AuthorLyn Chimera is a Master Gardener, consultant and lecturer. Archives
May 2023
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February 2022 Tips2/3/2022
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Christmas Cactus1/3/2022 By: Lyn Chimera Christmas cactus(Schlumbergera buckleyi)is a very popular gift plant during the holidays. It’s the gift that keeps on giving as it makes an easy to care for house plant that will give years of pleasure and beautiful blooms. This year I was given one at Thanksgiving which had more blooms and buds than I had ever seen. Usually there are 1 or maybe 2 blooms per stem but this one had up to FIVE! One bloom and the rest buds. After the first bloom flush faded there was a second flush but after that the remaining buds just dropped off. Obviously, this was an unusual Christmas cactus, so I decided to do a little research. What an amazingly interesting plant! Most of the plants sold in stores today are hybrids of S. russelliana and S. truncata. The hybrid type determines when it will bloom. There are over 200 cultivars of these plants which give a variety of flower colors. The other shocker was they aren’t desert cactus at all, originating in the rain forests of Brazil. They typically grow in trees like epiphytes. Who knew? Since they don’t naturally grow in arid conditions they do need to be watered, but not too much. The two most common varieties are Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus. Thanksgiving cactus is described as having leaves shaped like crab claws with two to four pointy serrated segments on each side (which mine has). The end of each segment is slightly concave. The leaves of Christmas cactus have a more rounded, scalloped edge with a slightly curved end. Both have similar flowers that mostly bloom from the end but sometimes from a leaf join. The flowers look like 2 flowers together one, coming out of the other. A fascinating and showy bloom. Christmas cactus blooms commonly come in pink or white while the Thanksgiving variety also includes red, peach, purple, or orange. Another surprise was these are not leaves at all but stem segments that are flattened and green to allow for photosynthesis. Caring for your Christmas/Thanksgiving cactus is easy. Water them when the top inch of soil in the container feels dry to the touch. Soak the soil until water runs through the pot’s drainage holes; wait a few minutes; and then discard any excess water that has accumulated in the drip pan beneath the pot. Overwatering can cause root rot which is indicated by leaves turning a pinkish hue. They prefer humid conditions which is understandable originating in a rain forest. Grouping them with other plants, pebble treys and misting all can be helpful in increasing humidity. Christmas cactus like light but not direct sunlight in the summer which should burn the stems whether the plant is indoors or out. These cacti thrive if put outdoors for the summer. A sunny spot with shelter from the direct afternoon sun is a good site. I keep mine on the screen porch where they get bright light. The other advantage of putting them outside is that the cooler temperatures in fall help encourage the blossoming response. This season they were outside until November, but it was a warm fall. When temps overnight get to mid-40s I bring them in during the warmest part of the day to avoid shock. My 1st Christmas cactus was from a cutting my mother gave me over 40 years ago. It blooms every year and gives me great pleasure. Now I’ll have one blooming for Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you want to learn more including how to propagate (which is super easy) go to: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/schlumbergera-russelliana/
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January 2022 Tips1/3/2022
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Winter Protection12/11/2021 By: Lyn Chimera Winter means it’s time to protect your garden for the upcoming season. Whether you have critter problems or are protecting your plants against the harsh weather conditions, a little effort now can make the difference between a healthy or dead plant come spring. A big issue is critter control. Damage from deer, rabbits and mice can be devastating to many shrubs and trees. Your yard may wind up looking like a fortress, but preventative measures really work! First let’s look at deer protection:
Next on the damage control list are rabbits and mice.
General winterizing:
One last thought...Leaves are a wonderful resource. Please don’t waste them. There are lots of ways to use nature’s leaf bounty:
It all sounds like a lot of work, but it’s well worth it in the long run! HAPPY GARDENING! Lyn Chimera Lessons From Nature 716-652-2432 lyn@lessonsfromnature.biz
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December 2021 Gardening Tips12/1/2021
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November 2021 Gardening Tips11/3/2021
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One Problem, One Not10/7/2021 By Lyn Chimera One of the things I do as a Master Gardener is man the Hotline to answer people’s gardening questions. In the past month we have had many calls about Maple leaves with black spots, maple leaves dropping early and people spotting the Killer Hornet. Here is some information on both issues. Tar spot on Maples. Info adapted from the Cornell fact sheet. WNY is experiencing an increase in tar spot this season. There are actually several different fungi in the genus Rhytisma that infect the leaves of maples and cause raised, black spots to form on upper leaf surfaces. (see photo) The diseases are called "tar spots" because their appearance so closely resemble droplets of tar on leaf surfaces. Tar spot alone is rarely serious enough to threaten the health of trees, but sometimes there can be so many spots that the tree becomes unsightly. Heavy infections can also cause early leaf drop, a condition that causes homeowners to have to rake before autumn officially arrives. Norway maples are not native and brought the fungus with them when they came from Norway. It is a common street tree because it can withstand the stress of growing in less than optimum conditions. Norway maples are not the only trees affected by the fungi in the genus Rhytisma. Tar spot also infects silver, sugar, and red maple as well as their relative, box elder. For more info on Tar Spot: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/tarspotofmaple.pdf The best way to control is to rake up and remove all infected leaves. Spraying of fungicide is not recommended since tar spot doesn’t severely harm trees and the fungal spores travel in the air. You would have to spray the whole neighborhood to make a difference. If you want to plant a tree it’s always best to choose a native that is suited to our area and your site. Note: If maple leaves crinkle and turn brown in June or July, another common disease of maple may be present. Refer to the Cornell fact sheet on Anthracnose of Trees and Shrubs for more information. plantclinic.cornell.edu/factsheets/anthracnoseoftrees.pdf The Asian Giant Hornet (Vespa mandarinia) is another question we’ve been hearing a lot about. The name you’ve heard on the news is Murder Hornet. Just the name makes one worry. The Asian giant hornet is the world’s largest hornet at 2 inches long! (see photo). It was initially spotted in British Columbia and Washington state in 2019. The nests found were destroyed. This hornet is problematic because it attacks and destroys honeybee hives and is aggressive toward people. Because the Asian Giant Hornet looks similar to some large hornet and wasp species here, we are getting many calls of sightings of the “murder hornet”. None have been confirmed. Two of the most common insects people see here that they think are the Asian giant hornet are The German yellowjacket (Vespula germanica) and the European Giant Hornet (Vespa crabro L.) The yellowjacket is colored in black and yellow and the abdomen typically has a small spade-shaped black mark on the first abdominal segment and a series of black spots down both sides from the second to the fifth segments. The adult European hornet worker is approximately 1 inch in length with yellow and brown coloration. Sharon Bachman, the Invasive Species person at the Cooperative Extension, explained the visual difference between the Asian giant hornet and others. The yellow and black bands on the AGH are solid stripes while the other large species have irregular stripes with “crown like” protrusions. Bottom line is the Asian giant hornet has not been identified outside the northwest so you don’t have to worry. The Hotline is a free service to those living in Erie County. If you have a garden related question, need a soil pH test, insect, or disease identification you can call 716-652-2432 ext. 137, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9-12. Due to Covid the offices are closed so your call will not be answered directly. Leave a message and a Master Gardener volunteer will get back to you during those hours. Some volunteers are working from home and others are at Cornell Cooperative Extension 21 S. Grove St. on the first floor. Happy Gardening! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Now is the best time to plan for improvements &/or changes for next year. Give us a call!
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October 2021 Gardening Tips10/7/2021
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Reducing Lawn9/1/2021 By: Lyn Chimera
Whether you live in the city, suburbs or in a rural area, lawns are a big part of the landscape. People have treated lawns as a status symbol for centuries. The movement began in Europe where having a manicured lawn was only available to the wealthy who could afford the workforce to keep it looking good. Unfortunately having that perfectly manicured lawn is still a status symbol for many people. They want their lawn to look like a golf course. Anyone who has tried to have that perfect lawn realizes what a lot of work it is to keep it that way. Not only is it time consuming but costly as well. There’s the lawn mower which needs gas and yearly maintenance, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides which are not only tough on the pocketbook but very hard on the environment Let’s look at a few facts. Lawns across America use about 9 BILLION gallons of water a DAY! That’s the main reason during the drought out west watering lawns has been banned. The EPA reports that 50% of that water is wasted through evaporation and run off. According to 1971 NASA report lawns take up 3 times as much space as the next irrigated crop, corn. On top of that around 90 million pounds of fertilizers and about 75 million pounds of pesticides are used per year. Just why do we have all this lawn? What do we actually use it for? Some turf is productive like athletic fields, golf courses and recreational areas. We have to ask ourselves if this is the best use of our landscape space. There has been much written about habitat loss and the reduction of much needed pollinators, birds and other forms of life. Lawn doesn’t support any of that. Nature needs our help and that’s why so many people are reducing their lawn and developing more sustainable landscaping. This movement has been dubbed “unlawning”. There are many ways to reduce your lawn and have that space contribute to nature. One of the fastest growing ways to reduce lawn is to grow vegetables, fruit trees and berries. Many people have vegetable gardens in their back yards, but front yard gardens are gaining in popularity. Often the front or side yard is the only place that has enough sun to support growing food crops. Growing some of your own food not only enables your garden to be productive for nature but provides your family with fresh pesticide free fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables need pollinators so you’re supporting nature. There are many ways to incorporate food crops; raised beds, in ground garden, containers or interspersed among your perennials. Meanwhile you won’t have so much lawn to take care of. Another option for unlawning is to transform some of the lawn space to meadow or pollinator gardens. This doesn’t mean you have to have an unkept field in your front yard. A section of lawn could be parceled out to be a pollinator garden/meadow. These sections could be shaped and mowed around to make it look more purposeful. The same effect can happen with wide mowed paths through the area. Organizing like species of plants rather than a general mixture also makes the meadow look more organized and like a garden if that is the look you prefer. Using native plants that support nature are the most effective plants to replace some lawn. They are beautiful and are the easiest way homeowners can help support nature and be sustainable. For ideas on how this might look check out: https://unlawningamerica.societyrne.net/unlawning-strategies.html I’m not trying to suggest everyone eliminate their lawns. Rather rethink areas that you don’t use that might be more sustainable for your families and nature. If you don’t want to reduce the amount of lawn, at least consider not using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Lawns will do just fine without them. Also you don’t have to water the lawn. Grasses naturally go dormant when it’s dry. They will green up with the first rain. Happy Gardening!
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September 2021 Gardening Tips9/1/2021
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