Gabriel's Garden Notes

Spring chores (even though it is still winter)

The official first day of spring is still 3 weeks away, but here in Northwest we have had a very mild winter and are thus about 1 month ahead of our normal gardening schedule.  This is a challenge for me as now I find myself more than a month behind here in my garden!  I am right on schedule with the gardens I manage though. 

Garden Chores

Late winter is a great time to topdress your mixed border beds with a quality compost.  I recommend Bailey's Compost (a small family run busines) out of Snohomish for veggie gardens or Cedar Grove Compost  (the largest composting facility of its kind in the world) for mixed (perennial, annuals, shrubs and trees) borders.  Pictured above is a garden post spring clean up with 1" of compost.  I recommend applying 1" to 2" of compost per year.  Buying compost in bulk is by far less expensive than buying bags (plus why use all those plastic bags). One yard of compost is about $25.00.  Bulk compost can be purchased at Sky Nursery in Shoreline or at one of Cedar Groves facilities.  If you need 5 yards or more you can have it delivered to your home.  If this sounds like too much work, you know who to call, me!

I usually wait till mid March to prune my roses, not this year.  They were done a few weeks ago.  Apple trees are also done, if you haven't done yours yet do not put it off any longer.  As always, if you need a hand, send me an email at gabbysgardening@gmail.com and I will squeeze you into my schedule.

Edibles 

The interest in growing edibles continues to climb.  Just check out your favorite gardening magazine and you will find an article on growing fruits and veggies.  I spotted this trend in both Fine Gardening and Horticulture whereas a little over a year ago these magazines focused only on ornamental plants. So if you want to get with the trend, it is not too late to get started  by planting a fruit tree in your yard this month.  Asian Pears (which are actually also quite ornamental) and Italian Prunes produce well in the Northwest and both of these types of fruit trees have very few pest or disease problems.  Your local nursery should still have a great selection to choose from.  I prefer to shop at a specialty nursery over chain marts such as Wal Mart, Lowes or Home Depot as the care plants receive at the latter is abysmal.

Gabby's Garden 

At home I focus on growing lots of interesting edibles.  I have many trays of seeds already started (artichoke starts pictured above) and today I planted some varieties of turnip, beet, lettuce and radish in my 8' x 4' raised bed we installed last fall.  The soil in raised beds warms more quickly than in my other garden areas so that is the first place I direct sow seed.

I also keep a few ducks and chickens which provide me with fresh eggs, and fertilizer.  They also are my main defense against insect pests.  Pictured below is an omelet with fresh duck and chicken eggs (note the bright yellow color) with spinach and garlic from the garden.  I can't wait to start harvesting lettuce. 

Certified Arborists

     A few weeks ago I pulled up to one of my clients gardens and was dismayed to see that the homeowner across the street had had their trees "pruned".  I added the quotations because I would not really call what I saw pruning.  I call it destruction of property.

   In fact, nearly every plant I could see from the sidewalk appeared to have received the same treatment. Severe reduction of all existing limbs and branches. This sight, sadly, is not as uncommon as it should be.  One often sees this type of severe pruning of trees along Highway 99 outside of car dealerships.  Many businesses I suppose feel that trees may obstruct consumers views from seeing their merchandise or sign-age.  

As an experienced horticulturist and ISA Certified Arborist I would never recommend pruning trees in this fashion.  It causes many problems for the tree and will start an endless cycle of tree maintenance that will now need the same procedure year after year to control the rush of growth that the tree will now put on to replace what was so thoughtlessly removed in the first place. The stubbed trunk and limbs now have no capacity to photosynthesize as all the branches that had leaf buds were removed.  Now the plants must regenerate new branches in order to survive. This new growth will deplete all reserve stores that are currently in the root system severely stressing the tree and making it more susceptible to weather and disease. 

Why is this so bad? These plants will have been severely weakened by using all their reserves to just survive. A drought like the summer of 2009 could easily mean the death of these trees.  If this type of pruning is continued the plants will become weaker and weaker and will eventually die.  Each genus (type) of tree has specific pruning needs but a general rule is that one should not remove more than 1/4 of a trees leaf producing branches a year.  Some trees really resent any pruning at all.  Flowering Cherries for example are very prone to fungal diseases, especially here in the rainy northwest.  Pruning cuts create wounds which make trees susceptible to disease and rot which can eventually lead to limb failure or death.

The aesthetic value of these trees has also now been irreparably damaged.  It is a fact that mature trees add thousands of dollars of value to your home and increase property value in your neighborhood.  Astonishingly though Seattle has seen a 50% reduction in it's tree canopy in the last 40 years.  This makes it more important than ever to properly care for the trees that remain to preserve the quality of life in our area.

 So what should you do if you if you want to have trees or shrubs pruned at your home or business?  Consult a certified arborist or work with a reputable Landscape Manager. Be wary of those coming door to door offering deals on tree pruning.  Any one with a chainsaw and a pick up truck can call themself an Arborist so make sure you ask if they are certified with the International Society of Arboriculture and ask to see their credentials.  Also, always get 2 or 3 bids on any tree work and ask questions to make sure you understand what the arborist plans to do.  In the Seattle area you can start with a phone call to Plant Amnesty or the Natural Garden Hotline or email me at gabbysgardening@gmail.com to set up a consult.  I can also help you with plant selection, pruning, weed management, edibles gardens, turf management, renovations and more.   My goal is always to improve the health of your landscape, reduce the amount of pesticides used in the environment and to work with your needs and budget to create a landscape you and your family will really love.