Boardash: ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Thursday January 14, 2010

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

ArcaMax Gardening Daily Tips for Thursday January 14, 2010

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Q&A: Tall Annuals for School Garden

Question: Last fall our school planted thousands of spring bulbs. We now need to start annuals from seed to tuck in between the bulbs after they are done blooming. They will be seen from a distance, so bright colors and height are factors to consider. But our biggest concerns are that they be low-maintance (not too much deadheading), have good disease and pest resistance (we are trying to make it organic for the children) and are easily started from seed. Our garden is large, about 350 square feet.

Answer: Congratulations on your garden -- it sounds wonderful! My favorite easy-to-grow annual flowers are cosmos, zinnias, and sunflowers. There are many different varieties of each of these. You can start the cosmos and zinnias indoors about 6 weeks before your last frost date if you can provide them with supplemental fluorescent light, but sunflowers are best direct sown in the garden. (Actually, all can be direct sown.) Nasturtiums are also easy to grow, but note that they flower best in relatively poor soil. If you have a fence or trellis in the garden, consider morning glories. You could also throw in some attractive vegetables, such as Swiss chard. And a small pumpkin patch might be a big hit, because the pumpkins will be ready when the children return to school in the fall.

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Q&A: Tree Roots and Sidewalks

Question: I am planning to plant a tree in my front yard. I am considering a maple or aspen; will the roots of these trees damage the sidewalks, which are about 12 feet away?

Answer: I'd select a Japanese maple. These are shallow-rooted trees, but the roots are not as troublesome as some of the larger and more notoriously surface-rooted maples. These trees need a soil that is humusy and cool as well as evenly moist, yet well drained. They benefit from a layer of several inches of organic mulch year round, spread out to cover the entire root zone. This makes growing lawn beneath it unnecessary, but if you do grow lawn there, you shouldn't see roots at the surface.

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Tip: Save Christmas Trees

Save your Christmas tree to provide bird habitat. Place it outdoors until spring near your bird feeders to provide winter cover from predators for small birds such as chickadees as they fly to and from the feeders.

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