Cones of Concern

I bet worrying about volcanoes is low on your priority list.  Well, I hate to tell you, but there are two types of local volcanoes to fret over.  The first is a “large swelling of hot rock” that Rutgers University scientists found deep below New England.  That magma isn’t expected to cause us a problem for millions of years, or perhaps ever.  The other type are in commercial landscapes, in front of convenience stores, and even in front yards.  They don’t spit steam and lava, but they’re dangerous nonetheless.  They are the MULCH volcanoes.

In case you think I’m blowing smoke, let me explain.  Over the last few decades, it has become a common practice to make a circle of mulch around a tree.  Sometimes, mulch is applied to the circle every year, and it eventually builds up ten, twelve, perhaps even eighteen inches high.  This “volcano” makes the tree look like it is sticking out of a highly iced cupcake (but we don’t call them mulch cupcakes because that would be, frankly, silly).

Stuff happens inside the volcano.  Surface rooting is encouraged, and girdling roots may grow around the trunk, strangling the tree.  Lots of organisms which decompose mulch accumulate, and they start to decompose the buried bark of the tree.  Insects and rodents may also be encouraged to move in.  If enough bark is destroyed, the tree declines from “mulch girdling.”  Lastly, some experts have found that hardwood bark mulch contains manganese.  More mulch means more manganese, which in turn robs the tree of iron.  Over-mulched trees may gradually have smaller leaves that are pale green or yellow, shoot dieback, and an overall unhealthy appearance.  

I’m not blowing my top over mulch around trees; far from it.  Mulch is good because it keeps mowers and string trimmers away, since dinging the bark enough times causes tree death from a syndrome called “lawn mower blight.”  Discouraging close grass and weed growth also provides a neat appearance and helps the tree to grow, since some herbaceous plants (such as the grasses called fescues) exude chemicals from their roots that actually inhibit young woody plants.  But we just need to layer the mulch two or three inches deep and no more, and to keep it away from the trunk.  Shape your mulch like a saucer, with a rim to catch water (especially for newly planted specimens) and very little in the center near the bark, and all will be fine.

So what started all this mulch madness?  Here’s my theory.  Unlike many horticultural problems which have their roots in neglect, mulch volcanoes originally sprouted in the well-tended landscapes around upscale apartments and commercial centers.  Each spring, the faded mulch was covered over with a fresh layer by busy landscape crews making things beautiful.  No one stopped to consider what was happening, and homeowners drove by, saw the highly manicured grounds, and said, “Hey, that must be the way to take care of trees!”  The volcanoes then went residential because people lava to mulch.    

Seeing Yellow

What do you see when you look at a lawn full of dandelions?  Driving past bright-speckled lawns on my way to work got me thinking about how Americans, divided by so much, are probably also split by their reactions to these vivid yellow flowers popping up hither and yon.  Here are some ponderings on the human reaction to Taraxacum officinale. 

Kids tend to like dandelions, and I can see why.  The mini-yellow suns are undeniably cheerful, and blowing on the seedheads is a delightful way to celebrate spring.

Beekeepers vote “yes” to dandelions because they supply honeybees with an early cache of pollen and nectar.  Although foreign, dandelions can benefit many types of pollinators and tend not to push out native plants as much as establish themselves in landscapes already disturbed by human activity.

Dandelions have long been used a diuretic, which has earned the species the unflattering names “wet-the-bed” and “pissy beds.”  Warts, asthma, low blood pressure, poor circulation, ulcers, constipation and colds have all been treated with dandelions at some time and place in history, so just about all of us might want to show them a little love for their service to humanity.

Nutritionists know that young dandelion leaves are full of vitamins, including A, C and E, as well as antioxidants.  Epicureans make a coffee substitute from the roots and create salads with the leaves.  When I bought my old house, a bottle marked “Dandelion Wine, 1972” was found in the basement.  Unfortunately, the contents looked far too questionable to taste, but I like to think of it as a leftover from the “Flower Power” generation. 

Home sellers might find dandelions distasteful.  To some, plants other than grass in a lawn indicate a slackening of standards, sloth and laziness.  If my neighbor has dandelions, is anyone going to want to buy my home?  Others worry about the spread of depravity, and the puffball of dandelion seeds is seen as a precursor to the spread of problems, perhaps even those beyond weeds.  In poking around the comments section of some websites, I’ve discovered that having a dandelion-free lawn is more important in some neighborhoods than waving hello.  Weed-less-ness is also a symbol of spending power.  There tend to be fewer dandelions in neighborhoods with greater discretionary income, since getting rid of dandelions is costly, whether you do-it-yourself or hire-it-out.  Spending money indicates wealth, and those with wealth are seen as good and worthwhile, especially in today’s U.S.A.           

Big chemical companies love dandelions, since they’ve used the plant to convince some lawn owners that dandelions are evil and need to be eradicated.  This of course puts more green in Big Chem’s pockets.  It also benefits an entire chain of advertising firms, wholesalers and retailers, and lawn care operators who market, sell, and spray the herbicides.  An interesting exercise for an economist might be tallying up the money involved in killing the cheeky, yet humble, dandelion.

How else do we see you, dandelion? 

2019 Summer Gardening Programs at Rensselaer County's CCE Demonstration Garden

This year's schedule of gardening programs presented by the Horticulture Program of the county's Cornell Cooperative Extension   appear below.  All programs are free and open to the public. Presenters   are either Master Gardeners or Extension staff.

The Demonstration Garden is located on the campus of  the Robert C. Parker School  at 4254 Rte. 43 in Wynantskill (North Greenbush, NY 12198).

Directions From Interstate I-90 Exit 8: East onto Rte. 43; pass through the Rte. 4 intersection towards West Sand Lake for approximately 2.1 miles;  turn left into the Robert C. Parker School. Parking is adjacent to the demonstration garden.  

For more information, call Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Horticulture Program at (518) 272-4210 or e-mail dhc3@cornell.edu.

Program Schedule

• “Introduction To Straw Bale Gardening” - Wednesday, May 15 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Planting vegetables and flowers directly into straw bales may sound odd, but it provides many advanatges and amazing results! Master and Straw Bale Gardener Becky Raymond will show us this novel technique. Bring your garden soil for a free pH test, too!

• “Starting Right With Tomatoes” - Tuesday, May 21 from 7 to 8 PM.
Tiny tomato plants are like puppies: they grow best with guidance. We’ll discuss how to prepare the soil, plant, fertilize, water, stake and keep diseases at bay so your young tomato plants will produce a healthy harvest. Bring your garden soil for a free pH test, too!

• “Perennial Plant Propagation: New Plants From Old” - Wednesday, June 5 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Come watch Master Gardeners demonstrate various techniques to get new plants from your favorite perennial plants. We’ll show simple division, softwood cuttings and other techniques you can employ at home, and giveaway some samples, too!

• “Using Herbs Throughout The Seasons” - Tuesday, July 9 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Explore the varied uses of herbs you can grow yourself, including for teas, medicine and cooking. The basics of growing herbs and of drying and storing them for future enjoyment will also be discussed by Master Gardeners led by Kathy Hartley and Janet Poole.

• “Cooking In The Garden” - Tuesday, July 30 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Back by popular demand! What can you do with summer’s gorgeous produce? Using vegetables grown on-site Master Gardeners will prepare a variety of fresh and healthy dishes to share with the audience. Join us to learn new recipes and enjoy sampling some delicious sum- mer foods! Master Gardener leaders will be Nancy Scott and Barbara Nuffer.

• “Late Summer Is For Lawns” - Tuesday, August 13 from 7 to 8 PM. 
Mid-August to mid- September is the best time for lawn weed management, overseeding, fertilizing, and renovation. Bring samples of problems (weeds, bugs, etc.) and we’ll discuss options to improve your lawn for the future. Hosted by CCE Educator David Chinery.

• “Great Tomato Tasting” - Tuesday, August 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 PM. 
NOTE EARLIER START TIME! What’s your favorite tomato? Come find out by tasting a wide variety of delicious tomatoes grown by Master Gardeners. We’ll have some old favorites as well as some new top picks. We’ll also talk about tomato growing challenges, so bring us your tired, your diseased, your dead specimens, yearning to be compost.

“Cornell Cooperative Extension is an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities and provides equal program and employment opportunities.” Individuals with questions or special needs requiring accommodation should contact Cornell Cooperative Extension at (518) 272- 4210. CCE provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Best Maple Ever?

The flowering trees look especially spectacular this year.  From the white lace of the native shad to the bright magenta of the redbuds, there is a colorful feast for the eyes on every hillside and in every neighborhood.  Perhaps even more impressive, but rather ominous, are the blooming Norway maples.  A bright yellow-green in flower, they promise to rain down bazillions of invasive helicopter-like seeds in just a few weeks time.  What seemed like the greatest tree going when imported by John Bartram in 1756 is now confirmed as an unfortunate mistake. 

Once proclaimed “the best maple we have for street use” and “one of the finest ornamental trees,” Norway maple today brings cries of derision from ecologists, a shrug of the shoulders by nurseries which still sell it, and blank stares from non-gardeners.  Where did all the angst, ambiguity and ambivalence come from?  Native not just in Norway, but in a broad swath all the way to the Caucasus Mountains, Acer platanoides naturally inhabits lowlands and river valleys, but has many characteristics which allow it to thrive far beyond its original territory.  It can survive, and often thrive, in darker shade than most other trees, and grow in mediocre soil and dry conditions, allowing it to inhabit many niches.  It blooms early, produces copious seeds annually, and spreads them liberally.  The seeds then germinate in high numbers.  It survives in smoke and air pollution, compacted soil, and around road salt.  When selecting a tough, easy-to-grow tree, our fore-gardeners found a good thing.  The hitch is that all this also makes for the perfect invasive tree, one that can jump the garden fence and run amuck, without a glance back over its lower limb.  Perhaps Norway maple is the Norway rat of the horticultural world.

All this is not to say that Norway doesn’t have problems.  This is a tree that is particularly prone to girdling roots, errant underground growths which wrap around and cause self-strangulation.  While sometimes easily visible at the soil surface, trunk cracking and straight or concave (rather than convex) lower trunk conformation indicate girdling roots are lurking down below.  Girdling roots are so common on Norway maples that it is probably more normal than not to see a large Norway maple declining due to this silent killer.

Then there is tar spot, a leaf disease which makes Norway maples ugly, but doesn’t cause them lasting harm.  Two summers ago, weather conditions helped create the perfect storm for this fungus to go on a rampage, and by August Norways were dropping leaves like a shedding sheepdog drops fur.  Since the hills of Troy are covered in Norways, the area looked terrible, and people grew distressed.  When the local TV news came calling, I had a difficult time acting concerned, since not only do I not feel bad when invasive weeds suffer, but I also knew that the trees would ultimately be fine.  Perhaps if we could reduce the Norway maple story to a soundbite, the public would listen.