pumpkin brook organic gardening, inc.€¦ · chris swett chris left pumpkin brook for california...

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Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening, Inc.Priscilla Hutt Williams35 Turner Road, Townsend, Massachusetts 01469(TEL) 978-597-3005 (FAX) [email protected]

Volume 4, August 2014

In This Issue

Weed Smothering UsingSheet Mulch

Plant Pick: Rose ofSharon

Pest Alert: Emerald AshBorer

Plant Health Care News

August Is the Time for...

Greetings,

The nearly 3" of rain last week and cooler nights are preparing theway for our fall planting season! Officially, this started on August15th and runs through the end of October. We will be workingwith many of you to renovate and augment existing gardens or tolay out new plantings very soon. Once perennials are finishedblooming, we can begin the fall dividing and transplanting season,too, usually in early September.

This is also the point when I open the bulb catalogues to place myfall order! I LOVE bulbs and hope that you will jump on thebandwagon with me. For best selection, I submit my order bySeptember 8.

Remember how dreary late winter can be, with nothing but green,brown, black and white for color in our gardens? Colorful springbulbs appearing in April and May are just the perfect antidote towinter. Take a look at this website, springdisplays.com for ideasand inspiration (enter the simple password: shovel). I'm alsoavailable to meet with you in person to discuss colors, varieties andplacement of your spring bulbs.

Weed Smothering Using Sheet Mulch

Sheet mulch, or "lasagna mulch," asit's sometimes called, can be a greattool to use in conquering weedypatches of the garden or convertinggrassy areas into planting beds withminimal effort. Sheet mulch worksby adding layer on top of layer of organic matter, smotheringweeds and creating rich compost in the process.

The process starts by applying a layer of cardboard or newspaperon top of a low mowed grassy or weedy area. This will smotherexisting vegetation by cutting off the light source. Depending onconditions it can take anywhere from 4 to 10 months for theunderlying vegetation to completely decompose.

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Rose of Sharon 'Lil Kim'

Welcome back toChris Swett

Chris left PumpkinBrook for California 10years ago and has nowreturned! He worked atSkywalker Ranch asAssistant FarmManager for GeorgeLucas, producingorganic food for 5restaurants feeding filmproduction crewsaround the world. Earlier he ran his ownorganic landscapingcompany in SonomaCounty with apermacultureemphasis. He is anexcellent pruner,planter andhardworking addition toour staff.

Chris Swett

The next step depends on your intentions. If the goal is simply tocreate a weed free space, for example in an outlying woodlandedge, then a layer of mulch or wood chips can be applied on top ofthe cardboard.

However, if you are also looking to create a planting bed, thenlayering in alternating sheets of nitrogen and carbon containingmatter is the next step. For the nitrogen layer you can use freshgrass clippings, kitchen scraps, weeds (those that have not gone toseed yet), or manure. For the carbon layer use leaves, pineneedles, straw, and dried brownish garden debris.

Keep layers one inch thick and alternate carbon and nitrogen layersuntil you get to 18 inches to 3 feet thick. Make sure to make thetop layer a carbon containing one to keep flies and foul odorsaway. As the organic matter breaks down, the pile will shrink insize. Eventually, the garden bed will contain rich, weed-free, fluffysoil ready for planting.

Over the years, Pumpkin Brook has installed a number of sheetmulched beds, and we have always been impressed with theresults. Although it may not work for areas with aggressiveinvasive weeds, it will work well for most other weedy spots. Ithas the added advantage of requiring relatively little equipment,materials and time. Now is a great time of year to sheet mulch, asthe weed season is at its height. By next spring the bed will bethoroughly decomposed and ready to plant.

Plant Pick: Rose of Sharon

This beautiful summer bloomer can be astar if planted as a lawn specimen or afree standing hedge. Often it is usedaround pools or terraces. On a gardentour last weekend, I saw Rose of Sharonused as part of a naturalistic berm forscreening, creating one's own privateworld.

Too often, however, the Rose of Sharon isplanted at the foundation. If allowed togrow too tall, it has the tendency to leanforward, especially when loaded with blooms. Or part of it will behitting the siding. What to do?

We prune this plant hard in April before it leafs out for the season.


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Emerald Ash Borer

It blooms on new wood and will put out several feet of new growthannually. If not taken back it will definitely lean! I often tell mypruning crews to prune so that the natural tall tree form stays moreshrub-like. This can easily be done if we are standing in front of ayoung plant.

If faced with a mature tree form, however, the solution is toremove three to four of the largest stems each spring and togradually shorten the remaining stems. A smaller tree will result.

Or you might want to try some of the newer, small Roses ofSharon such as 'Lil' Kim' which can be treated as a perennial in theborder. This one grows only 3'-4' tall and wide. I've also used it insummer containers.

Self-seeding can be a problem, especially in zone 6 gardens orwarmer. A series of Roses of Sharon developed at the NationalArboretum includes the white 'Diana', 'Aphrodite' (pink with redeye) and 'Helene' (white with red eye). These cultivars are sterile,so any seeds formed will not germinate.

Pest Alert: Emerald Ash Borer Found in SuffolkCounty

A press release from the MassachusettsIntroduced Pests Outreach Projectinforms us that Emerald Ash Borer wasfound in a trap at the Arnold Arboretumon July 18. This is a serious threat to ournative ash tree population, as this pestwas also detected in Berkshire County in2012 and in Essex County in 2013.

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) is a small, metallic green beetle, nativeto Asia, which feeds on ash trees. Seven beetles can fit on the headof a penny. The beetle kills ash trees quickly, within 3 to 5 years,because it bores directly under the bark and disrupts the tree'sconductive system. Ash is a main component of the northernhardwood forest in Massachusetts and a popular street tree ineastern Massachusetts.

You can help avoid the spread of EAB by not moving firewoodwhen you travel or camp. In fact, a ban on bringing firewood intostate forests or parks is already in place.

Signs of EAB include:


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Dr. Elaine Ingham

Tiny, D-shaped exit holes in the bark of ash treesDieback in the upper third of the tree canopy and sproutingof branches just below this dead areaHeavier than usual woodpecker activity at ash trees MAYindicate presence of EAB

To report suspicious tree damage or insect sightings, or to learnmore about this pest, visit http://massnrc.org/pests/eabreport.htm. You can also call the toll-free hotline at 1-866-322-4512.

Plant Health Care News

We are finishing up applications of summer microbial foods. Withsoil temperatures peaking now, life in the soil is very activelyreproducing and consuming. We will resume compost teaapplications in September and finish in early October when soiltemperatures cool down.

Our staff recently heard Dr. Elaine Ingham speak at the NOFASummerConference inAmherst. Dr.Ingham is ascientist, thefounder ofSoilfoodweb, Inc.and the person whohas taught us aboutthe amazing hiddenworld of microscopic life in the soil that does so much to supporthealthy plants.

Our tick and mosquito spray applications are continuing monthlythrough early November.

If you are not part of any of these programs but would like to signup, please contact Carmine for more information and an estimatefor your property.

August Is the Time for....

Deadheading roses, annuals and perennials for repeat bloomStaking tall plants to keep them upright in wind and rainstormsKeeping up with the harvest in vegetable gardens


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Late summer/early fall show in oneof our client's gardens

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Removing plants thathave finished in thevegetable garden, alongwith any diseased foliageMaking successionplantings of lettuce,microgreens, arugula andcilantro which thrive incooler weatherFoliar feeding roses,annuals and perennialsfor rebloomKeeping up with weedsDividing tall bearded iris and resetting divisionsScouting for iris borer and removing damaged rhizomesfrom bedsUpdating containers with fresh plants as needed andwatering frequently in hot weatherWatering anything planted in the past year, especiallywoody plantsMaking notes about perennials to divide, transplant or addbefore the end of OctoberPutting in an order for spring bulbs to plant in NovemberFinishing pruning of woody plants that bloom in springTaking some garden toursSitting back and enjoying your garden!

Our best wishes for these breezy last weeks of August and theupcoming Labor Day weekend.

Sincerely,Priscilla

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Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening | 35 Turner Road | Townsend | MA | 01469


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pumpkin brook organic gardening, inc.€¦ · chris swett chris left pumpkin brook for california...

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