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Welcome to Crawford's Corner!

If you have further questions, please write to Bruce at Crawford@njaes.rutgers.edu

Plant of the Month – September 2020 – Helianthus

September 4, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

Helianthus: A Plant with a Sunny Disposition

The autumn months are synonymous with fresh apple cider, donuts and for the garden, Chrysanthemums. I enjoy the many varieties and colors of Chrysanthemums and, aside from a few very hardy selections, I find them to be more ideal candidates for containers than additions to the Garden beds. This then begs the question of what to plant in the Garden? Finding colorful plants for September into October is often a challenge, since many have already completed their bloom. Yet, there remain some great plants and one plant that has consistently amazed me for its sunny impact and length of bloom is the Swamp Sunflower, Helianthus angustifolius.

Helianthus is in the Asteraceae or Aster Family and, with over 1,900 Genera and 32,900+ species, it would make one very large family gathering at Thanksgiving! In fact, Helianthus alone has over 70 species. The genus name was penned by the Swedish Botanist, Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753 and is derived from the Greek Helios for sun and Anthos for flower. The botanical and common name of Sun Flower stems from the heliotropic nature of these plants, whereby the flower is able to move and follow the sun as it tracks Westward throughout the day (as the field of Sunflowers depict on the last page). The plants developed this ability to maintain the maximum reflectivity of the flower and heightened ability to attract pollinators. In Greek Mythology, this diurnal movement prompted the story of the water nymph Clytie who was infatuated with the sun god Apollo. For nine days she stared up at him as he traversed the sky. Without food she withered away and turned into a Sunflower, continuing to watch his daily travels for all of eternity!

The type species or the plant by which the remainder of the species are compared is Helianthus annuus, the Common Sunflower. As the species epithet implies, it is an annual and is found throughout Western North America south into Northern Mexico. Seed hardy from zone 2-11, the coarse textured plant with pubescent stems and leaves rapidly grows to 5-10+ feet in height. The flowers have a whimsical quality and make for a very popular cut flower. Most of the hybrids produce one large flower, upwards of 12” in diameter per stalk, but if allowed to reseed, the seedlings are typically multi-branched with a number of smaller flowers. This plant has found multiple uses aside from ornamental, with the fruit being used for oil and food, and the birds love the fruits whether from a bag or right from the flower! Plants prefer full sun and well-drained soils. Recently, a more compact hybrid has come on the market called ‘Sunfinity’ (pictured below, left). It displays a more compact habit to 3-4’ tall and wide, with a continuum of 3-4” diameter flowers from June through September or early October. By comparison, the Swamp Sunflower (pictured at left at Crystal Springs and an individual flower ,right) is a long-lived perennial that prefers moist or water retentive soils and is native from Texas, northeast to Long Island. Also named by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, the species epithet is from the Latin angust for narrow and foli for leaf, describing the narrow leaves which can reach upwards of 6” long. The stout stems typically reaching 5-7’ tall with a spread of 4-6’.

sunfinity
swamp sunflower

One of the interesting aspects of the Asteraceae is the misleading appearance of any given ‘flower’. The word Aster is from the Greek Astēr, meaning star. It is a reference to how the flowers have a star-like center with the ‘petals’ resembling the emanating rays of sunlight. In reality the flower is composed of not one, but 100’s of small, individual flowers! This family was originally called the Compositae, since the ‘flowers’ consist of a composite of many small flowers or florets. The light rays along the edge are ironically called Ray Florets and the circular flowers that compose the central star are called disc florets. The flowers open or mature from the outer edge inwards, with the Ray Florets opening or maturing first and the central disc florets last. All the florets are attached to a plate called a receptacle and the entire structure is called a flower head or capitulum. The showy outer ring of ray florets is typically 3 petals fused into one, strap-like ligule, whose function is to attract the pollinators. Depending on the genus, the ray florets can be sterile or fertile and bare seed. The central disc florets are circular in shape with 5 fused and severely reduced petals. In place of the typical calyx or leafy bracts that subtend the petals, there exists a thread-like structure called a pappus that ultimately aides in the dispersal of the seed. In dandelions, the parachute structure that allows the seeds to magically float about is the pappus. In Helianthus, the pappus matures into two scales that fall off when the fruit is mature. The florets sit upon an ovary which develops into a fruit called a cypsela. Often considered to be an achene, a cypsela and an achene are very similar in that they are both a dried fruit that contains a seed. The difference being a cypsela develops from a double ovary, while an achene develops from a single ovary. In both instances, only one seed is produced. Hence, when you are eating sunflower seeds, you are actually splitting open the dried husks of the fruit, allowing you to get to the edible inner seed!

sunflower

For Swamp Sunflower, I have found it best to site the plant in a location that receives adequate moisture. After planting them several times in more well-drained location, the planting that has proven most successful over the past 10 years is at the base of a hill where it receives all the stormwater sheet flow from above (as seen above at Crystal Springs). The 2” diameter yellow flowers bloom profusely from late September through October and they look beautiful against the clear blue autumn skies. The plants look great paired with Winterberry Holly (Ilex verticillata), Blue Star Amsonia (Amsonia hubrichtii), Limelight Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’) and even the now drying stems of Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum). The plants are also a host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot Butterfly and the seeds are much beloved by songbirds, Ruffled Grouse, Quail and Morning Doves. Consequently, it is best to leave the stems up through the winter months.

A champion plant for our native pollinators, Helianthus angustifolius remains an uncommon plant in many gardens, which to me defies logic. Easily grown, long-lived with a very sunny disposition, this is a plant for autumn gardens!

Helianthus angustifolius
Bruce Crawford
Director, Rutgers Gardens

Gardening Notes for August 2020

July 31, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

To me, August is the month that epitomizes summer. The days remain long, with the daytime chant of the cicadas with the evening chorus of the crickets. Rainfall in July varied by where you live, but the high temperatures coupled with the generally lower rainfall is showing stress on some plants. August typically has many humid days, but the temperatures are usually in the 80’s, which is good for both the plants and the gardener! Remember to get outside during the cool of the morning or evening, use sunscreen and continue to take good notes of your endeavors.

Things to do:

  • Continue to cut the lawn as growth and rainfall permit. Maintain a higher cutting height of 3”+ to reduce the stress on the turf.
  • The third and fourth weeks of August are the ideal time for reseeding or seeding new turf areas. The evening dew becomes heavier and helps to ensure proper growth and the warm soils allow proper root development before winter. Supplemental irrigation will be necessary if rainfall is light.
  • Make certain plantings from this spring as well as trees planted last year continue to receive weekly irrigation during periods without rainfall. Remember, for a newly installed tree, every inch of caliper size (the diameter of the trunk 6” above the soil) will equate to 1 year of additional care and watering. Hence, a tree with a 3” caliper will require 3 years of additional care.
  • Mexican Bush Sage

  • Many annuals in containers may begin to look tired. For some, a light pruning with a weekly fertilizing and daily watering will breathe in new life. For others, it is simply time for replacement. For autumn, consider Salvia leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage, pictured at right) and Leonotis leonurus (Lion’s Ear) as alternative options to the garden ‘Mum’.
  • Although frost is still 2 months away, at months end you may wish to start taking cuttings of some annuals for rooting, potting and over-wintering for next year’s garden. If your rooting efforts fail, there is still plenty of time to get new cuttings.
  • Gather and save seeds of various non-hybrid annuals for seeding next spring.
  • The lack of rainfall in some areas has caused some tomatoes to exhibit Blossom End Rot, whereby the base of the tomato turns brown. It is due to a lack of calcium caused by fluctuations in soil moisture. It can be prevented by mulching the plants and giving the soil a deep soaking. The mulch will help prevent fluctuations in soil moisture.
  • Bush beans, peas or other crops that have finished producing should be removed, the soil top-dressed with an inch or so of compost, and the area replanted with a crop that will mature within 70 days or by October 15, the average date for frost in NJ. A friend and fellow gardener of mine, Bob Mellert mentioned that the days to maturity on seed packets should be multiplied by 1.5 to account for the slower growth time due to the shortening days as compared to spring. Suggestions for a 2nd crops include:
  •  
    Root Crops
    Beets
    Carrots
    Fennel (bulbing)
    Scallions
    Kohlrabi
    Leeks
    Radishes
    Leaf Crops
    Lettuce
    Mache (like lettuce)
    Mesclun Mixes
    Pak Choi
    Salad Greens
    Spinach
    Chard
    Kale
    Cabbage
    Other
    Broccoli Raab
    Broccoli
    Peas
     
  • Arugula, Spinach, and Lettuce are best seeded out near the end of August when the evening temperatures consistently drop into the 60’s and upper 50’s. These crops will endure the early frosts and the spinach actually becomes sweeter as the temperatures become cooler!
  • The length of harvest time for the crops listed above can be extended by erecting low tunnels in October to mitigate any of the earlier frosts. Low tunnels consist of hoops placed about 5’ apart and covered with a fabric like agribon that allows air to pass but protects the plants from early frosts. You may wish to look into making or buying the hoops and the row cover fabric now, so you will not be rushed come October.
  • low tunnels

  • Squash plants may be wilting from squash borer. If so, discard the plant (best placed in garbage to remove the borer and any eggs) and plant one of the crops mentioned above.
  • August is the time to get your orders in for planting Garlic this fall!
  • Resist the urge to vigorously prune shrubs and trees. Heavy pruning during August and September will result in a vigorous production of new shoots that will not become ‘hardened off’ by the first frost, resulting in not only their death, but potentially the death of the plant! Removal of broken branches or light pruning/shaping is still healthy for the plant.
  • Many tree limbs will gradually hang down lower following the flush of new growth. If you did not do this pruning back in July, early August is still a good time. Removing the lowest tier of branches on a shade or small tree during August often makes the Garden look more open and able to ‘breath’ again. It also allows more light to reach the plants or turf grass beneath the tree.
  • Late August is an ideal time to plant new perennials, shrubs and evergreens in the garden, as the soil is warm and root growth is rapid!
  • Try to keep up with the weeding, especially as the summer bloomers are starting to set seed. Remember, if the plant goes to seed, the average life span of a seed is 7 years and that equates to another 7 years of stooping over to weed!
  • Continue to deadhead most perennials, roses and annuals to promote new flowers. For some, such as Echinacea, Silphium and Rudbeckia, you may wish to leave the seed heads, since they are an excellent food source for Goldfinches.
  • Cut back the predominantly brown Bearded Iris foliage and inspect for borer damage in the rhizome. If the clump is large and root bound, lift and split the rhizome mass apart such that one fan of foliage has an accompanying 3-4” section of the rhizome or horizontal stem. Set the pieces out in the sun for a few days, allowing the wounds to callous slightly and replant, such that the top half of the rhizome remains exposed and uncovered by soil. August is also the month to separate old Peony clumps. Most Peonies can last 20-30 years before requiring division, so if your plant is still providing ample bloom, no division is necessary! Be careful to leave the growth buds of the Peonies at or near the surface to ensure blossom production. If the buds are planted too deep, the plants will fail to bloom. The peony foliage will wilt following division, but the plant will be perfectly fine come spring.
  • Bulb orders should be placed for September or October delivery. If you are interested in any of the autumn blooming Cyclamen, Crocus or Colchicum that are pictured below, early August is the time to place your order for a September delivery!

Cyclamen Crocus and Colchicum

Bruce Crawford
Program Leader in Home and Public Horticulture, NJAES

Plant of the Month – August 2020 – Brugmansia

July 31, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

Trumpets From the Heavens

A ‘Tropical’ is a term used for plants that are a perennial in their native regions that typically hover somewhere close to the equator. Due to their lack of frost tolerance, they serve more as annuals in temperate gardens. Of course, plant lovers try to make them perennials by bringing them indoors for the colder months. Personally, I think it is more to see if they can show off their horticultural acumen by actually saving the plant than saving the cost of buying anew come the spring. There are in fact numerous Tropicals that the gardener can overwinter indoors, but none is probably as spectacular in size or bloom as is Brugmansia or Angels Trumpet!

Brugmansia

Brugmansia is a member of the Solanaceae or Nightshade family of which the Tomato, Pepper and Eggplant are very renowned members. Currently, there are seven known species that were ‘originally’ native along the Andes from Venezuela to Northern Chile and SE Brazil. I emphasize ‘originally’ since the seven species are no longer found in the wild and are now classified as extinct! The cause for extinction is possibly due to the loss of the animal or insect responsible for seed dispersal or perhaps the result of over-harvesting of the species for the powerful Tropane Alkaloids found in the plants tissues.
Brugmansia
Brugmansia is closely related to another alkaloid bearing plant named Datura. In fact, Angels Trumpet was initially named Datura by the Swedish Botanist and Physician Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778) in 1753. It was not until 1805 that Christiaan Hendrik Persoon (1761-1836), who resided for most of his life in Paris and was most noted for his classification of mushrooms, properly classified this plant. The genus honors the Dutch botanist and physician Sebald Justin Brugmans (1763-1819). The common name of Angel’s Trumpet comes from the dangling, 6-10” long trumpet shaped flowers that resemble musical instruments pointed downward from Heaven (as seen above and at right). On the flipside Datura is often called Devil’s Trumpet since the 4-6” long flowers point upwards, resembling trumpets blaring up from the depths of the underworld. Clearly, Brugmansia received the more marketable name!

Aside from the orientation of the flower, there are numerous other differences. Unlike Datura, which consists of several herbaceous species reaching 4’ tall, Brugmansia species and hybrids are woody plants that have the potential to reach impressive heights of 10-30+ feet, depending upon the cultivar or species. The ovate foliage is arranged alternately and typically is lightly pubescent. For the selection ‘Snowbank’, the foliage is trimmed with a wide white border that nicely compliments the salmon flowers and has a far more robust border than the selection ‘Variegata’. The flowers have a lemony fragrance in the early evening to attract pollinating hawkmoths and bats, with the flower persisting for 2-6 days. The individual colors range from white to pink, yellow, orange and even maroon. The flowers typically appear in waves, separated by a 2-3 week rest period, allowing the plant to store up reserves for the next floral flush. By contrast, Datura features white or purple flushed flowers that occasionally appear as double. These flowers also open in the evening and are attractively fragrant.

With its impressive size and relatively rapid rate of growth, it is no wonder that Brugmansia requires nutrient rich soils and sustained irrigation. Containers are a nice way to elevate and display the flowers on younger plants, since it brings the flower up to the gardeners and allows one to peer upwards into the flower (as seen below with ‘Cypress Gardens’ and below with ‘Frosty Pink’).

Brugmansia

When using containers, it is important to situate the plants in slightly larger containers, reducing the chance of the pot becoming root bound and drying out more rapidly. Flowering is greatly reduced should the plant experience drought! Container plants should also be on a weekly regiment of liquid fertilizer since slow release pellets do not provide a sufficient amount of nutrients for the plants. Locate Brugmansia in full sun for optimal growth, although light shade will also provide respectable results. If you are among those dedicated gardeners who wish to overwinter the plant, allow the plant to be defoliated by the first few autumn frosts before bringing the plant inside for the winter. Allowing the plant to become ‘frosted’ induces dormancy in the plant. It also results in the leaves dropping from the plant, which removes the food source for white fly, aphids, mealy bug and scale. Bring the plant indoors into a cool, dark location such as a basement, an attached but unheated garage or a cool closet and reduce the watering such that the soil remains only lightly moist. The lack of sunlight will aid in keeping the plant dormant and the dry soils will prevent root decay. Come spring, reintroduce the plant to light, prune off any dead wood, up-pot into a larger container and restart the fertilizing regiment!

Most of the plants available for the Garden are hybrids, rather than a species, which explains the obvious absence herein of species descriptions. Plants will also root fairly easily from cuttings, should a friend have a selection that you are envious of growing in your garden! Although far from dangerous in a garden display, care should be taken when handling cuttings. The Tropane Alkaloids mentioned earlier include strychnine, atropine and scopolamine, which in small quantities yield a numbing effect on the brain while larger quantities result in violent hallucinations and death. Obviously, great care and plastic/rubber gloves needs to be used while working with cuttings! Fortunately, the presence of the alkaloids does make the genus very resistant to deer browse.

A plant with great presence, intriguingly beautiful flowers and a sincere note of respect, Brugmansia has proven to be a wonderful plant for decorating the garden and wowing visitors. Should you be looking for a Tropical that provides the visual equal of horns sounding from the heavens above, this is the plant for you!

Gardening Notes for July 2020

July 20, 2020 By Bruce Crawford

Finally, the hazy, lazy days of summer have arrived – something many of us longed for during the long cold and damp spring! The temperatures are warm, the sun is high in the sky and the rain has unfortunately been scarce! The heat and humidity have certainly returned too, so try to garden during the cooler temperatures of the early mornings and evenings. Keep records on daily temperatures and rainfall, since summers’ heat and warm nighttime temperatures impact a plant as much as winters’ cold. If you live close to New Brunswick, you can also look at ‘Rutgers Weather’, which has a summary of the weather conditions in Rutgers Gardens over decades. Also, remember to wear a big hat, apply the sunscreen and to drink plenty of water while you garden!

Things to do:

  • BrugmansiaWeed and fertilize your containers. Water as needed, which is usually once per day. The plants are now beginning to approach their mature size and it is important to keep them well fed and hydrated. If you used slow release fertilizer pellets in your containers, you may wish to consider a reapplication near months end. Most fertilizer pellets only last 2 or 3 months and the rate of release increases as the temperatures soar above 85°F. For heavy feeders, like Brugmansia (picture #1) you should supplement slow release feed with liquid fertilizer – the slow release granules do not release the nutrients at a sufficient rate to support blooming.
  • Some annuals, such as Coleus, Plectranthus and Persian Shield (Strobilanthes) would benefit from an occasional pinching of the tip, allowing lower buds to break dormancy and grow (picture #2). This allows the plants to become denser and prevents them from getting straggly or becoming excessively large and ‘eating’ the neighboring plants.
  • Hanging baskets should receive a serious cutback in order to renew the plants for a late July through September display.
  • annualsIrrigate perennial and annual gardens for long periods ensuring a deep penetration of water into the soil should rainfall be light during that week.
  • Reapply mulch to retain moisture should it have become thin or disturbed through replanting of annuals or perennials or from weeding.
  • For turf grass, raise the cutting height to 3” during these hotter and drier months to reduce plant stress. If you irrigate, do so for extended periods during the early morning to encourage deeper root growth. Try not to water in the evening, since that will promote various fungal problems. Avoid fertilizing turf during July and early August as that will necessitate more irrigation.
  • For Roses, deadhead, give them a light feeding and remove any leaves from the plant or on the ground that have blackspot, as this will help to reduce future outbreaks.
  • Any Japanese Beetles on roses or other plants can be destroyed by flicking them into soapy water.
  • Some perennials can be lightly trimmed such as the early blooming Salvias (Salvia nemorosa) or more heavily cut back such as Catnip (Nepeta faassenii) and Ribbon Canary Grass (Phalaris arundinacea var. picta) to initiate prolonged blooming or attractive foliage into the fall. Make certain you provide adequate irrigation if you cut the plants back hard. I leave the dried flowers of Yarrow (Achillea) and Astilbe on the plant, as they look attractive in the fall and winter. Early July is the latest time to pinch back unruly Asters and Chrysanthemums, since pinching any later will push bloom time too late into the fall.
  • Weed! With the rain and heat, there is an endless growth of weeds this year. It is best to get them young before they become too noticeable and the root systems become too established. Worse yet, try not to let them seed, as the average lifespan of a seed is 7 years which equates to 7 more years of weeding!
  • Peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach and other cool season crops need to be composted and replaced by beans, beets or any 80 day to maturity crop. Thin carrots to roughly 1” apart and beets to 2” to allow room for proper root growth.
  • At this point summer squash and cucumbers are beginning to come of size; harvest them small (4-6”) and frequently to ensure continued yields and tenderness. If you planted potatoes, they can also be harvested starting in mid-July. A second crop of cucumbers can be planted now to replace those planted earlier that will begin to loose vigor come late August and September.
  • Check parsley for Black Swallowtail Butterfly eggs or caterpillars.
  • If your Zucchini Squash gets the borer early in the season and collapse, and you still wish to grow squash in that location for this year, consider planting some of the Scallop Squash, often called Patty Pan Squash for an autumn harvest. They mature in about 50-54 days from seed and come in solid White, Golden, and a combination of White and Green Striped. Not only are they delicious, they will add color to the Thanksgiving Table as well!
  • When watering tomatoes, make certain that the fruit remains dry in order to reduce the occurrence of blossom end rot. Keep the tomatoes staked (as seen in picture #1 below). By positioning poles along a row of tomatoes and holding the tomatoes upright between two strings, the fruits can be kept off the ground, air can circulate through the plant (reducing disease risks) and ripening fruit is better seen. A close-up of how the plants are supported is pictured below (as seen in picture #2 below. Contact with the ground can also promote blossom end rot and other decay problems.
  • tomato plants
    tomato plants
  • Maintain even moisture in the soil around tomatoes to reduce the risk of the tomatoes splitting. This is particularly true of Heirloom tomatoes and using a straw mulch will help maintain consistent moisture.
  • Yellowing of the lowest leaves on the stems of tomatoes is an indication of Early Blight. It is best to remove these lower leaves, such that there is no contact with the soil and reducing the threat in the future. Also, wash your hands after removing the leaves before touching other plants to reduce the chance of spreading the disease.
  • Provide a light pruning and training of rampant growing Wisteria stems, stray stems of Clematis, and other vines. A heavy pruning will invigorate excessive vegetative growth and less flowering buds.
  • Prune water sprouts and suckers on small trees and large shrubs before they become too large and begin to deform the plant. With young ornamental and shade trees, you may wish to prune off the lowest hanging branches, as they will continue to droop lower, shading out any plantings beneath and blocking important views of the garden. Remember, to cut branches back to – but not into – the branch collar at the base of the branch.
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