Dirty Details

Soil

Now that most of the perennials are cut back in my neighborhood, the exposed soil is gleaming with new questions.  What is soil?  What's it made of?  Why does it matter?  I set out to answer these questions and, to avoid a total surrender to science, I've added some local winter garden pictures from around the city.

The noun

The word soil is originally derived from the Latin solum (meaning cultivated soil or the topmost layer of earth Oxford Latin Dictionary 4). 

The Ingredients

Minerals (sand, silt, clay)

Organic matter (decaying plants and animals)

Living organisms (insects, fungi and smaller organisms)

Air

Water

The Breakdown

Minerals:Minerals help provide structure in the soil.  If the soil is healthy, its minerals will assist with drainage and supporting the roots of plants.  The three primary minerals in soil are sand, silt and clay.

Sand is the largest particle and is great for drainage.  Silt is a smaller particle and both sand and silt are often made of quartz.  Quartz takes a very long time to break down so it will not need to be replenished if there is enough in your soil already; it does not, however, provide many nutrients to the soil.

Clay is different from its sand and silt companions.  It is nutrient rich and although it is very fine, when compacted, it can make drainage extremely difficult. 

Most soils have a (somewhat) balanced combination of these three minerals.  The ideal balance is called loam.  It consists of 40% sand 40% silt and 20% clay.  

Homemade Soil Structure Tests:

There are several homemade tests you can do to check your mineral balance and drainage quality:

The scoop and squeeze: go out in your yard and scoop up some soil and squeeze it--it should break apart but not too easily (too much sand) and it should feel moist but not slippery (too much clay).  Try this in a few spots around your yard to get a good sample.

The famous jar test: fill a mason jar with 1/3 soil and 2/3 water, put a lid on and shake it up for a while.  Then leave the jar to let the particles settle (this will take about a day).  Once it's settled, the stuff floating on top is your organic matter, followed (hopefully) by some water, then three lines (in order from top to bottom) clay, silt, and sand (which drops to the bottom because it's so heavy). 

The wait 'til it rains and watch test: Just wait until there's a heavy rain and then go out and check your soil--the time it takes the water to drain will help determine if the soil has too much clay or too much sand.

The rain simulation and watch test: Same as above but instead of waiting for rain, dig a hole in your soil and fill in with water, then watch what happens.

If you've determined that you are lacking in any mineral, the first solution is to add organic matter (it is a master problem solver (more on this below)).  If your soil is too sandy, this step (repeated if necessary) should be all you need.  If your soil has too much clay, try the organic matter and then you can try adding coarse sand or gypsum (which helps to break down the clay).  Remember to measure the area in which you are adding sand or gypsum in order to apply the appropriate amount and avoid making the problem worse!

Organic Matter:

Organic matter refers to the dead plant and animal material found in soil.  When the material is broken down or partially decomposed it becomes humus.  The organic material provides nutrients for the soil, and as we learned above, it adds substance when there is too much sand and helps to break down clay when clay becomes compacted.  It makes up a very small amount of the soil volume but is essential to a balanced soil structure.  Organic matter breaks down much more quickly than minerals so it must be replenished often.

When extra organic matter needs to be added to the soil (usually every spring) you can use compost, shredded leaves, or finely shredded bark.

Living Organisms:

There are lots of critters that benefit from your soil and are also a benefit to your soil.  There is an entire ecosystem that aids in the breaking down of organic material.  Most bugs are a good sign in your garden because they are working to help bring your plants nutrients.  It's important to know which ones are not helpful though to prevent plant damage (but that discussion is for another day).

Water and Air:

While the mineral particles, organic matter and living organisms make up about half of the soil's volume, air pockets and water make up the other half.  Soil's water/air ratio changes constantly, depending on how much water is percolating into the soil at a given time.  The air pockets create space for the water and also make room for roots to easily grow and search for nutrients.   These air pockets (sometimes water pockets) are essential to the spreading of water through your soil so it is really important that you refrain from stepping on your soil too often, compressing these important spaces.

What Science Says:

A surefire way to check your soil's balance and health is to send off a soil test.  Just package up a scoop (a representative sample from your yard) and send it to a well trusted laboratory.  These tests are very specific and can really help you pinpoint the needs of your soil.  It is recommended that you check your soil annually (or at least every once in a while!).  The testing ranges in price (depending on the test) but a simple soil fertility test is usually affordable.  The tests can give general information (which can tell you if you need to add a certain element or adjust the pH) or check for dangerous material in your soil (heavy metals).  UMass Amherst, Oregon State University and Penn State are a few of the trusted lab test providers.  Some cities do complimentary testing if you are just checking to make sure the soil is safe and free of heavy metals.  The scientific option is just another way to help understand the needs of your soil.

Credit must be given to my local libraries for lending me the following:

Soil Science Simplified (4th ed) by M.I. Harpstead, T.J. Sauer and W.F. Bennett (Iowa State U. Press)

Stuart Robertson's Tips on Organic Gardening by Stuart Robertson (Vehiclue Press)

Your Garden Soil by Henry Maddox (David and Charles Ltd)

...three fantastic books!

 

Home for the Holidays

Putting a Mid-Atlantic Garden to Bed

I have to admit that my extended Thanksgiving celebration created a lock on the lid of my laptop and prevented me from keeping up with reading and writing blogs.  This holiday curse is bound to return every few months...and I'm okay with that!  Yet somehow, amidst the rituals of Turkey dinner and days of delicious leftovers, I found some time to get outdoors and put my family's perennials to bed.  This is not usually my job but to honor my goal of experiential learning, my Mother entrusted her beds to me and I went to work.  The pictures below show the plants before and after being "put to bed"

Aster novi belgii (before and after)

Putting your garden to bed simply means doing all that you can to ensure the plants will survive the winter. The first step is to remove all dead and diseases debris. This includes dead leaves and annuals that need to be removed. Once the debris is removed, you are given a better sense of what shape your perennials are in and where cuts need to be made.

Peony

As the cold sets in, perennials focus their energy on their root systems so they can be cut back with out causing the plant too much stress. Before cutting back your perennials in the fall, determine which plants may be considered "winter interest" and hold off cutting those until the early spring (this category usually includes ornamental grasses and black eyed susans and whatever else is still green and still looks good around the first frost!).

Deciduous Fern

Mulch can be added to your perennial beds but its main purpose in a fall application is to maintain a consistent soil temperature and protect from extreme weather conditions.  Therefore, in the mid-Atlantic region where I was working this week we didn't bother (and I probably wouldn't bother in the Pacific northwest region if I had my own perennials at home).
 

Coreopsis

In my Mom's garden I cut the aster and the coreopsis down to about two inches above the ground.  I cut the peonies a little higher, mostly for aesthetic reasons.  I gently pulled on the blades of the daylilies to grab all of the soggy and dead pieces and simply pulled out the dead flower stems from the center of the plants.  The deciduous ferns were cut all the way to the ground because they were already rotting.  Once I worked through the beds, I raked most of the leaves away from the plants to avoid smothering the cut stems and to avoid further slug-and-bug-attracting rot.  I recommend using a small plastic rake for this job because a spring rake can easily get caught in the healthy plant and disturb the root system.  The few hours of work I did made for a big improvement on the eyes.  How well I did will be determined next spring (many thanks to my Mom for letting me experiment in her lovely garden!).

    

   

 

 Daylilies

These beds were in good shape but the fall is a good time to year-end maintenance if it's needed.  Perennials can be rearranged if you want a new look or a better suited spot or they can be divided (which just means splitting the large root system of a plant into two or more pieces and replanting the roots).  Nutrients can be added in the fall as well.  In annual or vegetable beds, all debris and roots will be removed (overwintering veggies excluded) so annual beds can be aerated and covered with nutrients and mulch before being put to rest.  You can also plant a hearty cover crop that will protect the soil and add nutrients over the winter.

...and now on to the winter season...

Sun vs. Shade

SUN vs. SHADE

Sun Loving Japanese Bloodgrass

We have learned that the sun meter on plant tags help the gardener place plants in the appropriate spot (in Project 2: Making Sense of Plant Tags) but what is it that really distinguishes sun plants from shade plants?

Photosynthesis
All plants need some sunlight to survive (generally along with water, soil, and insects for prosperity).  Energy from the sun is absorbed and held in the leaves by their green pigment (chlorophyll).  This energy is then used to convert carbon dioxide (and water) into food for the plant.  Oxygen is then released from the plant as the final step in the photosynthesis process.  whew!
For a more in depth look at plant biology, check out Kingsly R. Stern's Introductory Plant Biology.  It's a textbook but a nice read nonetheless!

Shade Loving Hosta

Sun Loving, Shade Loving, and Somewhere In Between 
Sun loving plants are those that can handle full sun in their photosynthesis process.  Their leaves are often thicker and smaller than shade loving plants and the cellular makeup is different.  They are built to make the most of their frequent exposure to the sun.  Shade loving plants, alternately are often thin and large.  This allows them to gain maximum exposure to the sun when it hits them.  They also tend to have more chlorophyll for the same reason.  If a shade loving plant is placed in direct sun it will likely burn because it is designed to be more sensitive.  Plants may be hardwired specifically for full sun, partial shade and full shade but some (like trees) have leaves that are built to survive in all three.  The differences between a sun and shade loving leaf can also be seen in one plant when the higher leaves (sun loving) cover lower leaves (which in turn become shade loving).  you still with me?

Sun Loving Yard/Shade Loving Yard

A quick walk around the neighborhood can give you a good sense of which plants love sun and which love shade.  It's even easier in a city where urban planners have planned the streets on grid that is lined up with the points on a compass.  In this case, simply walk east-west and look to your left and right--you should immediately see the sunny plants on the southern side and the darker shade plants on the northern side.
It is a good idea to have a solid understanding of the sun exposure in your garden before planning your plot. You can either check it every hour of the day (1 time per season) and sketch a sun map of your plot or to save some time and trouble, seek the help of landscape architecture firms which often have data such as this for building purposes.

Once that's settled, there are many books and website devoted to helping gardeners find the right plant for the right spot.

Project 2 Making Sense of Plant Tags

Project 2: Making Sense of Plant Tags

Plant tags can give gardeners invaluable information.  The climate, sun and space requirements are essential to make sure a certain plant will survive in your garden. Understanding the name (distinguishing one plant from another) and flowering information help the gardener plan for a yard aesthetic.  For this project I will use the one plant that seems to survive in my dark basement apartment: Morris "Moishe" the houseplant.

Tag from Burnaby Lake Greenhouse Ltd.

Details:
Common Name: Dracaena
Scientific Name: Dracaena species
Sun Meter: Sun to partial shade
Temperature: 64˚-75˚
Watering Instructions

Breakdown:
The common name is printed first in large letters.  A plant's common name tends to vary from country to country and one plant can have several common names.  This is why the scientific or botanical name is so important.
The scientific name is made of up the plant's genus (capitalized) and species (lowercase), both in italics.  The genus is the name of a group of plants that have similar characteristics.  The species is a subdivision of the genus and in turn, the species may be further defined by the variety, subspecies or form of the plant, if applicable.  If the species is a hybrid then it will be preceded by an x.  To indicate a specific cultivar, the name will be printed in single quotations after the genus and species.
The sun meter shows us what level of sunshine the plant can handle (more to come on this!). 
The temperature shows the hardiness of the plant.  In Hardiness Zone terms, the dracaena would technically be in zone 11 (anything above a low of 40˚) but it is really a tropical or indoor plant.
The watering instructions simple remind the houseplant owner not to overwater; this plant likes to dry out.

Most outdoor plants will have the information above as well as an indication of the natural height and width of the plant.  It is important to think about your garden and yard several years down the road when installing plants--don't overcrowd the plants and force them to compete!

The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers and Stearn’s Dictionary of Plant Names for Gardeners by William T. Stearn are both great resources for plant classification and names.

Native Plants and Climate Zones

NATIVE PLANTS

The installation of native plants is on the rise in the organic gardening world.  As the name states, here in the US, native plants are those which have originated in North America and which have evolved to excel in a specific region.  They are easier on the environment because they need no extra water than the rain fall that occurs naturally in their region.  Also, they have evolved to a resistance to pests and need little or no fertilizer when planted in the appropriate spot.  They are called "low-maintenance" plants for all of these reasons and lists of your native plants can easily found online (I like http://www.plantnative.org/). 

Beyond strictly native plants, it is possible to incorporate plants from similar climate zones in order to expand your plant list.

CLIMATE ZONES

http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html

The climate hardiness zone map is great place to start when you want to make sure a certain plant will make it through your winter since every plant is labled with its appropriate zones.  This map doesn't account for rain or snowfall or for high heat hardiness but these factors can be found online as well (check out http://www.noaa.gov/ and http://www.ahs.org/ for more information).  Once you establish what climate zone you are in, it's time to pick out your plants, which leads us to Project #2: Making Sense of Plant Tags.

Project 1 Curriculum

Garden Education

As they come up, I will try to add some curriculum ideas.  Generally, they will be activities that I have not yet tried in the classroom but they act as a place to start--a collection of ideas that will hopefully be useful in the future because this field is so important in a modern curriculum.  A garden education can teach students how to take in more from their surroundings in order to understand the significance of the food they eat, the trees and plants they walk past, the water they drink, the air they breathe and the trash they throw away.  Here are a two ways to bring Project 1 into the classroom:

1. Native Plant Exploration

Teacher: Bring in 5-7 samples of plants that are native to your area (even better if they are from your school yard or neighborhood)
Students: In groups, look up one of the plant samples in research books or on pre-approved websites and create a poster or presentation and share with the class.
Information given on the poster would vary from one age group to the next but would likely include the plant name, the type of plant (shrub, tree, flower), pictures or drawings of the plant through different seasons and through different stages of life (seeds, new growth, how tall and wide it is meant to get).  Put the posters up for display and come back to the project whenever the season changes!

2. Garden Timeline

It would be ideal if every school had a garden.  The garden could provide food for the students and act as an almost year-round teaching tool (depending on your region).  Unfortunately, most schools do not have gardens but there are ways we can work around this.  As students are learning about vegetables and planting seasons, a calendar or timeline could be created by the students (maybe placed as a boarder around the walls of the classroom) to which items may be affixed.  Either actual seeds or drawings or pictures cut from magazines could be attached to mark the month or season when a specific plant must be sown.  Then, farther down on the timeline, at the common harvest time for your school's region, another picture or drawing can be attached to show which plants are harvested when.  To further emphasize the timeline for each plant, colorful string could link the seed sowing date to the harvest date.  This project creates a sense of the time and effort that growing veggies will take and allows for an ongoing (and colorful) classroom project that can be added to as time permits or as relative units come up.

You could also congruently display your classroom garden on a three by three foot square to gain a better image of a garden space, if space and time permits.  On this square, only the seeds and pictures of plants that are to be sown or harvested that month will be visible, thus the pictures are portraying what the students would see in a garden bed outside.  Keep in mind that in order to cover the entire growing season in one school year, the growing months will have to be condensed!

The timeline and garden square provide a visual record of the seasonal impact on ecology and agriculture.  They show students where their food comes from and how the life cycle of each plant is structured and played out.

Project 1 continued...

Project 1 Refresher: Neighborhood Walk: Find out what's in season, what's in bloom and what is ready to be harvested.  For vegetables, this information is found most readily at farmers' markets, grocery stores and community gardens.  I did some exploring and researching and here is what I have found:


The Veggies:

Peas

This picture illustrates the end of the pea season.  Peas do best when grown in cool weather.  They can be sown in very early spring and are usually harvested in early summer.  A second harvest is possible in the fall but since the seeds like it cool and the plants can't handle frost, the window for a productive crop is narrow.  The good news is that in a small urban garden, plants such as peas, which thrive when grown on vertical structures, are priceless in the urban gardener's attempt to maximize a small space.

Winter Squash

Squash comes from the genus Cucubita and is made up of both summer and winter varieties. It is native to the Americas and does well in most regions across the U.S.  The varieties are named for the season in which they are harvested.  Squash  come in many colors and sizes, anything along the green to orange spectrum.  Both summer and winter squash seeds are sown in the early spring.  Summer squash is harvested when its name dictates (in the summer).  Winter squash is left to grow and develop a hearty rind with which it can withstand the elements in early fall.  Once it is harvested, winter squash may also be stored longer due to its protective rind (which explains why the pumpkins in your seasonal front step decorations can last so long!).

Beets

Beets are a biennial member of the Beta vulgaris genus.  Biennial means that they have two season each year.  They can be planted in early spring and harvested in early summer and then planted again in early fall to be harvested in the early winter (before the first frost).  You can also continuously sow seeds for the duration of the two seasons and some beets will be productive.  Beets can be stored in the ground up until the first frost so you can just run outside and pluck a beet for dinner as needed! 

Golden Turnip

Turnips are a member of the Brassica family which includes cabbages and broccoli among many other plants. Turnips can be harvested in the spring and fall with a break for the hottest part of the summer (similar to beets). For a late spring harvest, turnips must be planted as soon as the chance for frost is over. However, turnips are more commonly planted in late summer for an autumn harvest.

Swiss Chard

Chard is another member of the Beta vulgaris genus.  Its roots run very deep so make sure your soil is cultivated down to the appropriate depth.  Chard can be sown in early spring and will be productive through the following early winter (if the right precautions are taken like setting up protective frames or adding mulch around the plant).  To harvest Swiss chard, pull the off the outer leaves from each plant.  This will encourage the inner leaves to grow larger and then be harvested and so on. 

Parsnips

I have a feeling we will only see more of parsnips as winter approaches.  It is one of the few plants that can be stored over winter in the ground and whose flavor actually improves with the cold.  It is a root vegetable and its season is long so parsnips should be sown in very early spring.  It can be harvested whenever you feel like eating it through the winter (as long as the ground is not frozen).  Then, once spring begins, dig them all up before they begin to sprout again.

Project 1 "Getting to Know the Natives"

Project 1: Neighborhood Walk

Objective: Find out what is in season (what's blooming) and what needs to be cut down (harvested)
This will be split into two categories a) perennials/annuals (i.e. plants to look at) and b)vegetables and herbs (i.e. plants to eat).  So, for the land-challenged, here are some good places to find plants:

a) Perennials and Annuals:                                            
Neighborhood                                            
Public Gardens (botanical and arboretums)    
Public Parks and Campuses                          
Community Gardens                                      

b)Veggies and Herbs:
Farmers' Markets
Grocery Stores (what's cheap right now?)
Neighborhood
Community Gardens

Pick 3-5 of each group (a and b) that strike your fancy then research them.
I will be primarily using The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Plant and Flowers, DK Publishing, New York: 2002; Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Rodale Press, Pennsylvania: 1978 and Flora's Gardening Cards, Globe Book Publishing Pty Ltd, Australia: 2006.  Identifying plants can be tricky and looking up images online can help but always refer to a legitimate book like an encyclopedia to check your findings.

Keys to Success: Start small.  Each plant has a specific trail of significant names (genus, species, forma, cultivar) and as the plants become more familiar these names will undoubtedly become more important to the urban gardener but for now, the sweet and simple knowledge of a plant's group (genus) will suffice.

Perennials:

Nandina domestica

Nandina is one of the shrubs that fades into the background in summer and then comes alive in the fall.  It is a semi-evergreen and in the fall its leaves are everything from bright green to purple to red.  In the summer there are small white flowers and in the fall you can see small berries beginning to appear on some of the plants I've seen.

 

Sempervivum

Sempervivum (meaning always living in Latin) is a rock plant (as you can see).  It spreads along and is nicknamed "Hen and Chicks" because the smaller rossettes look like baby chicks following around the big hens.  It is an evergreen plant which grows flowers in the summer--you can see what's left of the flower in the picture above.  To remove these you just cut them off at the base. 

Euphorbia

Euphorbias are easier to distinguish from one another when they are blooming.  In this plant you can see the new growth coming through at the base of the plant.  When there is substantial new growth like this you can cut back the larger tops to the new growth but at this late October date, its best to leave it--frost could come at any time and harm a plant which is made more delicate by pruning.  When you do prune this plant, beware of the milky substance that lives in the stem--it will irritate your skin and eyes.

Callicarpa (Beauty Berry)

Beauty Berry is another shrub you could walk by all summer and not notice, then suddenly a small tree filled with shiny purple berries appears and it only gets more vibrant as the winter season sets in.  The leaves (when they're in season) are pale green and there are small light purple flowers in the summer.

The walk around the neighborhood was productive but will work best if it's done a few times a month.  Being able to recognize what plants do well in your neighborhood will help you understand your climate and what plants you may want to use some day when you finally get a small plot in the city!

Next time: The Veggies

My First Post

The Joyful Discovery: plants are my new passion.  They are beautiful and delicious and the whole process of being able to control and encourage nature is fascinating.  I dream of twelve acres to my name with a sweet little house and fields of flowers and veggies and trees....

alas, The Reality Check:  I live in a tiny apartment, in the basement of a house, with no plot of land in a large city and have no plans to leave this hallowed urban life yet. 

So, how do I learn about urban gardening?  Many books in the store and library are targeted towards readers who seem to be born with green thumbs.  There is lingo used and plants referenced that discourage me as I frantically skim, trying to read a bit of everything and find my way in to this exclusive gardening club.  I've heard that experimentation with plants is the way to learn and there are community garden patches but each comes with its own waiting list and I am an impatient and impulsive learner so I must begin today.

Thus, The Plan: I will prepare assignments and attempt to learn about urban gardening beginning with what interests me most (rather than tackling the topic from A-Z).  I will get to know plants through the resources at hand, e.g. public spaces, farmers' market, and checking out community gardens and I will begin to collect a book list and work through it--providing reviews and highlighting what I have learned.