Harsh Winter Causes Damage to Bearded Irises

Today while cleaning the winter debris from the bearded iris garden I noticed that many of the rhizomes had suffered from erosion due to ice and snow.  Instead of being under the soil many of them were fully exposed which concerns me.

My iris garden with many buds 

The first thing that I did today was clear the iris gardens of all leftover leaves, sticks and check the rhizome for damage.  I expect many of the plants to perish as it was an extreme cold winter with heavy snow and ice. 

Tomorrow I am going to amend in my wheelbarrow top soil with organic compost and diatomaceous earth.  Then I will spread an even layer over the irises, covering the exposes rhizomes and leaving only the tip for nutrient collection from the sun. 

I am hoping that this natural fertilizer and borer pest control will aid in healthy spring iris growth and bloom production.

The photograph of my iris garden.  Enjoy!

Other Yard and Garden Secrets Posts that you make like:

Where to buy diatomaceous earth food grade for garden

Maintaining Iris Garden: Transplanting tips for Bearded Irises

Get Rid of Borers in Iris Garden with Diatomaceous Earth

Pruning Japanese Honeysuckle Vines – Early Spring Cleanup

Today was warm and I worked outdoors cleaning up the river rock wall by pruning the Japanese honeysuckle vines.  Last year the vines had not been pruned and they became invasive.

I like the honeysuckle because, in the summer when the flowers bloom, they attract hummingbirds and honey bees but if they are not trimmed back they will take over the river rock wall.  Here is a photograph of the honeysuckle that has grown in too thickly on the rock wall.

Japanese honeysuckle on the river rock wall

I used extended-handle hedge shears to cut the massive vines that had grown in so thickly and to protect my hands I wore heavy-duty pigskin yard work gloves with knit wrists.  When pulling vines you need to protect your hands otherwise they can get cut.  

Pruned Japanese honeysuckle on the river rock wall

I got the river rock column cleared by cutting the vines away and I also cleared four feet of vines from the wall.  Once the vines were removed I raked away the leaves that were embedded into the vines.   I am happy that I took on this early spring yard cleanup job because by pruning the vines from the rock wall I will also be discouraging the snakes from taking refuge.

Other blog posts by Sgolis that you may like:

Honeysuckle Growing Tips

Yard and Garden Snake Removal

Getting Ready to Plant Organic Spinach Seeds

Even though it is too cold to plant spinach outdoors I am getting ready to plant Ferry-Morse organic spinach seeds in containers.  I like to have my salad bowl of spinach close to my kitchen and thus the containers will sit in the sun on my back deck.

Today I washed my container out with dawn antibacterial dish soap and rinsed them well in the shower.  Then I let them air dry.  When the containers were completely dry I then mixed organic matter with potting soil in the container and set them aside.

(If you do not have compost for your organic matter then buy a bag of manure)

Now the containers are ready for planting spinach seeds and as soon as the weather warms to an average of 20 F I will set the containers outdoors in a full sun area and plant the organic spinach seed ½ inch under the soil and space 8 inches apart.  When the seeds are all planted I will water them well.    

Caring for Spinach:

Keep the soil evenly moist but not wet.  If the soil should dry out the spinach will have stress and the plant will bolt.  Watch for weather that may dip below 15 F.  If the weather is extremely cold, cover spinach plants with row covers.

Other Garden Posts by Sgolis

Growing tips for carrots

Growing Tips for Lettuce Salad Bowl
Tips for Growing Tomatoes

Tips for Growing Strawberries

Attribution: This spinach photo is in the public domain in the United States http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CDC_spinach1.jpg

Protecting Spring Bulb Gardens from Whitetail Deer

 

When I looked out my picture window I saw doe deer and fawn in my yard nibbling in my spring bulb garden.  I ran outside and waved my arms in the air and the deer left my yard. But I knew they would be back and I needed to take steps to protect my spring bulb garden from the whitetail deer.

Whitetail deer doe and fawn in garden

Every spring I have a problem with the whitetail deer because I cannot convince them that my spring bulb garden was not planted to nourish them.  Every doe deer in the forest finds its way to my spring bulb gardens. 

Over the years I have tried to discourage the deer with Contech Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler s a natural way to scare deer.  This water spray deterrent works well in the summer but is not a good deterrent during winter. 

Other deer deterrents that I have had good results with is a  potent pepper spray and deer scam, however, these products need to be reapplied and depending on your weather; snow or ice these products can get costly. 

Last fall I put down a deer forage plot but that died back due to a cold snowy winter.  I found in the past that if I proved the deer with their dietary needs that they will leave my spring bulbs alone.  

Since it is whitetail deer in garden season and I need to keep the deer out of my garden I went to Atwoods ranch and yard store and bought 40lb bag of natural apple corn for $7.49 and a mineral salt lick.  I set up a feeding station that was downwind from my tulip garden. 

My husband and I waited on the side deck and at dusk, we saw the deer coming up the side yard path.   The doe deer come out of the woods to enjoy the corn and to lick on the mineral block. 

Notes by Sgolis: 

1. This wildlife compromise worked because the deer have stayed away from my spring bulb garden because their dietary needs are being met with the mineral lick and feeding station.  
2. When spring greens up the deer will no longer need to be fed as there is ample forage in the forest. 

Yard and Garden Cleanup After Ice Storm

I am looking over my yard and garden to do list and I need to cleanup the lawn and the spring bulb gardens. Last month’s ice storm caused us to have many down branches.  We removed the large branches but there many smaller branches they need to be picked up. Hopefully I will accumulate enough sticks to  ask my hubby to add them to the wood chipper because they will make nice mulch for the garden.

When I finish the removal of down branches from the lawn, I will then concentrate on the gardens.  

Our one maple tree holds onto its leaves until late winter however many of the leaves did come down after the ice storm and fell onto my spring bulb garden. I think it is a good idea to remove the leaves and any mulch from the early spring gardens as it will make it easier for delicate crocus to come up. 

Hopefully the day will stay warm as I also have on my list to replace some parts of my mulch garden path .  Winter was hard and did pull much away from the path.  All In need to do is fill in because it is spotty. 

I hope I can get everything on my list completed, as it late January and before you know it spring garden beds will be blooming. 

Daffodil spring bulb garden