Q & A: Black Walnut Trees

So on occasion my peeps on Facebook (I don't have many, I'm a FB snob) as me garden related questions, which I love. They are scattered all over the country (my FB friends, not the questions) so there is always a new challenge. But I got to thinking that said answers/information might actually be helpful to other non FB people. So I'm going to start posting them on the blog. Here you go!

Q: I have a black walnut tree in the back yard and my lilacs aren't doing well. What should I do to fix them?

A: Black walnuts are tricky beasts in the garden, but they are spectacular trees and wonderful to have in your yard. Black walnuts and all plants in the Juglans family, (along with the cacao plant, buckthorn, etc) are called allelopaths. It is a fancy word for plants that are able to secrete chemicals that supress the growth of other plants in proximity to it. Which is why you often can't get other plants to grow near these allelopaths. (Interesting side note: the cacao plant (used to make blow/cocaine) is SO allelopathic that when it is intensively farmed (for drugs which are bad), over time they make the soil surrounding them so toxic that they eventually kill themselves with their own toxicity. Crazy, right?

Image via Small Things blog, isn't it spectacular?

Back to black walnuts and their kin. The chemical they secrete is called juglone and it is not toxic to everything, which is the good news. The bad news? The list of plants it is toxic to isn't a short one.

DO NOT PLANT: Tomatos, asparagus, rhubarb, potatoes, cabbage, peppers, eggplant, hydrangea, yew, liacs, blackberry bushes, blueberry bushes, azaleas, mountain laurels, rhodedendrons, columbine, false indigo (Baptisia), chrysanthemum, lilies, peonies, red pines, silver maples, white birches, Norway spruce, Eastern white pine, and apple/crabapple trees. For a more extensive list, check your local extension service which will include local varieties and zone specific plants.

If these plants are planted within the root zone or within 50 feet of the drip line of a black walnut, they will be sickly and possibly die within months. Some plants will limp along, but never reach full potential due to the juglone. Which is exactly what is happening to the lilac bushes in question. The best thing to do with struggling plants (including the lilacs) is to move them to a new location if they are small enough, or cut them down in favor of something less susceptible to the deadly charms of the black walnut. That sounds so dramatic, right? It is, but you won't ever get these susceptible plants to grow how they should, so it is best to cut your losses now and move on.

Image via the Univeristy of Wisconsin Extension, showing Black Walnut toxicity in grapes

However, this is the tricky part. You MUST rember that as the black walnut tree grows, so does the toxic root zone. According to the University of Ohio Extension, "The toxic zone from a mature tree occurs on average in a 50 to 60 foot radius from the trunk, but can be up to 80 feet. The area affected extends outward each year as a tree enlarges. Young trees two to eight feet high can have a root diameter twice the height of the top of the tree, with susceptible plants dead within the root zone and dying at the margins." So if you are bent on planting non-compatible plants, keep this in mind lest you lose a lovely plant in a matter of a few years as the black walnut grows.

Instead, try planting these (as appropriate for your growing zone): beans, beets, carrots, corn, mellons, onions, squash, asters, astilbe, trilium, phlox, pansy, ferns, some hosta varieties, calindula, black eyed susans, begonias, bluebell, black locust trees, hickory, oaks, most maples (other than silver maples), dogwood, poplar, arborvitae, clematis, currants, wild roses, willow, wild grapes, and if grass if your flavor, the standby Kentucky Bluegrass does well as do fescues and white clover.

Good luck and remember to check all plants you want to grow near these spectacular trees for toxicity and zone appropriateness. Go forth and plant!


Source: University of Ohio Fact Sheet: Black Walnut Toxicity to Plants, Humans and Horses


DISCLAIMER: All the information/answers posted here are to the best of my knowledge. I have been wrong before and I am sure I will be wrong again (positive, in fact)... but I always try to give the best possible information with the most factual/official sources possible. No one garden, zone, or plant is the same, to always research your particular situation and make sure the suggestions work for you and your problem. If you have specific questions you can always leave a comment or (possibly better yet) call/e-mail your local Master Gardner group or Extension offices.

What to grow.

Wether you are just starting gardening or an experienced pro (I am neither) there is always the nagging question of what to plant. Especially when the glossy seed catalogs come out or when you are standing in a lush greenhouse full of fledgling plants. The options are limitless, but often our time, space, and money aren't. So how do you pare down the choices and grow what is best for you?

Here are my suggestions:

1. Grow what you love. Especially if space is tight. Don't waste time and space growing things you aren't sure you will eat or enjoy. (Use the Farmer's Market for experimentation, if you love it, write it down and grow it next year- or better yet save the seeds to grow next season!)
2. Grow things that are hard to find. As in, grow things (that you love) but have a hard time finding in your grocery stores. In the same token, if you have a generous neighbor who is always bringing bags of tomatoes to your house, maybe skip the tomatos in your own garden if space is limited.
3. Don't be too practical. Grow fun things! Maybe that means a purple bell pepper or green tomato, maybe that means asian greens or tomatillos... but as long as you love it, grow it.
4. Pick plants tailor made for your space. There are so many varieties that are well suited to container gardens, so if that is your jam, seek those varieties out. If you have super sandy soil, rock those root vegetables because your carrots will be out of this world. The list goes on here, but the key is to know your space's strengths and limitations- then grow what will suit you.

Obviously all of this means something different for each one of you. And clearly they are just guidelines that I follow- you can feel free to toss this info out the window! Just remember that it is supposed to be fun, not stressful, so if you fall in love with some crazy seed or plant at the nursery, go for it! Life (and the growing season) is too short to not have fun.

One last thing... in the debate over starting seeds vs. buying plants. Do whatever makes sense for you. Seriously. Starting seeds isn't hard, but it does require a bit of equipment if you don't have a south facing window with lots of space for seed trays. It is a super fun project for your kids (and you) but it also takes patience and planning. If you are just starting out or short on time, go down and support your local nursery, which is just as awesome.

Look for heirloom or open pollinated varieties and don't hesitate to ask their staff about the plants in question. Pick stout plants with sturdy stems, no signs of disease or browning on the leaves, and not too many blossoms or buds forming yet. And let's be honest, at some point some of my plants started from seed might take a hit from hail and I will be off to the nursery to replace them. There is no wrong or right, I'd just try to steer clear of the Big Box store plants if I at all possible.

Good luck and happy planting!

Planning for Apples

Our rental house has a lovely, mature apple tree in the back yard. Last year, despite a good crop, we harvested precisely 2 apples. Why? Predation. Acrobatic birds and determined deer, I suspect, are the main culprits. Or maybe a really sneaky nocturnal neighbor? I have a lot of theories, all unsubstantiated. But the fact of the matter remains that we need to figure out how to get more than 2 apples this year. Because those suckers were delicious.

It would seem that the most "fool-proof" solution would be to net the tree. I'm not in love with the idea though, I have concerns about birds and bats getting stuck in it, and knowing that we won't be here long-term I worry about the ease of getting the net off after a full season of growing (not to mention wrangling it during the harvest). Plus, finding high-quality netting that won't tear after one season of use is exceedingly hard.

Other ideas range from electronic devices that emit sounds and/or lights, to hanging shiny things like old CDs or perching faux owls in the branches. However, I think we can all agree that animals are smart and these "solutions" won't last long. Once they learn the deterrents aren't actually dangerous, the fruit thieves will move back in. So unless you have an abundant imagination and a slew of random shiny things to hang in trees, this sounds like a really labor-intensive, low-return solution. (Though, if you've had success with this, please share!)

Image via Queensland Gov't, EHP Dept

I think that our plan of attack this year will be to place some shade cloth over the tree when the fruit start to ripen. This will give us a fair level of protection, but minimize the danger to birds and bats. We will likely use some of the left-over wire fencing in the garage to put a wide barrier around the base of the tree to keep the deer at bay.

If this was at our homestead, meaning a place that we owned and would be at long-term, I would likely create a large frame for the netting to completely ensconce the tree(s) during the fruiting season, strung with high-enough tension on the net to create a bounce-back effect on any winged animals flying into it. This greatly reduces the chance of birds and bats getting tangled and it also makes for easier set-up and take down. I would also consider planing a few "sacrificial" trees along the border of our woods. These trees and crops would serve to draw and keep the fruit thieves away from our trees and also serve as an additional food source for our native neighbors.

So, have any of you dealt with this issue? What were your solutions? Do you experience less of this with more than one tree in play?

References:

• Netting to Protect Fruit Trees, San Fransisco Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/netting-protect-fruit-trees-37830.html
• No Net Loss- Protecting Back Yard Fruit Trees, Threatened Species Network, http://www.wildlifecarers.com/wp-content/uploads/No-net-loss-fact-sheet-Tree-Netting.pdf
• Netting Back Yard Fruit Trees, Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/livingwith/flyingfoxes/netting_fruit_trees.html

Redirect.

So since I am about a week away from starting up the Master Gardener program, I'm thinking about taking the blog in a new direction... towards more gardening based content. Of course there are a ton of (much better) garden blogs out there, written by experienced gardeners and whatnot, but I guess I'm writing this for my friends, to share whatever things I learn so that you all don't have to scour the web to find answers. Or at the very least have a place to start.

I know that not all of you are as wound up about gardening as I am, but I've found that there are SO MANY nuances, tricks, and pitfalls that it is good to have a reliable source for information. Even if it is just your few tomato plants or trying to figure out how to start seeds. So while I will still cover other topics occasionally, be on the look out for a lot more plant-based content.

I hope you all find it to be helpful and be sure to tell your friends too!

On Bees.

I watched "The Vanishing of the Bees" today on Netflix. I would highly, highly recommend it to all of you. It is a beautiful documentary, but more importantly, it really clarifies the issue and helps you understand what, exactly, you can do about it.

my image, taken in Napa, CA

So, my thoughts: First off, I cried. I don't cry at documentaries... I usually get angry or frustrated, but I don't cry. I cried twice. Partly because it is just so devastating and shocking, partly because I saw how this same issue was dealt with by the governments of France, Spain, Germany, Italy, England... and then I saw how our country, our government has dealt with it and it made me feel really ashamed- angry and frustrated too- but I felt hopeless and sad and very, very ashamed. I am certainly proud of my country for many reasons, but I am also acutely aware of where our priorities are, and how different those priorities are from other countries. Those priorities are what leave me feeling ashamed.

Second, I am now bound and determined to have an apiary of our own when we get our homestead. And I am determined to not have our homestead near farm fields. I want an organic home for these bees, one with vast arrays of different flowers and plants, one that will produce generation after generation of healthy, strong, pesticide-free bees. I want to have a miniature bee haven, any small step to stem the tide of death, poisoning, and destruction of the hives.

Third, I am even more committed to buying organic produce whenever possible. Yes, it is more expensive. Yes, it is harder to find- especially here in the Dakotas. I will grow what I can. I will support our local farmer's market, even though it is woefully small and terribly over-priced. I will do whatever I can, vote with my pocketbook and fork, to not support companies like Bayer (pesticides) and Monsanto (GMO) and all the others. Why? Because these pesticides will be our downfall. All that they represent, all that they do to us and plants and animals, all the unknowns that no one has bothered to research.

my image, taken in Napa, CA

I guess the biggest take-away point, for me, is that this is the canary in the coal mine. We've known about Colony Colapse Disorder for 5+ years now. Yet only marginal changes have been made. The EPA isn't doing anything unless they are sued. The research about the harms of pesticides are still being done by the chemical makers themselves. And our government is still sitting idly by waiting for conclusive evidence instead of being proactive, preventative, or cautious. France, on the other hand, banned endemic pesticides and saw the hives bounce back within a year. Same with most of the European Union. I'm disheartened, saddened, and angered that we're not even close to that.

I see my neighbors still spraying ChemLawn all over their yards and I watch it wash off into our streams and maybe even waft into my yard. I still see folks spraying Sevin and Spectracide and Bayer and all these horrible chemicals on their home gardens (while they look at me like I'm nuts for ordering ladybugs and nematodes). I still see folks setting up bee and wasp traps in every corner of their yard. I see people glorifying water sucking lawns over real habitat, real plants, even garden spaces. When will we learn? When will we be proactive rather than standing around wondering how we bail out the Titanic in a few year's time?

Anyway, I really hope you all watch the movie. It is on Netflix and well worth your time. Maybe you, like me, will look at bees and the world around you a bit differently. And be sure to only buy local honey, not that crazy pseudo-honey from China or elsewhere! Ill be really interested to hear your comments and thoughts if you do watch the movie... and I hope you share it with your friends and family too! Now, go forth and save some bees!

Master Class.

Well, the final deposit has been sent in. I'm officially registered for the Master Gardener Course for 2013. Yelp!

I am super excited because this totally speaks to the science-y nerd in me, and I love the idea of being able to actually know what I am talking about when it comes to all sorts of gardening. I can't wait to learn about landscaping and perennials and then put it into use when we finally land at our homestead. Awesome.

But let's be honest. I am also super nervous I'm out of my depth here. I envision my class to be full of ladies like my maternal Grandmother Ethel, who didn't have just a green thumb, but rather two green hands. Ladies and Gents who have been gardening for decades compared to my 2 years. Can anyone say Noob? But, perhaps thankfully, the courses are all online and I can be a Noob from the comfort of my own couch. So that will help.

In any event, I can't wait for it to get underway (I have to wait until April). Until then, I have my Composting and Vermiculture classes to look forward to. Yay!

Thinking about irrigation.

The biggest drawback to having a garden is summer vacations. They don't pair well and finding someone reliable enough to water your garden when needed isn't an easy feat. Last year we had to go to Illinois for a work trip for the husband and a well-meaning but forgetful helper let our garden wilt and shrivel up in the 90 degree dry-as-a-popcorn-fart summer. Needless to say the entire garden wasn't what it could have been thanks to that week-long drought. But I digress.

Most of you know that we used our rain water catchment system last year and it worked like gangbusters. We actually could have used a couple more tanks because when it does rain out here, it always astonishes me just how much water comes off our roof and garage. We had plenty to get us through the incredibly dry summer and it helped that we used some huge plastic tubs to store the excess when we did have good rains.

We do plan to keep this going for this growing season. Assuming we have rain to collect. But the real question comes back around to vacations: what is our plan to keep the garden happy while we are out of town? All of our travel plans are for early season so there isn't much worry about harvesting anything. The concern is water.

We have decided to install a bit of irrigation into the raised beds this year, with the intention of only using them for the times we are gone. We will set it all up with a main faucet timer like this one (seen below), and run it early in the morning for an hour or so. That should keep the plants nice and happy without the worry of did our volunteer/helper actually water it today?

Image via Lowes.com

We haven't decided if we are going to go with soaker hoses or creating some more long-lasting PVC frames with drilled holes in them. I don't like how quickly soaker hoses can deteriorate, especially in our dry climate, so I'm hesitant to go out and buy 100 feet of it. But the general gist of it would work perfectly well. Like so:

Image via Pinterest, from houzz.com

I do like the idea (and so does the husband) of the PVC pipe frame because A) we can customize it based on our layout and won't have to fight with unruly hose tubing and B) because we don't have to glue it together which means we can reconfigure it at a later date. But it would be something along these lines:

Image via Pinterest, no link provided

Plus, we can rig up the PVC pipes with specifically laid out holes to work with our container gardens. If we were to use soaker hoses on them, we'd run the risk of wasting a lot of water. So I think the PVC option is in the lead.

Of course the PVC option will cost more up front, but I think it will be MUCH longer lasting and much less likely to end up in the trash. Either way we will lightly bury it in the mulch and get it in place early on, well before any plants go in the garden. How's that for planning ahead?

Hopefully we will only have to use it two times this year. I am loathe to use the neighborhood's water because not only do we have to pay for it (and it is expensive) but we will be using up a limited resource. But what's the point in creating and nurturing a lovely garden if you aren't going to water it, right? So, tell me: how do you all irrigate your gardens? What do you do when you are away on vacation?