Container Gardening   

The growth in container gardening, in my opinion, is largely borne out of the simple fact that “we aren’t getting any younger”.  Followed by a close second is “I simply don’t have time” to plant and maintain those massive beds of annuals. Ah’’’’ the reality of aging and that fact that we were only given 24 hours in a day!    So if you’re feeling the trend either because of the pinch in your back or being pinched for time, Container Gardening does offer a beautiful alternative.  We recently conducted two workshops on container gardening. Customers shared many ideas on decorating containers, little red wagons, buckets and boots. Whether your patio, deck or porch is in full sun or deep shade we can help by suggesting the right plant combinations that will thrive for you.   So bring your pots, baskets or containers to the greenhouse and let us help.  Custom planting of your containers is also available.

                 Looking for a unique plant for your garden or patio container?                 This is an awesome a plant… Brugmansia  (Angel’s Trumpet)

                

             Angel's Trumpet's or Brugmansias are wonderful large growing sub-tropical plants from Central and South America. Listed as perennials in warmer climates ( to Z8 ), and typically a "southern garden" plant, these plants can be grown easily, and bloom, in containers. For those of us who enjoy gardening in the cooler climate of central Ohio, these profuse blooming beauties will need to overwinter in a semi sunny spot indoors. Brugmansia is a small to mid-size tree with large, strong-smelling, trumpet-shaped flowers hanging downward.
There are few plants that give such joy to the owners, and visitors to a garden, as the Brugmansia. Amazing, extremely large flowers on easy to grow, vigorous plants make Angel's Trumpets a beloved, special item for those who own them, and those who first lay eyes on these beauties !
Check them out on your next visit to our gardens.
 

Upcoming Seminars

Butterflies, Butterflies, Butterflies – Saturday May 24^th 10:00am

          Join local Butterfly Expert Penny Strine to learn about Butterflies and Butterfly Gardening.   See Mohican Gardens Display Butterfly Garden, learn what plants to add to your gardens to attract butterflies or pick up one of our own Butterfly Garden Plans to add your own Butterfly Garden.

Registration is encouraged but not required for the May workshops.   Visit us at www.mohicangardens.com to sign up for our newsletter and get more information on upcoming events.

The Green Culture  -  While most trends seem to come and go, lets hope the increasing  awareness of our environment and consequences of our actions  is much more than a passing fade.  For years those of us engaged in gardening or farming have recognized that our role as stewards of our bountiful resource, the earth, bears a special responsibility.    As we learn more about our environment we adopt our management practices to have a positive impact.

One area in which we’re leading the way is Integrated Pest Management,  IPM. Simply put our IPM program utilizes the release of  Good Bugs in our greenhouse to control the Bad Bugs.  This significantly reduces the use of chemicals to control pest problems. No, we’ve not messed with Mother Nature to create super bugs, we simply use bugs that are the nature enemies of other bugs. Kinda like a Sci-‘Fi film where to Good Bugs eat the Bad Bugs by feeding on the larvae of … ok “TMI” 

Bottomline, we use lots fewer chemicals to produce great quality plants which in the long run is better for our environment. Next time your in the greenhouse just ask us… we’ll be glad to show you the Good Guys!!

Be on the lookout for this Garden nemesis!!

Cool wet weather make perfect conditions for the proliferation of these critters. Here are some tips and trails we’ve come across that may be beneficial in controlling them.

SLUG TIPS

Cultivation: Spring cultivation of the soil where practical will help to kill hibernating slugs and eggs.

Seedling Protection: Protect your seedlings with 2-3 liter plastic soda bottles. Make sure no slugs are around the seedlings first. Cut the bottoms out of the bottles, sink them into the soil around the seedlings and remove the caps. You can reuse them over and over too.

Weed Patrol: Be persistent in hoeing weeds and you will be breaking up clods of soil that slugs like to hide under and you may expose their eggs which you can then smash or whatever.

Mulch: Keep mulch pulled back from the base of your plants. Consider waiting to apply mulch until the soil temperatures have warmed to above 75F.

Garden Debris: Keep all decaying matter cleaned out of your garden beds. Clear all dead leaves and debris from the garden on a regular basis and put it in the compost pile which is best located in an area away from the garden.

Shrub Trimming: Shrubs with branches that rest on the ground, against fences or buildings should be kept pruned up and away from surfaces. Keep the old leaves and such cleaned out. By doing this you will have destroyed yet another slug haven!

Chopsticks: For handpicking use chopsticks to make it less disgusting.

Slug KaBobs: Keep barbecue skewers stuck in the garden at random. Your weapon is at hand to impale them!

Slug Haven: The shaded areas beneath decks can be a slug arena: keep them weed and litter free.

Getting off the slime: If while dealing with slugs you get the slime on your hands or anything else here is a great way to get it off! Pour a little cheap white vinegar on your hands and wash it off with lukewarm water. Really cuts that slime! Repeat if needed.

Barriers

Try lava rock as a barrier in areas where plants need protection. We have heard from many people who say it works very well! Perhaps lava rock is good for something after all? No offense to those who like it.

If you have access to a sweet gum tree (Liquidambar) the spiny fruits it produces make a good slug barrier. The American Sweet Gum tree (L. styracaflua) is hardy from zone 1 to 12!

Use the lint from your dryer as a barrier. If you are concerned about any chemicals in the fabric softener do this instead: add 4 ounces of white vinegar to the final rinse water in the washing machine. Your clothes will be static free. There will be no vinegar smell as the odor completely evaporates. No kidding, this really works great.

Use cedar, oak bark chips or gravel chips which will irritate and dehydrate them.

Try a barrier line or an overall sprinkle of powdered ginger.

Use wood ashes as a barrier around plants, however try not to let the plant come into contact with the ashes. The ashes act as a desiccant and dry the slugs up.

Talcum powder or diatomaceous work as barriers but must be replenished after after rainfall or watering.

Hardware Cloth: On raised beds staple strips of hardware cloth on wood bordered beds. Extend the cloth about 2 inches beyond the edge making sure the sharp points will be encountered by slugs trying to climb over. It rips them up. You can also use aluminum screening material in the same manner. You can push the barriers directly upright into the soil for borderless beds.

Copper Strips: The use of copper strips as a barrier will give slugs a jolt of electricity. The metal ions in copper are what repel slugs. There are mixed reports on just how effective this is. One good way to try copper strips is to make a circle of the strip around just the plants you want to protect, remove slugs first. Easier too. Copper sulfate and similar copper based products may also work for the barrier method.

Herbs: A mulch made of stems and leaves of strong smelling herbs like wormwood, mints, tansy, lemon balm along with conifer twigs mixed in will help stop slugs and other pests.

Hair and Fur: Use a barrier of hair or fur to entangle slugs. Gross and effective. An additional benefit from using hair is that it supplies some nitrogen to your plants! Human hair, pet fur and horsehair, all will work.

Prunings: Another possibility is to use prunings from raspberries, blackberries etc. Anything with fine, sharp stickers may help.

Quack Grass: Quack Grass damages the nerves slugs use for feeding. Chop it up and use it as a mulch. Make a tea by cutting it up, soak in 1 quart of warm water for 24 hours, then use as a barrier spray on soil. Don't spray directly on plants.

Oak Leaves, Lettuce and Cabbage: Using oak leaves as a mulch deters slugs, so does seaweed if you have access to some. Also of interest is that red oak leaf lettuce is not bothered by slugs or snails! Red oak leaf is tasty and can take some hot weather. Also of interest we observed that slugs were all over green cabbage, but the red cabbage was left alone!

Coffee Grounds: Used coffee grounds spread around susceptible plants may work.

Epsom Salts: Epsom salts sprinkled on the soil will supposedly deter slugs and also helps prevent Magnesium deficiency in your plants. Magnesium helps to deepen color, thickens petals and increases root structure.

Oat Bran: Scatter oat bran on the soil to kill slugs and snails.

Builders Sand: Try barriers of builders sand which has a sharp texture.

Nut Shells: Ground shells of filberts, pecans and walnuts may work, if you can find a source or grind your own.

Rosemary: Sprigs of rosemary scattered around repel slugs and are refreshing with their piney scent.

Pine Needles: Try a mulch of pine needles which works well around strawberry plants.

Plants slugs generally steer clear of:

Predators

Predators of slugs include: Ground beetles (particularly carabid beetles), turtles, toads, frogs, lizards, rove beetles, salamanders, lightening bug larvae, turtles and garter snakes.

Birds: Rhode Island Red hens are great slug hunters, they get virtually all slugs and snails they can find. A big plus is no crowing from hens! Other slug hunters include blackbirds, crows, ducks, jays, owls, robins, seagulls, starlings and thrushes, The appeal factor to all these creatures is due the fact that slugs are pure protein. Yummy

Other Remedies

SLUGGO Bait

This slug bait is a blend of an iron phosphate active ingredient, originating from soil, with slug and snail bait additives.  It is also used as an ingredient in fertilizers.  The bait which is not ingested by snails and slugs will degrade and become a part of the soil.
Sluggo is attractive to slugs and snails, luring them from their hiding places and plants.  Ingestion, even in small amounts, will cause them to cease feeding.  This physiological effect of the bait gives immediate protection to the plants, even though the  slugs and snails may remain in the area.  After eating the bait, the slugs and snails cease feeding, become less mobile and begin to die within three to six days.  Dead slugs and snails may not be visible as they often crawl away to secluded places to die.  Plant protection will be observed in the decrease in plant damage.

Always read and follow label instructions.