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Crape Myrtle Rant

  • March 15, 2011 1:59 pm

OK, hold on, I’m gonna rant a bit now.

This.

topped tree shown with lots of new weak growth  (click to embiggen)

Stop doing it.  Just stop.  Don’t start.  And don’t let anyone tell you it needs to be done.  Ever.

This is Crape Murder.  The term, crape murder, began as a bit of a joke, but it’s become an accepted name for the annual tree butchering we see far too often.  

Why is this done?  Mostly because people have been trained to think it’s supposed to be done.   Because crapes bloom on new wood the topping doesn’t prevent (although it delays) summer blooms.  It might even increase the floriferousness of the trees.  Because we still get great blooms, the practice continues.  If topping prevented the flowers you can bet this wouldn’t have become an annual ritual.  You might be able to control the size of the plant, but it’s better to start with a cultivar that’s better suited to your location.  Crapes come in lots of sizes and colors suitable for every spot in your landscape. 

So that’s it.  That’s why crapes are often pruned so badly. 

What do we lose when pruning like this?  We lose the beautiful, natural shape of the tree.  Trees, like all plants, grow in a fractal pattern.   Smaller branches grow on larger branches, growing on larger branches, growing on larger trunks.  Now look at that picture again. 

See those big, ugly knuckles?  Here, look closer:

This plant has fat branches that suddenly become little, thin stems from last year’s rapid growth.  All those thin stems are one year’s growth.  Those new stems are weak and weakly attached to the main branch. 

When you prune like this, you lose something else; Time.  You lose time every year having to go in an prune the tree again.  That’s how some landscapers get more business.  You pay them year in and year out to butcher your trees.  So you either lose time or money pruning like this.

Crape myrtles are one of the last trees to develop foliage in the spring.  So guess what you get to look at for 5 or 6 months out of the year?  Now I realize that some of you might not cringe as much as I do when you see this.  Some of you might even like this look.  OK, then here are more things you lose.

Plant longevity.  A plant that has to regenerate lots of new woody growth, along with leaves and flowers, will not likely live as long as one that’s pruned properly.  So your tree may die an early death.  Crapes grow like weeds and tolerate this treatment well–such a stoic plant–but even so, when the tree has to use it’s stored energy to regrow leaves each year to also regrow branches, it’s bound to take a toll.

Headroom.  Yes, this weak growth will probably sag under the weight of the flowers and leaves–especially when wet.  Just what everyone wants, a slap in the face while walking up the path or mowing the lawn.  The branches may even break off, which means even more work pruning during the summer.

Sunlight.  All this thick growth will increase the shade under the tree.  Trying to grow grass under your tree?  Forget it.  It’ll probably be too shady in the summer.

The chance to see this:

Natural Crape in Snow

Or this: 

Natural Crape in Cary

So, what should you do with your Crapes? Most trees require some type of pruning during their lives.  The most important time to do this is when the tree is young.  That way you can direct new growth the way you want it and branches removed when young reduce the size of pruning wounds.  Smaller wounds reduce the chance of pathogen infection.  Crape myrtles occasionally need thinning.  It’s always important to remove dead, diseased or damaged branches as well as those that rub on other branches or are growing toward the interior of the plant.  If you hire someone to do the pruning, don’t ever ask them to trim your trees.  Describe what you mean.  If a landscaper doesn’t understand what thinning means–don’t hire them.

What to do if you are ready to change your ways?  OK, you commited this crime in the past, are your trees goners?  Maybe, maybe not.  If they look like the tree at the top of this post, you’ll have a harder time, but if you’ve only been doing it for a year or two, there is hope to restore your tree.  First, look at the growth since the cut.  Choose one or two new branches to become the new main branches.  Remove the others.  Then throughout the growing season watch for new growth from the cut areas, rub or cut that out.  The sooner you get to any new growth, the better.  You might need to do more corrective pruning the next year, but you’ll be well on the way to reformation.  The tree below has begun to look more natural after a couple of years of restorative pruning.  It should have some thinning this year, but it’s looking great.

Tree growing out of crape murder

Rant over.  You can relax, I’m much calmer now.

Waterwise Gardening Talk

  • March 15, 2011 12:12 pm

I’ll be teaching several classes for the Town of Cary this year.

Saturday, 19 March at 10:30 am I’ll be doing a talk at the Herbert Young Community Center, 101 Wilkinson Ave, Cary, NC 27511.

The class is called What’s in a Water-Wise Landscape?  Seven Steps to a Healthy Property (#50361)

The fee is $5 for Cary residents and $7 for non-residents.

You can register online, here https://classweb.townofcary.org/eConnect/Start/Start.asp or you can call the center at 919-460-4965 to register.  You should also be able to get in if you just come in on Saturday—head to the front desk at the center.

I’ll also be doing a pruning class again on 9 April as well as repeating this one on 21 May.  You can see more about these classes in this section of the Town of Cary’s Spring Program Brochure, page 13.

I hope to see you there!  Let me know if you are coming!

Let’s Talk About Mulch (baby)*

  • December 10, 2010 5:53 pm
 

Mulch. 

What is it really?  Pine needles, hardwood chips, pine bark, leaves, newspaper, gravel?

From Merriam-Webster: 

mulch: noun;  a protective covering (as of sawdust, compost, or paper) spread or left on the ground to reduce evaporation, maintain even soil temperature, prevent erosion, control weeds, enrich the soil, or keep fruit (as strawberries) clean

So, anything that provides the protective covering mentioned above is a “mulch”.   Inorganic and organic materials can provide that covering.  Some do different things, and all have benefits and drawbacks.  They also differ in price and ease of installation. 

First look at organic and inorganic mulches.  Organic would describe any material that can degrade into organic (carbon) compounds.  These compounds can then be used by organisms in the soil (plants, animals, bacteria).  Inorganic would include anything else. 

Organic mulches:

  • pine needles
  • bark/wood chips
  • straw
  • leaves
  • newspaper

Inorganic Mulches:

  • gravel/stone
  • landscape fabric
  • brick chips
  • rubber chips

Those organic mulches add nutrients to the soil.  Some, like chopped leaves and straw break down quickly; others, like pine needles, more slowly.  Generally, smaller pieces of mulch with greater relative surface area will degrade more quickly than other materials.  Landscape fabric, despite being inorganic, will break down over time especially when exposed to UV light. 

Of course when mulches break down they need to be replenished.  That’s where most of the inorganic mulches have an advantage.  Stone won’t break down (at least not in a landscape’s short geological time frame), so it won’t need to be replaced.  However, such mulches can “sink” into the soil below or appear to disappear as silt and organic matter build up in the material. 

Some mulches help with water infiltration, some inhibit it.  Layered newspapers will keep water from entering the soil until most of the sheets are fully wet.  Once the paper breaks down a bit this won’t be such a problem.  Landscape fabric also limits water infiltration unless there’s sufficient water to sit on the fabric and be pushed through the holes as more water falls on the surface (water’s surface tension causes it to bead up and roll off).  Large leaves can mat up and force water to find circuitous routes to the soil. 

Any material covering the soil will help prevent soil erosion.  Our Piedmont clay can erode easily and needs to be covered by some type of mulch.  When our clay soils compact (and rain can cause compaction) infiltration rates become the same as concrete or asphalt.  Water simply runs off, taking soil particles with it.  Soil particles are one of our biggest waterway pollutants.  If you see muddy water running into storm drains during or after storms, you are seeing pollution.

All mulches can reduce weed growth.  The covered soil keeps common weed seeds in the soil from light which inhibits germination.  However, weeds can still grow even with mulch.  Perennial weeds (weeds that live more than one season) that spread by underground stems or roots can travel through the soil and pop up in the mulch.  These weeds are most easily controlled with Roundup-type (glyphosate) herbicides or consistent removal.  Weed seeds can still blow or fall into the mulch and sprout right there.  These are easily removed when they are small.  Keeping little weeds from becoming mature, seed producing weeds is the best way to become weed-free. 

On stone mulches:  I will use this occasionally, but only when the look is appropriate for the design.  The most common use would be for a parterre type garden.  White or tan stones are commonly available and reasonably priced, but keep their reflective qualities in mind as they can be pretty bright in full sun.  Mexican beach pebbles are really popular, but they are quite costly here in NC.  I once used those for an indoor pool.   Here’re some pictures showing stone mulches:   

 
Boxwood parterres with gravel mulch
Parterre garden 

Indoor pool 

I do prefer organic mulches.  They look good and I love the fact that they add nutrients to the soil.  Pine bark is my favorite.  I have used decorative stone at one client’s home for some parterre gardens. 

I rarely recommend landscape fabric.  When used it is still necessary to cover it with another mulch–because the fabric is unsightly and to minimize its degradation.  So you really need to use two mulches.  On slopes the top mulch may wash away, revealing the fabric.  Like this photo shows it can get pretty ugly:

 
Exposed landscape fabric
Exposed landscape fabric

If you need something to stabilize the soil until plants spread out try an erosion control matting or a jute fabric.  Both are organic and will degrade over time.  Oh, and don’t try walking on a slope covered with landscape fabric and pine needles–you’ll slip unless you have crampons on your boots.  The only time I might use fabric is under stone mulches.  But be sure it’s not lumpy and the stone isn’t too thin or you’ll see it.

How much mulch do you need?  Well, this homeowner went a bit overboard:

Too much mulch

 

Run, it's gonna blow!

Most mulches are best kept at 2-4″ deep.  It’s important to keep mulch from becoming too thick at the base of most plants.  When the mulch is deep the trunk can rot.  Or trunks might sprout roots in the mulch making the plant much more vulnerable to freezing or drought.  Little chewing rodents can hide in the mulch with easy access to the base of a tasty plant if the mulch is too thick.
 
Stone mulches which also double as paths should not be more than 3″ deep as walking anything deeper can be really difficult.
 
One more mulch idea is to use living plants.  Groundcovers (including grass) do all that mulches do and they keep getting better as they grow.  You may not be able to cover all of your soil with plants so keep those bare spots covered with mulch.

 

 *I’ve had this tune in my head since I decided on this title!

 

Leave Those Leaves…

  • October 19, 2010 8:30 pm

well, sort of.  

There are plenty of reasons why keeping leaves on your property is a good idea.   Here are three:

  • First, removing the leaves is a waste of perfectly good mulching material.  Have you ever raked up those leaves to place at the curb, then headed out to the garden center for bags of mulch to put in your beds?  Yes, fresh new mulch looks great, but so can chopped up leaves. 
  • Second, municipal leaf hauling and composting costs our towns money.  Fuel, equipment, labor are all needed for fall leaf clean collection.  If your town doesn’t compost, the cost is even higher and extremely wasteful. 
  • Last, have you ever raked those leaves into a nice neat pile at the curb only to see them blown around the next day?  Or blocking storm drains because they are on the street side of the curb?  You did know they shouldn’t be on that side didn’t you?  How hard is it to drive down narrow streets with piles of leaves on the street? 

Personally, I think the only legitimate use for leaf piles is to please exuberant children.  Compost piles are a close second, but who has room for one that can accomodate all those leaves?  Think about it, trees use nutrients from the soil to build their leaves, the leaves senesce and fall.   Many valuable nutrients are still in those leaves.  We remove the leaves, robbing soil organisms of their own nutrition (from the organic leaves).  Finally, we add fertilizer to replenish the lost soil nutrients which the trees then use… ad infinitum.

So, what can you do with all those leaves?  They can be used to mulch planting beds, natural areas (so-called, but usually far from natural) and even lawns. 

First, chop them up.  This will increase the surface area of the leaves and allow decomposers to break them down more easily.  Whole leaves (at least large ones) mat up keeping water and oxygen from getting to the soil below.  This tends to create anaerobic conditions in which most soil organisms cannot survive.   Dry whole leaves tend to blow around and rarely stay where you want them (until they are wet and matted).  Mowers can be used to chop the leaves.   Mulching mowers are great when you can just leave the bits where you are mowing.  Mowers with regular side discharges will send the leaf pieces where you want them.  A bag (this usually gathers dust, doesn’t it?) can help collect the leaves to be placed where you want them.  You can also use a leaf shredder or chipper.  The leaves must be dry for the best results in both chopping and spreading.  So get out there before it rains but sleep in a bit to wait until the dew dries in the morning.

Finely chopped leaves can even be left right on your lawn.  Well, really IN your lawn between the blades.  The tighter your lawn, the finer you should chop.  You could run over the leaves several times with a regular mower but a mulching mower would work even better (you’ve been meaning to get one of those anyway, haven’t you?). 

Studies have shown that mulching leaves into your lawn won’t harm the grass and even increases the microbial activity in the soil which keeps the soil more open and porous.  Just be sure the leaf bits don’t cover the leaf blades.  Here in the North Carolina Piedmont our fescue lawns have just been overseeded, so watch out for those tiny plants.  Hopefully, you got the seeding done weeks before most of the leaves fall and the new grass has been mowed once or twice.  You can find more information on mowing new lawn grasses on page 15 of NCSU’s Carolina Lawns publication.

Be sure you don’t forget those regular lawn fertilizations, especially if you are applying leaf mulch.  Many of the microbes which will be breaking the leaf bits down into soil goodies use nitrogen while working.  They’ll tie it up and keep your lawn from using it (but release it again when they are done).  For our NC fescue lawns the fall fertilizations are the most important.  Hopefully you got yours done around Labor Day and will be ready for the Thanksgiving treatment (remember those two holidays plus Valentine’s Day for fescue fertilization).  Other types of lawns should be fertilized as recommend for the lawn type.  Again, Carolina Lawns has good information for all homeowners.

So, this year see how many leaves you can leave on your property.  Maybe we’ll be dodging fewer piles on city streets.  In a few years your landscape may be looking so amazing that your neighbors will wish they had more trees.

NC State Fair Flower and Garden Show–Volunteers Needed

  • October 2, 2010 9:00 pm

This morning I got a real surprise.  After attending a very fun JCRA plant distribution I decided to stop by the NC State Fairgrounds to check out the Flower and Garden Show area.  I had heard that changes were being made there and wanted to see just what was going on.  Last year Erv Evans, noted in the world of North Carolina Horticulture, took over as the superintendent for the Flower and Garden Show.  So I thought I’d see what he’s been up to.  I’m afraid to say that I haven’t seen much of the show at the fair in a few years, but I used to enter many flowers, arrangements and once even created a patio garden there.  I also used to volunteer at the JCRA’s (before it acquired that name) booth selling T-shirts and showing off new plants.

Well, I wasn’t disappointed with my impromptu visit.  After a quick walk around to see what was happening, I ran into Erv.  He was working on the new train garden.   Yes, train garden.   Model trains will be installed in the garden by the NC Garden RR Society.  Erv Evans at the NC Flower and Garden Show Nearby, a cute replica of Thomas the Tank Engine will have his own spot in a red, white and blue garden designed just for him.  Tom Staley of Tom’s Train Station in The Shops at South Hills is providing the little engine that young visitors are sure to enjoy.

Erv told me that he’s been working all summer installing new plants, digging out long buried hardscape and rebuilding, fixing water features, finding volunteers to help…  Oh, yeah, that’s something he really needs right now–volunteers.  Volunteers are needed to help get things ready.  He also needs help during the fair and probably after (I forgot to ask about that).  Jobs needing done include everything from hanging flower baskets to sorting bottles for the flower show.  Even just sweeping up before and during the show would be helpful.  Email Erv at ervplantguy@gmail.com to volunteer.

Back to the show.  Erv said that the hot dry summer has been tough on the plants and on volunteers.  Many volunteers from the Gardeners of Wake County have been helping as well as some NCSU Horticulture students.  Recent heavy rains hammered lots of the plants (they still looked good to me) and caused some extra clean up work.  Erv has gotten many donations of soil and plants.   Daddy Pete’s has provided soil and mulch for the gardens, plants have been provided by Proven Winners including some gorgeous annuals in the square brick planters between the patio gardens.  The mum tree is back this year as well.  A metal form holds dozens of mums in full bloom.  Apparently the form has been gathering dust for a few years.

Impatiens "tree" at the NC State Fair Flower and Garden ShowErv’s put up some impatiens “trees” despite the difficulties of having them stolen and damaged.  They look great now.  Eventually, he’d like to have them all the way down the boardwalk.

Sculptor Joe Carnevale has created a special praying mantis sculpture just for the flower show.  Joe became well known after his first Barrel Monster created quite a stir in Raleigh.  Garden club members donated material for this fascinating piece–I won’t give it away, so be sure to take a look at what those were.  Here’s a sneak peak: Sculpture by Joe Carnevale at NC State Flower and Garden Show

Two barrel monsters will also be at the show, one male and one female.  Be sure to bring the kids to see these monsters.  I heard a wedding might be on the schedule.  There will be a bamboo sculpture by Will Hooker and his NCSU design students–apparently, chickens are involved.  I can’t wait to see.

Erv mentioned something about pink flamingos as well.  He nearly apologized for such a thing, but nothing’s tacky at the fair–after all you can get deep fried pickles there, can’t you? 

As usual, there will be three separate flower shows, so you’ll see fresh material during the entire fair.  (The show building will be closed for judging on 18 and 21 October–everything outside will be open all the time.)  This year there will be a judged bonsai show as well.  The Triangle Bonsai Society has always had an exhibit at the show, but this year you’ll see more of this wonderful art.  Erv said that there are more than one hundred demonstrations scheduled during the fair.   The show area will be lit at night and should be really pretty after dark.  Each garden should have lighting, so check it out.  The show will be open until the fireworks each evening.

So, if you can help get the show ready for fair opening, please let Erv know what you can do.  I know these tired volunteers could use your help.  Female Barrel Monster at the NC State Fair Flower and Garden ShowYou can just see the worry on this Barrel Monster’s face as she leans a weary forehead against a tree.  Erv had a similar look, but took no time to do any leaning.

Be sure to tell everyone about the great changes and don’t miss the show this year.  There really is something for everyone to enjoy at the Flower and Garden Show.

One more thing, check out this fun video of the Top 10 Reasons to Enter the Flower and Garden Show.  It’s too late to enter this year, but keep them in mind for next year.

Time to Fertilize Fescue Lawns in NC–or maybe NOT

  • September 17, 2010 2:12 pm

It’s time for the one of the most important fertilizer treatments of the year.  At least for your cool season lawns in North Carolina.  There are 3 main times to fertilize:  Valentine’s Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving.  If you remember the three holidays, you’ll have no problem fertilizing at the right time of the year.  I’ve waited to post this a bit because there’s one good reason to NOT FERTILIZE now. 

We haven’t had any rain. 

SO, unless you’ve been irrigating your lawn, don’t fertilize yet.   Consider watering for a week or so, then fertilizing, then water for at least another week or so.  Your lawn will thank you.  That watering will also make the aeration your soil needs more effective.

According to NCSU’s TurfFiles maintenance calendar, we should apply 1 lb of actual nitrogen per 1,000 sf of lawn.  

To determine how much nitrogen is in a bag of fertilizer look at the three numbers on the bag, 10-10-10, 3-2-3, etc.  Those three numbers tell you what percentage of the bag is Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium(K–P was already used on the periodic chart!).  All the rest of the fertilizer is filler–very important for spreading the nutrients.  So a 100 lb bag of 3-2-3 will have 3 lbs of actual nitrogen in it.  So, that 100 lb bag will cover 3,000 square feet of lawn.

Check out TurfFiles for lots of valuable lawn information.  There is even a great watering aid called the Turf Irrigation Management System (TIMS) available there.  Check out some of my watering articles for some help getting your lawn through this dry season.

Too Dry, Too Dry–At Least for Fescue Lawns

  • September 16, 2010 8:38 am

OK, it’s dry here in the Triangle, NC area.   There’s no rain in the current 10 day forecast and the tropical storms/hurricanes seem to be keeping well east of our area.  Historically, October tends to be a dry month, so unless something really changes we are looking at a dry fall for our landscapes.

Now’s the perfect time to work on your Fescue lawn, but the dry weather is making that a challenge.   Lawn aeration this time of year is the most important thing you can do for your cool season lawn.  Unfortunately, the dry weather has left our soil very dry and those plug aerators will likely bounce right off the dry clay, doing very little good.  I’ve heard some lawn care companies are holding off aeration for right now.  If you are combining the aeration with overseeding you might not want to wait too long.  Except for the lack of rain, we’ve had excellent weather for germinating Fescue seed.  The cool nights (but not too cool) and warm days will get that seed sprouting quickly.

My suggestion is to do some watering.  Actually, your lawn, if it hasn’t been watered, has been going dormant.  Fall is the time for it to really get growing before the cold weather.  If you want your grass to stay healthy, I’d recommend some supplemental watering.  Start watering now to get it out of dormancy, and keep it up until we get sufficient rain.  If you start watering now and get that soil moist, you’ll be ready to aerate soon. 

So, what’s sufficient rain?  Fescue lawns do best with 1″ of water per week during the growing season (RDU records less than 0.2″ for the past three weeks!).  They survive quite well with 1/2″ per week.  But this is prime growing season, so 1″ would be better.  That 1″ shouldn’t happen all at once in our clay soils–most will just run off.  So dividing it up into two to three waterings is best.  Take a look at my lawn watering post  for more information about watering lawns.*

Don’t miss the window for working on your lawn.  Get some watering done.  Grass can be an important groundcover, protecting soil and slowing stormwater runoff.  If you want lawn, take care of it.  If you don’t, turn it into mulched areas.  Protect your soil one way or another.

*Find more information on watering by clicking the “watering” category in the tag list at the bottom of most pages of my website.

What a Sight

  • August 18, 2010 8:29 pm

But not in a good way.  On my way through Cary today, I had to stop to snap a few pics of this common landscape problem.  Actually, there’s more than one problem here.

This is a perfect example of the wrong plant in front of this sign:

The yellow (and brown) plants are Chamaecyparis pisifera‘Filifera Aurea’.  Also know by the common name, Golden Threadleaf  Falsecypress.  They are probably more precisely the dwarf* form, ‘Filifera Aurea Nana’ or ‘Golden Mops’, but I’m not sure.  

The reason they are brown is that they’ve been sheared back so often the resulting thick growth keeps light from getting to the centers.  Leaves in the shaded interiors die back and new ones don’t regrow.  Plants are not going to put valuable energy into growing leaves that will not be able to make food.  Food (sugars) can only be made in leaves exposed to light.

This last pruning may get covered up with some new foliage, but in conifers, new growth does not always arise from brown stems.  So, I’ll keep an eye on them.

The real problem here is that it’s time to replace these plants.  They’ve barely been kept below the name on the sign and this shearing will result in another several inches of new growth (the response to shearing depends on the type of plant).  That new growth will obscure the sign even more.   Plus if the plant’s going to look this bad, it’s not drawing the attention for which entry plantings are installed.

This is usually a lovely plant that forms a nice pyramidal mound over 5′ tall.  It has a naturally feathery look that is gorgeous when left unpruned.  There are still many references that say that ‘Golden Mops’ is about 3′ tall and wide, so the use of this plant may be forgivable.  Now to the the pruning technique used on these plants.  Shearing does not do this plant justice.  I feel that many plants that end up sheared would look much better with a more natural look.  A clipped hedge is effective in some situations, but this plant shouldn’t be used as a clipped hedge.  Continual shearing should also be accompanied by plucking, a pruning technique that requires cutting deeply into the plant to allow light in and encourage interior growth.   Shearing most of the types commonly sheared in American gardens promises a high maintenance garden.  Lots of new growth results from indiscriminate shearing.

One other pruning problem I see here is the narrowing of the bottom of the plants.  Even pros (who probably did this work) commit this pruning faux pas.  If you want the plant to be full to the ground the top must be narrower than the base to allow light to fall on the lower branches and leaves.  Here’s a good article on pruning for some additional information. 

*It is a dwarf, but, as I’ve heard said, “dwarf just means there’s a bigger one out there somewhere”.

Smart Irrigation

  • August 2, 2010 3:30 pm

Last week,  Lenny Theobald of Rain Bird gave a talk about efficient irrigation during customer appreciation day at Shemin Landscape Supply in Morrisville, NC. 

I’m all about efficiency in the landscape.  Water is critical but so often improperly used, wasting this precious resource and wasting money.  I’ve posted a couple of articles on proper watering, see here and here. 

Rain Bird emphasizes the Intelligent Use of Water (click for their publication).   Lenny focused on some of the most efficient products Rain Bird recommends. 

I’m most excited about their new Copper Shield drip lines.  These drip lines are specially designed to be used for subsurface drip irrigation.  One of the biggest problems with drip irrigation underground is that roots can clog up the in-line emitters.  Root inhibiting chemicals can be used in the lines, but these have copper inserts at each emitter that naturally inhibits roots with a localized effect.  It’s been tested for 15 years and is expected to have a 16 year lifespan.  Subsurface drip is perfect for devil’s strips (the area between the curb and sidewalk) and for other narrow areas of turf where overspray is hard to reduce with overhead irrigation.  I suppose it could also be used for groundcover plantings as well.  I’d love to find someone in the Triangle, NC area who’d like to give this product a shot.  Correct installation is critical, spacing of lines and emitters depends on the type of soil.

Have you ever seen soil erosion or water leaking around a head on a system, especially at low areas?  Water will drain out of the lowest irrigation head due to simple gravity.  This water loss is a complete waste that can increase the chance of water hammer in lines and means the zone needs to run longer to recharge the empty pipes and irrigate the area.  Check valves can keep this from happening.  Some municipalities require check valves at heads near curbs and sidewalks–it’s a good idea to use them to save water.

Did you know that sprinkler heads run best at certain water pressures?  Too much pressure results in tiny water droplets that can easily evaporate and drift.  There are sprinkler heads with pressure regulating mechanisms that help make the heads more efficient–most can save you 50% more water if the pressure is too high. 

More savings can be found with nozzles that allow better close in watering at the heads.  Have you ever noticed that grass close to the head doesn’t seem to get much water?  It’s easy to just make that zone run longer, but then you are overwatering other areas and wasting water.  Using the most efficient nozzles can save up to 30% more water. 

There’s a lot that can be done with proper scheduling of irrigation systems to save water.  Lenny said that, on average, most irrigation systems are adjusted 1.5 times per year.  Usually systems are set for the highest water demands of the year.  Or maybe they are set for that new landscape installation and never adjusted.  Both mean a lot of wasted water.  Ideally, systems should be adjusted weekly weekly, or at least monthly.   Minimally, systems should have rain sensors to keep them from running when it’s rained a predetermined amount.  Rain Bird has a soil sensor that should be even better than a rain sensor.  Both types of sensors will shut off the system until enough of the water disappears (from the rain sensor or the soil).   Sensors can be used on any system. 

Rain Bird finally has a smart controller I can recommend.  Until now, I’ve only recommended the Toro Intelli-sense controller which uses downloaded ET data to schedule waterings.  Other smart controllers are available, but I haven’t liked the on-site weather stations.  Rain Bird has a rain gauge that calculates how much and how fast rain falls.  That data is combined with historical weather data for your area to schedule watering more efficiently.   Smart controllers have been shown to save at least 35% more water than regular controllers.  

I worked with clients that had a new irrigation system installed.  The couple was expecting a child in August.  The system went in in July with a smart controller installed.  When I took a look at the system in September, the watering schedule had adjusted itself to water no more than once or twice a week (in summer it had been watering 3 times a week).  While adjusting to new baby schedules, my clients had no time to adjust irrigation schedules.  If they had installed a old style controller, they’d have wasted a lot of water and money!

Now, all of these water saving products will increase the cost of your system.  But remember, a cheap system will cost you a lot of money over time.  Most of these extra costs will be made up in the first couple of years in water savings.  Also, if you have an existing system, it can be updated with new technology.  Whether you are installing a new system or upgrading an old one be sure to find an irrigation contractor that is familiar with these products.

If you make sure your irrigation system is as efficient as possible there is no doubt you’ll save water and money.  Plus, you’ll have a healthier landscape better able to withstand drought if the water needs to be turned off.  Our most visible water use (and water waste) tends to be in our irrigation systems.  It’s often the first water use attacked during droughts.  If we can all save water, maybe we can keep those attacks at bay.

Peaches for North Carolina

  • July 30, 2010 4:53 pm

Last night I attended a fun lecture at the JC Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh.   Dr. Mike Parker (Mike), a pomologist at NCSU, talked about growing peaches in NC. 

He discussed how to determine when a peach is ripe, the types of peaches suitable for NC growers, as well as some tips for growing peach trees.  Then we had a tasting, yum. 

How to choose a ripe peach.

Color:  Don’t look at the red color on a peach.  Look at the “ground” color.  The ground color is the color under the red, usually most easily seen at the stem end of the peach.  It should be white or light yellow.  If it’s green, it’s not ripe and if you pick it, it may never be.

Swelling:  The peach should be uniformly swollen on the sides of the “suture”, that’s the line from stem end to tip.  It should be plump looking on both sides.

Softness:  This is harder to determine—we don’t want to bruise our peaches.  A hard peach may never soften.  In fact, Dr. Parker said that Chilean growers want to breed harder peaches so they can ship better.  He also said he likes a crisp peach, others may think that’s a bit sacrilegious because if the juice doesn’t run down your chin, you’ve got a bad peach.

Peaches for NC growers.

Peaches are grafted fruit trees.  That means a portion of the desired fruit tree (scion) is attached to and grown on a rootstock well adapted to our soils.  There are three good rootstocks for NC;  Lovell, Halford for the Piedmont and Guardian for the Sandhills.

It is important to choose cultivars that have a long chilling period, over 750 hours for us (1000 hours is even better).  The chilling period is the length of cold weather (under 45°) required for blooming.  Some peaches have short chilling periods which allow them to bloom when we have warm winter days.  Then, after a nice balmy day, the blooms get zapped with low temps and you’ll get no peaches for that year.

If you have room, grow more than one type.  That way, you’ll extend your harvest as most peaches ripen at different times.

Some recommended varieties are:  Contender, Redhaven, Norman, Carolina Belle (white-fleshed), Winblo, Summer Pearl (white-fleshed), Cresthaven, Encore and Legend.  These are all self-pollinating so you only need one tree for fruit.  Others are Norman, Intrepid, Clayton, Derby, Challenger, Jefferson, Biscoe, Carolina Belle, China Pearl (white-fleshed) and Carolina Gold.

Growing Peaches

Peach trees require some care to get a good harvest.  It’s important to thin young fruits so that the fruit isn’t too heavy to break the branches.  Fruits should be spaced about 6 inches apart on the branches.  Dr. Parker showed a few ways growers do this; a toilet brush (unused for its intended purpose, of course) on a stick to run over the branches, a plastic baseball bat to knock young fruits off or simply climbing on a ladder to thin by hand.

Proper pruning is also important during both the winter and summer.   A well pruned tree will allow light and air to get into the center of the tree as well as support the heavy summer fruits.

A problem with peaches is a syndrome called Peach Tree Short Life (PTSL).  It might be caused by nematodes in the soil.  In an area where this has been a problem, soil fumigation before planting new trees might be helpful.

Dr. Parker said there are no completely organic ways to fight a few peach pests.  But he reminded us that organic, meaning no synthetic chemicals, doesn’t imply “safe”.  Nicotine is organic, but it’s a potent pesticide requiring respirators and other protective clothing.

Weed control around peach trees is also important.  He showed some photos of 5 year old trees surrounded by grass and bare soil.  The trees surrounded by bare soil were much larger than the others.  Someone asked if mulch was OK and Dr. Parker said that it would be most of the year, but in winter it could harbor pine voles that could damage your trees.  Pull the mulch back 2’-3’ away from the trunk.  He also recommended painting the trunks white (using latex paint) in the winter to discourage borers.

It’s good to plant bareroot trees in January.  Container grown trees could be planted any time. 

Dr. Parker and his colleagues have produced a publication called Producing Tree Fruit for Home Use.  Check it out for more information about growing peaches.

Finding Peaches for your garden

When asked about sources for trees, Dr. Parker said that glossy catalogs probably won’t have plants that meet the requirements above.   (By the way, there are no dwarf peaches with good fruit.)  Neither will big box stores.  If you find plants for sale you should find out the tree variety and the variety of the rootstock. North Carolina Foundation Seed Producers in Zebulon (919-269-5592) grows trees on Guardian rootstock and sells bareroot plants.  Pat McCracken of McCracken’s Nursery, grows trees in 1 and 3 gallon containers.  You can reach Pat at 919-365-7878, he’s also in Zebulon.   If any readers know of other growers, please provide info in the comments and I’ll add them to the list.

The tasting

After learning all this fantastic information the peaches smorgasbord was unveiled.  Here’s a pic of them all ready for sampling.  That’s Dr. Parker in the background.  Peaches to Sample

We got to try 10 varieties.  Norman, a unnamed white fleshed variety, White Lady (white fleshed), Winblo, Challenger, Intrepid, Contender, China Pearl (white fleshed), Carolina Gold and a Peento or doughnut type (white fleshed).

My favorites were Intrepid, Challenger, Contender, Norman and Carolina Gold.  As you can see, I’m not a big fan of white fleshed peaches.