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Articles - Weeds
The state of trees in Southern Ontario
GARDENING LIFE:
SUMMER 1999
We've had several letters asking us about the state of trees in Southern Ontario. We are going through a drought here and most trees have dropped unbelievable amounts of seed. This huge production means the trees are under stress because most of them simply aren't getting enough water and, in panic, they are releasing as many seeds as possible to ensure survival of the species. If you'll note any square inch in your garden left untended, you'll see a seedling. It's been an uphill fight to keep them out so don't stop weeding them out. Look after your trees (and any the city has planted on your property) carefully this summer. Let a hose run, very gently, at the base when it hasn't rained for a few weeks. Leave it for an hour. Save water by handwatering the rest of the garden. Don't bother watering grass which will go into dormancy and survive quite nicely once the rains return.
Q I need help with goutweed. I am told by several sources that there is nothing I can do to get rid of it. It has invaded many parts of my gardens and woods. I have tried Roundup but to no avail. I don't want to use it around my day lilies. I understand if you pull up goutweed you are just urging it to grow more. Help! Terry Dunnavich, Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia
A. There may be other invasive plants but to me goutweed is at the top of the list. Whatever you do, don't pull at it. The roots will snap and make even more plants; never, ever, ever let this plant go to seed. Keep cutting it off right at the surface of the soil. It may take a long time but eventually the roots will be starved for lack of chlorophyll. Alas, this is the only thing I've found will work. This stuff is so pernicious it really shouldn't be sold in garden centres but you can see why they are tempted-it's possible to hundreds of plants from just one. In a container it looks lovely in deep shade but make sure it can't escape.
Q I live 45 km SW of Thunder Bay on hard-packed, rock-infested clay and have been battling these condition for 6 years. I had the inspiration to have at least one raised bed for a vegetable garden. I can't find the following information: Do I cut the sod and prepare the soil (such as it is) and then put the frame down and fill it? Or would it be OK to simply lay down some landscape fabric and set the frame on top of that? In either case, what is the optimal depth of the frame? Michelle, via E-mail
A. Though it's a lot more work, cut out the sod and prep the soil by digging it as deeply as you can and add a base of chopped up leaves. The frame should be high enough to give you a depth of 18 inches (including how far you've been able to dig down and what's above the surface). Back-fill with topsoil, compost, and sand. The sand will help lighten up the soil which you'll need to keep good drainage in the border.
Q. We have a cottage in the Bancroft (Ont.) area where we go every weekend and over the years I have struggled to maintain a perennial flower garden of flowers. Since we have lots of shade, I've planted hostas but they don't seem any bigger than when I planted three years ago. Is there a vine that grows in the shade. Are there any tricks to protect the plants? Marg in Bancroft
A. Weekend gardening presents its own joys and problems. Watering is one. All perennials take about three years to really show their stuff. Some take even longer. But if you haven't had enough water when they go in initially, they will suffer. Obviously you should water them regularly when you are at the cottage. Protect plants with plenty of mulch. You'll find lots of duff (all that stuff lying around on the forest floor) which you can mix with ground leaves and compost for a good mulch mix. Do this to 4 inches in depth and this will keep the roots protect all summer and winter. Concentrate on plants that are native to the area. Ferns make more sense than hostas and are equally gorgeous. If you want a good but slow-growing, self-clinging vine to grow in the shade try out Hydrangea petiolaris. It's a bit urban looking and might not be the right style. If so, go for virginia creeper which will grow just about anywhere.
Q. I was raised on a farm near Orangeville, Ont. and in the 1960s and early 70s my mother had a perennial delphinium that formed a large ball-shaped plant about 5-6 feet in diameter. The flowers were mid-dark sky blue, the leaves had a greyish tint and it required little or no staking. I am wondering if this sounds familiar to you, and what type it might have been. I have tried several "heritage" nurseries to no avail. Bruce Wolfe, Port Stanley, Ont.
A. This is certainly a plant that hasn't been fooled around with in a laboratory. It's probably a species of what's known as botanical larkspur. It might be D. elatum which is one of the parents from which hybrid forms are cultivated. Since they grow easily from seeds perhaps your mother brought them from somewhere else. If you could find that clump you could take a division after it's finished flowering and you can do this until autumn. I could find no references for plants that grew that big or, mostly significantly, that wide. Perhaps other readers will help us out here.
Copyright Marjorie Harris, 2005
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