), balloon flower (Platycodon), snakeroot (Cimicifuga), autumn crocus (Colchicum) and numerous species and cultivars of aster, chrysanthemum, sedum and colorful annuals.

Many resources are available for more information at local garden centers, botanic/horticultural organizations and online. For the northeastern USA, a particularly relevant publication is Selecting Plants for Pollinators, clearly explaining the importance of pollinators and how critical their health is to maintaining the way of life to which we’re accustomed.

Wayne Mezitt is a 3^rd generation nurseryman and a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist, now chairman of Weston Nurseries of Hopkinton and Chelmsford, MA, and owner of “Hort-Sense”, a horticultural advisory business; he currently serves as Trustee chairman for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank in Wellesley MA.

By Dirk Coburn, M.C.H.

For much of this season, and even now, we on the Plant Health Desk have fielded calls and visits from customers concerned about leaf spotting, powdery mildew, and elevated incidences of other fungal and viral issues.  In discussing these matters, we typically mention that these phenomena have to do with the moist, humid year we have had compared to average.

Now we are getting photos sent to us of some plants that are wilting, or whose foliage is going brown and crisp for want of water.

Too moist and too dry -- how can this be?

The answer is that there is no substitute for monitoring current conditions in our landscapes.  Key environmental measures have changed.  With one or two exceptions, summer rains have been quick and/or light.  In much of our region, July and August weather has done what it usually does; it has evaporated from the top foot or two of soil much of the soil moisture that our wet winter and spring left for us.  For the last several weeks there has been a high percentage of sunny days with warm breezes.  While this weather does not reverse fungal or viral issues that started earlier in the summer, it does change things for our plants.

If you have planted new trees, shrubs, and perennials this year, now is the time that they most need diligent and disciplined deep watering:  deep enough to wet all roots and the soil below and beyond the roots, frequently enough to prevent fine roots from going bone dry and dying, and not too frequently so that the roots have an opportunity to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between waterings.  Our guidelines that accomplish those three imperatives for the vast majority of plants and environments can be found on our web site here:  https://www.westonnurseries.com/watering-guidelines/.

The best insurance that you can give to your plants newly planted this season is to water them right up to the hard ground freeze – not the first frost but the date after which the ground remains frozen and does not thaw.  In central and eastern Massachusetts this occurs typically between Thanksgiving and the middle of December.  This may mean carrying water to your plants after you have turned off your spigots and put away your hoses for the season, and after you have shut down your irrigation system if you have one.  As evaporation rates fall in October and November, you can reduce the frequency of watering to a couple of times a month.

You may find soaker hoses and Gator bags helpful in your strategy to keep your new plants adequately watered.  Weston Nurseries carries these and other watering aids.

After the hard freeze, it is a good idea to spread a winter mulch over the root zone of any newly planted trees or shrubs that are exposed to the sun.  A winter mulch is different from the summer bark mulches.  You want a mulch that will insulate the ground without holding a lot of water itself.  Shredded straw, pine straw, and boiled hay are good winter mulches.  Weston Nurseries carries a great winter mulch product from Lucerne Farms.  Winter mulching keeps the roots from thawing on sunny winter days, which can stress a tree or shrub.  The dryness of the winter mulch inhibits fungal issues in the spring, when cool moisture could promote spore germination.

Starting a Lawn by Seed

Preparation and Installation

• Measure off the area and figure the square footage (length x width).

OPTIONAL STEP: Kill weeds and grass with a nonselective herbicide (Kleen-Up); however seeding will have to be delayed approximately 7 to 10 days after application of such products. Be sure you are not using a total vegetative killer.

• Rototill the area and remove all debris – stone, roots, and weeds – which could possibly interfere with the development of the grass seed. Also get a pH test of the soil.
• Rough grade – rake and remove any debris while producing a reasonably level area (no low spots) on which to lay the seed.
• Incorporate into the soil all amendments needed to insure the germination of the grass seed.
  • Organic Matter – Compost, manure, and/or peat moss have high organic content which will help the soil structure, increase the water holding capacity and increase the microbial activity. We recommend Bumper Crop or Just Natural Garden Soil.
  • Lime - MAG-I-CAL or Rapid Lime (based on pH results)
  • Love your Soil by Jonathan Green – great for heavy, compacted soils.
  • Starter Fertilizer - High in phosphorous, essential for root development. (Winter Survival can also be used.)
• Fine Grade – At this time the grade needs to be level. There should be no question about which direction the water will drain.
• Roll the area with a lawn roller approximately ¾ full of water.
• Water the ground lightly. If puddles occurs remove soil from high areas to fill in low spots.
• Spread your grass seed mixture evenly throughout the area. Consult one of our experts concerning which blend would be best for your area.
• Roll the area lightly (empty tank) after spreading seed to help bed it into the soil.
• Moisten the entire area and apply EZ Straw, Lucerne Straw or Green Mulch over the area to help hold moisture in. This will increase the germination percentage of the seed.
• Note – If your lawn has had Insect problems, like grubs, you apply an insecticide the same day you seed. Refer to one of our lawn experts for more information about products available.

Turf Renovation

• Core Aeration or Thatching are vital components to your overall turf management program; it will improve water and nutrient infiltration, improve soil oxygen levels, and reduce thatch levels and fall is the best time to do core aerating or thatching. Outside of mechanical aeration you can do more to improve your overall turf quality with two very important steps.
  • Top-Dressing which will greatly improve soil chemistry and structure and will improve fertilizer performance. Top-dressing products are perfect when your lawn has compaction issues, low fertility and/or moss growing. Top-dressing materials should be raked in after application for best results.
    • Top-Dressing products include Jonathan Green Love your Lawn, porous ceramic, poultry manure or Gypsum or Lebanon ROOTS.
    • In situations where larger areas need to be over-seeded take advantage of incorporating organic matter into the soil. We recommend Bumper Crop Soil Builder or Just Natural Garden Soil.  You can also use compost, manure, and/or peat moss.

• Over seeding to upgrade turf grass varieties in your lawn. Most lawns have too much Perennial Ryegrass and are susceptible to poor fertility, disease pressure and stress. You can change these conditions by over seeding with newer improved varieties of Kentucky Bluegrasses, Fine leaf Fescues, NEW generation Perennial Ryegrass and Dwarf Type Tall Fescues (Black Beauty). Consult one of our experts concerning which blend would be best for your area.

Spread the seed after aeration or thatching is done and add any top dressing materials have been applied and raked in – this method will provide a seedbed for your plants while allowing general use and maintenance to continue uninterrupted.

Basic Maintenance

• Watering is the most important requirement needed to establish your lawn.
• After approximately 10-14 days you can remove the straw or when you cut the lawn for the first time it will be removed through that process.
• Mowing of your new lawn should begin when the grass reaches 2 ½ -3”. You should mow your lawn throughout the growing season, removing the top third each time.
• To ensure a dense, problem free lawn use fertilizer and insect controls as necessary and consult with one of our turf experts.

Tips & Common Problems

Mushrooms in lawns often develop from thatch, buried wood, dead roots, and stumps.  They have many different sizes, colors, shapes, and habits of growth and develop fruiting structures or mushrooms in lawns often after periods of rainy weather.  The fungi that produce these mushrooms are beneficial because they decompose dead plant material on and in the soil, making nutrients available to growing plants.  These mushrooms usually are harmless to grasses, but some people consider them unsightly or want to get rid of them because young children play in the area.  Neither spray applications nor drenches of fungicides are effective in controlling these mushrooms.  A simple way to remove mushrooms is to mow the lawn and collect the clippings or by raking them up.  In some cases, elimination of excess thatch and aerating the soil to improve water penetration also helps reduce their numbers.  If the weather becomes drier, the mushrooms gradually disappear without interventions.

Moss in lawns is common when the soil is compact or has poor drainage.  Improving aeration will create an environment that moss does not like.  Apply Bonide MossMax to kill the moss and then change the soil texture by adding sand, organic soil amendments, porous ceramic, gypsum and/or JG Love your Soil over the next year or two and that will prevent moss from redeveloping.

Voles and Moles create many problems in lawns.  Molemax is one of the best products to move the critters somewhere else and prevent future damage.

Fertilizing Your Lawn throughout the year

After a long winter your soil needs consistent warm temperatures in order for the roots of your grass plants to be stimulated to grow.  Once the lawn has started to green up get going with a lawn care program that is specifically tailored for your lawn.  Think of the Holidays as a guide.

1. Easter - Crabgrass Preventer with Fertilizer
2. Memorial Day - Lawn Fertilizer with Weed Killer
3. 4^th of July Summer fertilization with Iron
4. Labor Day Fall fertilizer higher in Potassium to encourage strength and vigor heading into the winter.

Go Organic? – FEED YOUR SOIL!

Organic fertilizers are another option for your fertilization program. Organic fertilizers tend to break down slowly and are reliant on microbial activity and soil temperatures. By putting organic fertilizer down, microbes have a chance to work on those nutrients, breaking them down so that they are available just in time for spring. So if you’re going organic, use Espoma, Milorganite, or Coop-Poop (Poultry Manure) for regular feedings.  For crabgrass prevention use Bonide Maize or Jonathan Green Organic Weed Preventer both contain Corn Gluten.

By: Jim Connolly, MCH, MCLP Fall 2017

By Jim Connolly

Most people might think of Spring as the best time to start a new lawn, but the truth is that late Summer and early Fall are far better for starting a new lawn from seed. Any time after August 15^th is prime lawn time; the warm soil in combination with cooler air temperatures will encourage far better seed germination. Weeds are also typically not as aggressive late in the season, so grass seedlings don't have to compete for nutrients.

Early Spring is the second-best time to start a lawn from seed, but it has some drawbacks:  the young grass has less time to become established before the hot weather of summer sets in, and the results can be generally unsatisfactory.  You'll usually end up having to assess your lawn again anyway in the late Summer and Fall and then over-seed where it did not grow as well.

PREPARE YOUR SOIL

Regardless of when you install your new lawn from seed, the soil preparation is the same.  Here is the step by step process:

1. If more than 70% of your area is weeds and bare spots you may want to apply a broad spectrum weed killer like Bonide Kleenup to kill what is there. Apply according to the directions, and be patient.  In 7-10 days you should be able to install the lawn by seed safely.
   If you prefer not to apply a weed killer, use a rototiller, spade, or rent a sod cutting machine to remove any of the living matter.
2. Turn the soil to a minimum depth of 4".
3. Remove sticks, stones, roots and other debris which could interfere with the establishment of the grass seedlings.
4. Take a soil test sample to determine the soil pH. Having the correct pH allows fertilizers to be more effective and your lawn will look healthier longer.  Once you know the pH you can amend the soil with lime using a spreader.  The products which we recommend are Rapid Lime, MAG-I-CAL or Pelletized Lime.
5. Incorporate organic material into the soil, such as compost, manures, peat moss, etc.
6. Use a fertilizer spreader to apply Jonathan Green Love Your Lawn and New Seeding Fertilizer at the recommended rates.
7. Grade the soil by raking and pitching the land so proper drainage will occur. Here's a good trick: lightly water the area in order to see where puddles tend to form. Lightly rake the high spots into the low spots. Roll or slightly compact the soil making sure air pockets are removed from the soil.

You are now ready to install your grass seed.

SEEDING

Select the appropriate grass seed based on the amount of sunlight in the area during the growing season.  Jonathan Green has developed blends which can grow in sun or shade.  A Sunny blend will need at least 6 hours of sun in order to thrive, while shady blends can live in sun or shade.  We recommend Jonathan Green's Black Beauty seed blend for a lush green lawn with improved drought and disease resistance.

1. Apply the seed with a spreader for best results.  After seeding, use the backside of a spring rake to help to distribute the seed evenly and smooth off the surface.
2. To help ensure the overall seed germination, apply Hydretain to the entire area.  Hydretain will draw water molecules from the soil and bring it into the root zone.
3. Next apply Straw, Jonathan Green Mulch, or seed blanket to the newly seeded area.  This prevents the seeds from drying out as quickly.
4. For the first two weeks, water the seed a at least once a day for 5 to 10 minutes, right up until germination begins.  If the soil is moist you can hold off until it dries out slightly.
5. Once the grass begins to germinate, you should switch to watering for 20-30 minutes every 2^nd or 3^rd day.
6. Mow the lawn once it is 2-3” high and make sure your mower blades are clean and sharp.
7. Once your new lawn is established you can maintain your lawn with an annual lawn care program.

By Dirk Coburn, M.C.H.

At Weston Nurseries we carry from time to time two types of bamboo plants:  clumping bamboo, and running bamboo.  The clumping genus that is hardy to our service area and that we carry when our growers offer a quality stock is Fargesia, the fountain bamboo.  I want to discuss running bamboos.  The genus that we carry from time to time is Phyllostachys.  In the past we have carried Pleioblastus, Sasa, and Sasaella which are also running bamboo genuses.

Running bamboo spreads by sprouting from rhizomes that migrate laterally underground.  Since bamboo shoots can be difficult to control through mowing, and can run under a walkway or in some cases even a driveway, it is a good idea in most cases to surround the entire bed with a root barrier. A deep foundation or other existing impenetrable wall at least 30 inches deep can form part of the barrier for a bed.

Weston Nurseries carries a heavy-duty polymer barrier product that can be inserted vertically into a narrow trench dug around a bed to contain the roots of running bamboo.  The barrier is 30 inches wide (so 30 inches deep when installed) and can be purchased by the foot. 

Root barriers can effectively control other rhizomous running plants, including:

·     Athyrium felix-femina – lady fern

·     Convallaria majalis – lily-of-the-valley

·     Dennstaedtia punctilobula – hay-scented fern

·     Pachysandra terminalis

·     Wisteria – especially the Asian species W. floribunda and W. sinensis

·     Xanthorhiza – yellowroot

Root barrier is not effective to inhibit aggressive spreading through above-ground stems or “stolons” that root where they touch the ground, or through dispersal of seed.  Spreading by stolons or by gravity-driven seeds can be discouraged by surrounding a bed with some combination of hardscape, pavement, a crushed stone bed, and mowed lawn.  Spreading by seed can further be discouraged by use of a pre-emergent weed control to inhibit germination of seeds that are spread by wind or by wildlife.  All of these methods – root barriers, hardscape, pre-emergent controls – can reduce the need for laborious hand-pulling or digging of undesired shoots and seedlings or for application of herbicides in our gardens.

Some plants spread by both rhizomes and another method, and may require both a root barrier and another control.  For example, Convallaria majalis spreads most aggressively by rhizomes and secondarily by seed dispersal.  Gardeners who want to contain that plant may want to consider both a root barrier and applications of pre-emergent controls.

Photo: Flickr / Benny Mazur

By Dirk Coburn, M.C.H.

In much of eastern and central Massachusetts we have grown used to fighting in the spring against tree defoliation by winter moth caterpillar and gypsy moth caterpillar.  If a substantially defoliated tree needs leaves, it is likely to push out a new set of leaves.  The resource that it most needs in order to do this is water.  In most years, two or three very deep waterings at two-week intervals would be appropriate to consider for a defoliated tree.  Groundwater is fairly plentiful this year, so an extraordinary deep watering is probably not necessary this year unless you have a very fast-draining soil.

But the threat of defoliation by pests does not disappear with the summer equinox.  Fruit trees can have a particular challenge if they are defoliated by Japanese beetles in July, while they are growing and ripening their fruit.  If the tree has a heavy load of fruit it can be helpful anyway, and certainly in the case of significant defoliation, to remove some portion of the fruit now and to let the tree concentrate its resources on fewer fruit.  The tree may do some culling for you by letting some fruit drop.  If you do some intentional culling, remove the smallest ones and cull evenly from throughout the tree.  Reducing the fruit load by anywhere from 1/4 to 2/5 should significantly alter the stress on the tree of fruit production and improve the prospects of a significant harvest in the current year.

In September any tree defoliated during the growing season could benefit from a feeding with a fertilizer with a major nutrient profile of 8-8-8- or 10-10-10.

What should you do in future seasons if your fruit tree is defoliated by Japanese beetles?  Any tree that is substantially defoliated prematurely three years in a row is at high risk of mortality.  For this reason, you should be prepared the following year to treat your defoliated fruit tree at two-week intervals starting at the very end of June and continuing until Japanese beetles have disappeared from your landscape.  A spray based on Spinosad would be appropriate, such as Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew by Bonide that we carry.  Treat the trees at dusk, just after sunset, when bees and other pollinators are typically not foraging.  The spray will dry on the leaves overnight.  Its toxicity to insects that do not feed upon the foliage will drop to near zero, but the treatment will remain effective with the Japanese beetles that feed on the foliage.  If we get a moderate to heavy rain while the beetles are out, re-treat the tree when the leaves are dry and reset the two-week clock for the next treatment.

An additional or alternative strategy involves planting lower fodder for the beetles.  The beetles pupate in the ground and usually start feeding from the ground up.  So planting perennials or low shrubs that they feed on can delay their rising to feed on your trees, potentially long enough to result in little or no damage to the trees before the beetles lay their eggs in the ground and die.  This strategy has the advantage of being pesticide-free, though not costless.  On the downside, this strategy does nothing to control the population of the beetles.

Photo: Flickr / F.D. Richards

By R. Wayne Mezitt

Starting in August and continuing well into autumn, it’s hard to miss the ubiquitous sprays of yellow on roadsides, meadows and other untended sunny sites. The profuse flower-heads of goldenrod vary in color intensity, size and shape; all are yellow-flowering, and depending upon species, their height and spread can be less than a foot tall and wide to more than six feet. Two dozen or more distinct species are native to this region, coming into bloom at differing times, extending the season of color to as much as three months.

Goldenrod (botanical name: Solidago) is a superb pollinator plant. Its protracted flowering season attracts many species of bees, butterflies and other pollinators, making it an ideal choice for native wildflower gardens and meadow plantings. Goldenrod honey is dark and spicy and it has become a popular consumer product with beekeepers. Goldenrod’s diverse flower-plumes also make wonderful, long-lasting cut flowers, particularly in combination with contrasting blooms of other wildflowers.

Until recently, goldenrods were seldom grown as garden plants in the USA. Probably because they are so ingenuous in nature, gardeners in this region consider them to be a “weed”. And that’s not entirely unwarranted: some types can rapidly develop into a problematic garden “thug” due to their propensity to germinate and grow quickly from wind-dispersed seed. Once settled-in for a year or two, removing a heavy clump with its dense mat of roots and rhizomes can be a hefty challenge; and even only a small piece left behind will regrow into a robust plant next season.

But in European gardens, goldenrod has long been favored as an attractive summer-flowering perennial, a major garden feature. Thanks to hybridizing successes, the cultivars and hybrids now coming onto the market are much better suited to our gardens with far better performance attributes and less propensity to spread and dominate. Look for names like ‘Fireworks’, ‘Golden Fleece’, ‘Solar Cascade’ and ‘Golden Baby’ at your local garden center. There’s even a variegated-leaf cultivar of zig-zag goldenrod, Solidago flexicaulis ‘Variegata’, adding its yellow-splashed foliage appeal before the blooms appear.

By now you probably know that goldenrod has been wrongly accused of causing hay-fever. That’s because it blooms concurrently and in the same areas with the less conspicuous ragweed, whose pollen is readily carried on the wind. Goldenrod pollen grains are heavy, requiring physical assistance from bees and butterflies to be transported. So spend a few minutes noticing all the goldenrods this season—you may be pleasantly surprised when you take the time to appreciate such a bounty of color and form!

Wayne Mezitt is a 3^rd generation nurseryman and a Massachusetts Certified Horticulturist, now chairman of Weston Nurseries of Hopkinton and Chelmsford, MA, and owner of “Hort-Sense”, a horticultural advisory business; he currently serves as Trustee chairman for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society at Elm Bank in Wellesley MA.