Controlling wild onions and garlic in the lawn

     During the winter months, area lawns are troubled by many weeds; however, wild onions and garlic are particularly troublesome. The two are very similar in growth habit and appearance, and most importantly, are controlled the same way.

     Wild garlic is a cool-season perennial weed with slender, hollow cylindrical leaves. The plant derives its energy and resilience from underground white bulbs, which bear offset bulblets. It's the bulb and additional bulblets that make wild garlic so challenging to control. It occurs in lawns, fields, pastures, and athletic fields and produces a distinctive garlic odor when crushed or mowed. Wild onion is often found on the same sites as wild garlic. You can distinguish the two by looking at the roots. Wild onion does not produce offset bulblets.

   Many lawn and garden enthusiasts spend hours trying to remove the bulblets by hand. In the case of wild garlic, you are almost sure to leave a piece of the bulb or bulblet in the ground, which will likely produce another plant. The difficulty in controlling it comes from the fact that it reproduces from the bulbs and by seed. Also, the fact that wild garlic and wild onion bulbs can live in the soil for years doesn't help either. For this reason, control requires a long-term commitment to winning the battle with wild garlic and wild onions.

    As for control, the best product available is Image, which contains the active ingredient, imazaquin. The herbicide is labeled for use only in established bermuda, centipede, St. Augustine, and zoysia.  Image can cause injury to other turfgrasses, including tall fescue. It also is active on, annual sedges, yellow and purple nutsedges. When using Image, do not apply to lawns hat are emerging from winter dormancy in the spring as well as to newly planted or sprigged turfgrasses.

    For tall fescue lawns, use an herbicide containing 2, 4-D, which is common in broadleaf weed control products such as the Bayer Advanced and Ortho products. They are available in many formulations, and can even be purchased in a ready-to-use version. As with all pesticides, please observe all label directions and safety precautions.

    So, the next time you're faced with a yard full of wild garlic and wild onions, don't panic. Several options are available for control, and the battle is one that can be won with patience and diligence.

Wild onions infest lawns. Peter Dziuk, Minnesota Department
of Agriculture, Bugwood.org. 

Wild garlic is similar to wild onions, but it produces underground bulblets. Ohio State Weed Lab, 

The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org.

  

Blueberries are Great for the Home Landscape

   Blueberries are one of the few fruit crops in production today that are native to Georgia. They are easy to grow, require minimal maintenance, and are relatively free of any significant pests. The plants have a multitude of uses in the landscape: they can be grown as a hedge to screen out unsightly views, to line driveways and side yards, and to serve as a barrier. Most importantly, blueberries provide delicious fruit during the summer months and have many culinary uses.

     There are three types of blueberries grown in Georgia: northern highbush, southern highbush, and rabbiteye blueberries. The southern highbush and northern highbush blueberries require higher levels of maintenance, are grown commercially, and are not recommended for the homeowner in the Atlanta area. Rabbiteye blueberries are the most adaptable, productive, and pest free of the three types of blueberries. Early season varieties of rabbiteye blueberries include ‘Climax’ and ‘Titan,’ midseason varieties include ‘Brightwell,’ ‘Austin,’ and ‘Powderblue,’ and late-season varieties include ‘Ochlockonee’ and ‘Tiftblue.’  Blueberries are not self-fruitful, meaning that they require the planting of a minimum of two different varieties for the plants to pollinate and set fruit.

     Blueberries need at least six to eight hours of sun a day. They require moist, but well-drained soils with organic matter added to it, such as peat moss, compost, or manure.

The plants grow best in acidic soils with a pH of 4.0 to 5.3. If the soil pH is above this range, apply wettable sulfur (90 percent sulfur) or ammonium sulfate to the soil. Do not apply fertilizer immediately after planting.  Unless a soil test is taken, fertilizer is applied four weeks after planting, and in the following years after new growth begins in March. Apply 2 ounces of an all-purpose fertilizer such as 12-4-8, 10-10-10, or an azalea fertilizer. Re-fertilize again in May and July. Spread the fertilizer evenly beneath the plants. Consider having your soil tested for its pH and nutrients content through Gwinnett County Extension.  

Apply three inches of pine bark or pine straw mulch around them. 

      Blueberries produce their fruit from buds on 1-year-old wood, so they should be pruned enough to encourage the production of vigorous new growth each year.  For the first five years after planting, minimal pruning will be required. Remove the low spreading branches and those growing through the center of the bush, especially weak and older branches. After a few years of growth, if the plants become too large for ease of harvest, remove one-third of the older stems during the dormant season to improve light and air penetration.

       Blueberries, if planted and maintained correctly, are a relatively easy fruit to grow. An excellent opportunity to purchase blueberries and some other excellent plants is through the 2020 Annual Gwinnett County Extension Plant Sale. For information on the sale, go to the Gwinnett County Extension website at www.ugaextension.org/gwinnett or contact the Gwinnett County Extension office to have an order form mailed to you.

Blueberries, if given the right growing
conditions, thrive in the home
landscape and provide tasty fruit.

Groundcovers are a pleasing alternative to grass

      Do you have areas of your lawn where grass has difficulty growing? Too much shade, poorly drained soils, steep slopes, and other conditions can present a challenge to having an attractive lawn. If parts of your landscape are not suited to grass, or if you would prefer something else, consider planting ground covers, which are small growing ornamental plants.

    Shade can inhibit the ability of grass to grow. Bermuda grass is the most sensitive to shade because it requires six to eight hours of sunlight a day in order to grow successfully. Tall fescue, zoysiagrass, and St. Augustinegrass can tolerate filtered sunlight, such as under trees. However, they cannot survive in deep shade.

   Several groundcovers thrive in the shade. Liriope, sometimes referred to as monkey grass or lilyturf, is a perennial evergreen that thrives in sites that receive minimal sunlight as well as full sun. It can tolerate drought conditions and both intense heat and cold but will suffer in soils that have poor drainage. Several varieties exist, and they grow 12 to 18 inches in height and form a dense groundcover.  Mondograss is similar to liriope, but it is smaller and grows at a slower rate. The plant is tufted and has fine-textured dark green leaves with a grass-like appearance. In full sun, the foliage is light green, while in the shade it is dark green.

     Other groundcovers can be used as alternatives to lawn grasses. Japanese pachysandra is a low-growing broadleaf plant that thrives in areas of limited sunlight. It does well under trees and tolerates deep shade. However, too much sun causes it to suffer. Ajuga or bugleweed is a small-growing mat-forming evergreen with dark green foliage that comes in many varieties. It produces small blue flowers on spikes that are four to five inches in height. Ajuga can tolerate partial sun, but if planted in full sun, the plants deteriorate.

    Several vines can be used as groundcovers. Confederate jasmine is an evergreen with leaves that are three inches long with a lustrous dark green color. As a spreading groundcover, it grows up to 18 inches in height. The vine produces fragrant small white flowers in the spring. Closely related is the Asiatic star jasmine, which has smaller leaves than the Confederate jasmine, and light yellow flowers. Both types require moist, well-drained soil and do best in full sun to partial shade.

   Some species of junipers can be planted instead of grass, especially on slopes. Shore juniper has bright green foliage and grows up to 12 to 18 inches high and spreads six to eight feet. It tolerates heat and dry conditions once established. Creeping juniper is similar to shore juniper and can grow up to two feet. Bar Harbor juniper is a low- spreading, fast-growing groundcover with feathery, blue-gray feathery foliage that turns a purplish color in winter. Blue rug juniper has silver blue foliage, a low creeping growing pattern, and grows up to four inches tall. Junipers do not tolerate shade and poorly drained soils.

    A few groundcovers should not be planted because they have invasive tendencies. English ivy has an aggressive growth pattern that, if not controlled, can spread rapidly. The vine can grow up trees and completely engulf them. In time, the tree will die and be at greater risk of being blown over in windstorms. Vinca, not to be confused with the annual flowering plant with the same name, is a perennial evergreen with oval shaped leaves that can grow up to two feet in height. It has a light blue flower during the summer months. Though attractive, vinca can spread and overtake an area. Both plants prefer partial shade and will decline in full sun.

    Groundcovers are an excellent alternative to lawns if you have areas where grass is hard to grow or if you would like something different. Once established and if they have proper growing conditions, groundcovers are attractive and durable plants in the landscape.

Confederate jasmine is used as a fine but also as a groundcover.
It produces fragrant white flowers in the spring. It thrives in both
sun and shade. (Photograph by Timothy Daly)

Liriope is an alternative to lawns. It thrives in sun and shade and
is tough and durable for the home landscape.
(Photograph by Timothy Daly)

Small Ants Invading Your Home: Most Likely They Are Argentines Ants

    Many homeowners are observing excessive numbers of small ants invade their homes. These are Argentine ants, and they do not sting; however, their presence can be a nuisance. Argentine ants are originally from South America, and they became established in the United States over a century ago. They are 1/16 to 1/8 inch in length and are light brown. The ants crawl in long, well-organized trails, sometimes over 200 feet long as they forage for food. A mature colony can have over one million ants and multiple queens. They begin migrating indoors during the fall seeking food, water, and shelter from the cold. Controlling Argentine ants can be challenging, but eliminating their nesting areas outside and controlling those that have entered your home will help reduce their populations.    
   Outdoors, they build their nest in leaf litter, piles of firewood, vegetation, mulch, and other areas that provide an abundance of moisture and organic material. Thoroughly inspect the sides of your home and remove these nesting sites. Also, trim vegetation and pull the mulch back at least 18 inches away from the structure. Check for cracks, crevices, and other points of entry on the structure and then seal them up. Clean out your gutters and fix any leaking pipes or faucets. Make sure you put the household garbage in a thoroughly sealed container. Outside your home, apply an appropriately labeled insecticide directly to the nests. 
    Inside your home, clean up and eliminate food sources that are attracting the ants. Make sure all food products are stored either in the refrigerator or in airtight containers. Clean up spilled drinks and food. Baits, which are composed of a poison incorporated into a food source that the ants consume, is the preferred method of treating the ants inside the house. Baits pose little risk of poisoning humans if used properly. Small bait stations, such as the Combat and Raid products, should be placed on or near the ant trail. The ants to take the bait back to their nests, where they share it with other ants and the queens. Remember to follow all label directions and safety precautions when using pesticides. 
    Argentine ants can be quite troublesome and difficult to control. If you are unable to rid your home of these ants in spite of taking measures to reduce their population consider hiring a pest control professional. They have the experience and knowledge of appropriate control measures with access to specialized equipment. To find one, go to the website of the Georgia Pest Control Association at www.gpca.org/.

 

Though they do not bite, Argentine ants can become a nuisance and have colonies of a large number of ants. Photograph by Whitney Crenshaw, Colorado State University, Budgwood.org. 

Long trails of many ants are common with Argentine ants. Photograph by Joe Laforest, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.

Bonsai is a Fascinating Horticultural Art

    One of the most amazing horticultural art forms is the practice of bonsai (pronounced “bone-sigh”), which is the art of miniaturizing trees by growing them in containers. Bonsai is accomplished by using a variety of shaping and watering techniques, and by repotting the trees in various styles of containers. Bonsai trees are not genetic dwarf cultivars of trees. They are created by using any tree or shrub that is kept small by confinement in a container, by specialized pruning of the tops and the roots of the tree, training the trunk and branches through wiring, and other techniques to make the tree take on the appearance of a miniature tree.
    Bonsai originated in China over 100 years ago, but the Japanese perfected the art. The word “bonsai” means meaning “tray-planted” or “tree in a pot” in Japanese. The goal of bonsai is to achieve the desired shape of the particular species of tree while trying to balance the above ground growth with the roots below. The shaping of the tree begins when it is very young and continues until it matures. The tree must be kept in proportion to the size of the leaves, stems, needles, and flowers.
     If you want to get into the art of bonsai, you must realize that bonsai is expensive, it takes to develop the right style of the plants, which can take several years, and you must choose the right tree, such as certain cedars, pines, junipers, maples, elms, certain azaleas, and several others. The leaves, stems, and roots are pruned using special techniques to get the dwarfing effect. Copper wiring is placed around the branches for several months until they lignify (harden).  However, some species this technique is not appropriate since they are too fragile to be shaped in this manner. Shaping is then accomplished by pruning. Bonsai trees are root pruned and re-potted during their dormancy period, and is done more so during development than when mature. The purpose is to prevent the plants from becoming root bound and encourage the growth of healthy feeder roots. The bonsai trees are kept in containers that have holes with a wire mesh covering them in the bottom to prevent soil from washing out. In selecting pots, make sure the color and shape of the pot compliments the trees. Unglazed pots are best used for evergreen trees, and glazed pots are best for deciduous ones. There are many different styles for bonsai trees: formal upright, slant, informal upright, cascade, semi-cascade, raft, literati, and group/forest.Use specially formulated soil for bonsai.
    The plants should be watered occasionally but never overwatered. Fertilize them in spring and fall and use a fertilizer that has chelated iron in it. Most species of bonsai are adapted to temperate climates, like ours, and can be kept outside all year long, as well as indoors.
      Even if you do not the interest in creating your own bonsai trees, there are a variety of places to purchase them. Be prepared to pay a fair amount of money for most bonsai trees due to the work involved in creating one. The ones sold on the internet or in big box retail stores are often of poor quality, so seek out specialty garden centers that sell them. One such place is The Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA, which has an excellent bonsai shop with a wide variety of selections.
    Bonsai can be a very rewarding, but time consuming and expensive hobby. For more information, go to the The Bonsai Site website www.bonsaisite.com/ which has a multitude of information on bonsai trees.

Here is an example of a pine  that has been crafted into a bonsai tree.

Flowering Vines Add Color and Interest to the Home Landscape

   A large variety of plants are available for planting in the home landscape. One often overlooked group is the vines. Many thrive in our area and add beauty through their colorful flowers, attractive foliage or both. They have many functions in the landscape. Vines can be used as screens, as groundcovers, and on trellises. On arbors, they can provide shade in a short period. Some species have fragrant flowers.
    Vines climb by one of three methods: tendrils, by twining or by clinging.  Tendrils are flexible leafless stems that wrap themselves around anything they contact. Grapes and muscadines are examples. Twining vines wind their stems around any available support, and honeysuckle and wisteria are in this category. Climbing vines, such as Boston ivy and Virginia creeper, have root-like structures that hold to walls, trees or surfaces as support. Many species of vines from all three categories thrive in the home landscape.
  Carolina jessamine produces prolific amounts of fragrant tube-shaped yellow flowers in the early spring. The plant’s shiny leaves are one to three inches long and are evergreen. A native to Georgia, it thrives in both sun and partial shade although its blossoms are in greater abundance with more light. Crossvines produce yellow to orange to red flowers later in the spring. Like Carolina jessamine, the plant is evergreen, tolerates different light conditions, but its blooms are more prolific when grown in full sun.
   When mentioning honeysuckle, we think of the highly invasive Japanese honeysuckle that produces yellow to white fragrant flowers and devours everything. However, other species do not have these tendencies and are excellent garden plants. Most notable is the coral honeysuckle that produces small tubular shaped flowers that are red to orange in color. The vine grows at a moderate rate and is excellent for trellises and is a popular one for mailboxes.
   Several species of clematis are valued landscape plants. They produce vines with dense mats of leaves. They prefer sunlight but can tolerate shade, especially in the afternoon. Their roots prefer cool, moist environments, so an application of fine textures mulch, such as pine straw or pine bark, is helpful. Armand’s clematis is evergreen and has two-inch creamy white flowers that bloom in the late spring. The vine of the downy clematis is a little shorter, and it produces two to three inch wide light blue flowers in the late spring. The sweet autumn clematis has dense clusters of one inch wide, fragrant flowers in the early fall months. The vine is deciduous with a vigorous growth habit and can be somewhat invasive, so pruning after flowering is a must to keep it in bounds.
   Some vines are prized for their foliage. Boston ivy has green, three-lobed leaves that produce thick mats of foliage that turn brilliant red to orange in the fall. They can be grown on walls and trellises. Virginia creeper is a deciduous native vine. Its leaves are composed of five leaflets, and can sometimes be confused with poison ivy, which has three leaflets. It has a growth habit similar to Boston ivy and has attractive fall foliage.
   Confederate jasmine is evergreen and has dense mats of leathery green leaves. It has sweetly scented white flowers in the spring. The Asiatic jasmine is also evergreen but with smaller leaves. The vine does not have as a vigorous growth habit as the Confederate jasmine. Its fragrant spring blooming flowers are yellow to white. Both vines do well as groundcovers.

Trumpet creeper vines has tubular shaped flowers that

are attracted to hummingbirds. They are native to Georgia.

Photograph by Timothy Daly.

The native Carolina jessamine vine thrives in sun and shade.

It produces yellow blossoms in early spring. Photograph

by Timothy Daly.



English ivy: a troublesome invasive vine – avoid planting it

   One of the most popular ornamental plants is English ivy (Hedera helix). Many homeowners enjoy using it as a ground cover. However, English ivy is highly invasive and can cause severe problems in the home landscape. Managing it on private and public lands consumes vast amounts of resources.                                                                                                                              English ivy is a woody evergreen vine. The leaves are alternately arranged along the stems; they are leathery, dark green, and up to three inches across with three to five lobes.  As a groundcover, the vines are small, but when climbing a tree or other structure, they can reach several inches in diameter. The vines develop little appendages that exude a glue-like substance to help it adhere to surfaces. Adventitious roots form along the vines, increasing its ability to spread.                         
    English ivy grows throughout the United States. It thrives in both sun and shade and is adaptable to many diverse habitats, including open fields, dense forests, wetlands and river bottoms, and urban environments. 
 English ivy has an aggressive growth pattern and can cover most everything in its path. The vines are particularly troublesome when they envelop trees. The sunlight is blocked from the foliage, thus reducing photosynthesis. The weight of the vine increases the susceptibility of the tree to being toppled by high winds. English ivy spreads bacterial leaf scorch, a harmful pathogen that affects many trees, including elms, oaks, and maples. An infested tree will decline for years before it perishes.    How can English ivy be controlled? Most importantly, avoid planting it. Surprisingly, many nurseries continue to sell it. Instead, use non-invasive alternatives such as Carolina jessamine, crossvines, Confederate and Asiatic jasmine, Boston ivy, or Virginia creeper. If English ivy has become problematic in your landscape, several tactics can be employed to remove it. Remove the individual vines by hand, preferably when the soil is moist makes it easier to pull out of the ground. If the English ivy is growing up trees, cut the vines a few feet from the ground, which will allow the ones on the upper portions to die.

    English ivy can smother trees and increase their risk of being 

    blown down in storms. Photograph by Nancy Dagley,

    Park Service, Bugwood.org.

                                         

  Chemical herbicides can be used in conjunction with other control methods. RoundUp is effective in reducing the infestation. Also, using herbicides with the active ingredient triclopyr, a component of ones labeled as ‘brush control’ or ‘tough vine killer,’ is particularly useful in controlling the vines. Start by removing as many of the plants as possible by hand, mowing, or using with shears or weedeaters. As the new growth appears, apply the herbicides. Late summer and fall are the optimal time for application. The plants are preparing for winter dormancy. They are translocating their nutrients downward into their roots and a more rapid rate than earlier in the season, thus allowing for herbicide applications to be more efficient. Remember, when using pesticides, follow all label instructions and safety precautions.
   English ivy is a troublesome plant and should never be planted under any circumstances. Consider using alternatives. If you have an infestation, utilize appropriate control methods.




English ivy spreads rapidly and can easily take over properties.
(Photograph by Timothy Daly)

 

Tree Burls: Interesting Growths

     Sometimes abnormal growths appears on trees that can be small but grow to large sizes. These growths are referred to as ‘burls’. They are a hardy, woody outgrowth that forms on a tree trunk or branch filled with small knots from dormant buds. They begin as tumors called galls that result from a tree undergoing suffering stress caused by a disease, insect activity or injuries. The cambial growth inside the tree is hyper-stimulated as a way for it to isolate and contain the injury or infection. The wood is almost always covered by bark.  The burl will continue to grow and expand in size as the tree grows and can double in size over time. The trees are weakened but rarely die although they are more susceptible to toppling in windstorms.

     Burlwood is quite expensive and is prized due to the unique shapes and rings that form in them. The wood is used to make furniture, bowls, and other types of sculptures, and is valuable for making veneer.

    Burls are another one of nature’s oddities.

                                      Tree burls form as a result of the tree containing

                                       and isolating a disease area or injury. Photograph

                                       by Timothy Daly, UGA Extension