YOUR GUIDE TO THE TWIN CITIES
Your question here
Posted on June 4th, 2009 – 8:34 AMBy Robyn Dochterman
Today, we’re throwing open the blog to anyone and everyone who has a gardening question. No query is too big or too small. Few topics are taboo (but they do need to be at least quasi-related to gardening).
If you’ve wondered about seeds, weeds, sprinkling, species, lawns, sun, shade, growing, harvesting, garden decor, veggies, ornamentals, tools, time-management or how to find a single gardener to date, your time is now and this is the place. Except maybe for that last one.
Just remember, when it comes to advice from fellow gardeners (or anyone, for that matter) your mileage may vary.
Here’s my question: Anyone have experience (or even better; success) getting rid of poison ivy? Specifically, how to kill the plant, which is creeping from the woods into my yard. But if you’ve got remedies for the rash, I’m sure I’ll need those, too, soon.
79 Responses to "Your question here"
I’ve got one, I just moved a peony plant and it’s looking sad and droopy. Is there anything I can do or is it going to be a goner? I realize I may have moved it at the wrong time, but I didn’t really have a choice.
Anna, it probably is the worst time to move a peony, but better to move it than lose it. Plenty of water might help it bounce back a bit. If it’s blooming — or about to, I might consider removing the blooms so it can spend its energy on roots right now. Anyone else have thoughts?
No help on the Poision Ivy…but have my own question: My hanging begonias are looking bad. The leaves are turning brown around the edges. Is this due to over watering? What else may turn the edges brown?
Here’s a new question:
My salvia have what appears to be a soapy-bubble looking substance on parts of them. Last night I found some of the same substance on an aster. Anyone have any idea what this is?
Is it too late to plant tomatoes?
Anna, Robyn is right: nip off the blossoms, reduce the foilage by a third, and give it lots of water and if you can a little shde until it looks better.
Cindy, you may have a spittle bug invasion. Hose the little buggers off with a blast from the faucet or it you feel real cruel some soapy water.
Robyn, Poison Ivy is a real nasy customer. This is no place for the flame weeder as the oil gets in the air and can be inhaled. Pulling is futile as any little root bit wil resprout.
The old timers used to send the little guy shavers out for “target practice” but I think that method could be improved on by spraying with a herbicide or concentrated predator urine (fox, coyote, whatever) maybe some real fresh chicken manure to burn it to death!
Where are some good nurseries to find a variety of native plant species?
Tomatoes from seeds or seedlings? It’s never too late for a nice determinant potted tomato weedling…err… seedling. You can always move it indoors if the weather starts getting too cold.
Gertens is the Mecca of all things that go in the ground, including native plants. Ask any of the dryads there for details. If you do a bit of legwork and aren’t afraid to pick up a phone & make some calls, you may be able to find natives more conveniently located to you and for cheaper prices, but that’s a good place to start.
My question: Any recommendation for high yield heirloom green beans that can be locally purchased in the Mpls area? I ended up buying stupid hybrid bush beans earlier this year, so my three sisters plantings are going to look mighty weird. Want to get some good seeds in the ground before I head out for the weekend.
Kat, on the hanging begonias, it could be too little water or too much light. They tend to do best in partial shade, so make sure you keep them out of the hot afternoon sun. Also, even though it’s been cool, it’s also been dry and windy. That kind of weather dries plants out quickly, especially hanging, plants, which are more exposed. Give your begonia a good watering and make sure all the excess water is drained out. And, unless you used a time-released fertilizer when you planted, you’ll want to fertilize every couple of weeks. Anyone else have suggestions?
Laura,
Many local garden centers have native plants, however a few specialize in them. Check out Outback Nursery, Landscape Alternatives and Mother Earth Gardens. To find them — and more local garden centers — go to the Star Tribune’s Garden Center Guide at http://www.startribune.com/gardenguide.
Laura C, have you tried Landscape Alternatives or Prairie Restoration for native plants. Both have lots.
P.S. If the link I posted doesn’t work, go to http://www.startribune.com/homegarden and scroll down to the icon for the Garden Center Guide.
It’s really neat! You can search area garden centers by specialty.
Geoff, I’m not sure where to find them locally, but I ordered my green (and yellow) pole beans from Botanical Interests and they got them here very quickly. They have many options.
No, Bridget, it’s NOT too late to plant tomatoes. In fact, I know lots of gardeners who are waiting unti the weather warms up to plant. Tomatoes are warm-season veggies, which means they don’t like it when the temps dip below 50. A cold night (in the 40s or 50s) usually doesn’t kill them, but it can stunt their growth.
I planted my tomatoes Memorial Day weekend and they’re doing nothing. Just sitting there.
The only way I know of to get rid of poison ivy is to dig it out. My parents cleared our property up north by hand. You need to dig out the roots, which also can give you a rash. Remember, it is an oil that causes issues. If you wash with soapy water, you shouldn’t break out. (unless you’re super alergic)
Is it too late to plant peas? I expanded my container gardens and now I want peas. Not sure if it is too late though.
I have a mystery plant that needs a name…
Here is a link to a picture-
http://clumsycola.blogspot.com/2009/06/what-is-this.html
Thanks !
Amelia, peas like it cool, it’s getting pretty late. But the weather is staying moderate enough for me to encourage you to go ahead and try to plant those peas. All you have to lose is the price of the seeds.
I have two questions -
1. What will grow under and a HUGE blue spruce? Nothing I’ve tried seems to grow! It gets eastern/morning sun and is shaded from about noon-onward. I don’t want to truck in a lot of compost and soil and bury the tree roots and harm it, but the soil under the tree is really poor. Any suggestions?
2. What plants are good for boulevard plantings? Again eastern/morning sun, a boulevard maple tree and some shade cast by the giant blue spruce in the afternoon and evening.
I have asked this before and Peter H. told me it wasn’t that great as far as he knew but does anyone else have any experience with Zoysia Grass? The leaflet that arrived with my Michigan Bulb order looks oh so tempting!
darcie, I did not have good luck with Zoysia Grass, I don’t think it’s ideal with our climate… the patches of Zoysia I put in a few years ago were completely dead in the next year.
Kathy, I don’t know for sure, but I’ve heard some people have had success with bunchberry, lily of the valley, and impatiens.
Geoff - they sell Botanical Interest seeds and Seed Savers seeds at Mother Earth Gardens in Longfellow. That is where I bought my beans for this year.
My question - my brand new strawberry plants are getting eaten by something. The leaves are full of tiny holes to the point where only the leaf veins are really there anymore. Any ideas on what it might be or what I could use on them? Would pepper spray work for bugs?
Laura C., The Vagary is an excellent source for native perennials. Nancy grows them and hauls them up to the St. Paul Farmers Market on the weekends. She offers great advice, too.
Wow, I’ll have to check out all those places. Thanks everyone for your hints!!!
Shady boulevard: I recommend bigroot geranium, some varieties of lamium, and bugleweed, all of which grow nicely in my boulevard. Lately, I’ve tried coral bells, and they seem to be working out, too.
In sunnier spots in my boulevard, I’ve got obedient plant, primrose, blackberry lily, and gooseneck loosestrife.
The best advice I have about boulevard gardening is to garden at or just below the level of the sidewalk. Don’t build up the soil level with raised beds — they will require more water than if you built the garden at sidewalk level, and they won’t help capture any rainwater runoff.
[…] Greengirls – […]
“if you’ve got remedies for the rash, I’m sure I’ll need those, too, soon.”
How badly do you want to avoid the rash?
I ask because I met a logger in VA (where poison ivy vines climb trees & grow to the size of your wrist) who would take some prophylactically. He snipped a small amount of poison ivy leaf and put it in a gelcap (apparently empty gelcaps are available at the pharmacy). He’d swallow it whole & claimed it gave him a whole season of resistance to the rash.
I didn’t stick around long enough to see whether his claims were true, so can’t vouch for its efficacy…
Boy, bsimon, that sounds risky. But I kind of believe it, because your body gets used to bee stings, too, if you get enough (I don’t, I’m a wimp and wear the haz-mat suit).
Peter - It sounds like you have a real green thumb! Wow! What do you do to prevent plants from creeping into your neighbors lawn? I can see how a raised bed would help there, but you make some very strong points about planting at sidewalk level.
I also like how the plants you suggested aren’t too tall and don’t block the view of the street, something I fear might make easy for kids to run into the street unseen by passing motorists.
Thanks for your help!!
I like to fill in with annuals, love the color range and the chance to dabble year to year with different things. But they just aren’t filling in as they have in other places I’ve gardened. I follow the spacing recommendations on the labels. Should I cut the space in half for this climate? Or what? Closer spacing seems key. Or just forget about it and plant them in pots?
My question is about peonies. I have a couple of peonies that are blooming beautifully. But, some others are not. They have very slim leaves — the blooming peonies have wider leaves. Could it be a lack of water? (The blooming ones are mulched, the non-blooming ones are not mulched.)
Kathy, I had a similar situation with my ginormous white pine (morning sun, afternoon shade). Rather than bring in a ton of soil and compost, or disturb big roots, I chose smaller plants that I could pop into little holes with a handful of compost. My smaller ferns, lamium (White Nancy), and small shade annuals (begonias and impatiens) seem to do just fine as long as they get enough water.
MNmom, yes, you have to plant annuals closer together here than you would in a more southern growing zone.
I always pinch back my annuals in order to promote bushier growth. My aunt nearly had a heart attack when I snipped off all the blooms of the marigolds I planted one year, but they grew fuller than ever before, and now she recommends that technique to others.
Two links to the Renegade Gardener:
Annual Disasters
Almost Everything About Annuals
Auntie K, are the non-blooming peonies the same variety as the blooming ones? Are they younger plants? Are they getting as much sun?
MNmom, I’m probably bad, but I pretty much ignore spacing recommendations for annuals. I give them lots of water, a bit of fertilizer, and let them do their thing.
For people trying to grow things under evergreens, you may want to look at blueberries. They love the acidic soil, and with a bit of compost and some assistance helping them establish their roots, they may end up doing pretty good.
An added benefit is blueberries.
Has anyone ever tried to eliminate garden pests with praying mantis? My son got a catalog in the mail for toys and things and there was a kit where you can grow mantis from an egg sack?!?!?!
I want to say I saw a praying mantis or two for sale at Mother Earth Gardens last year, but I could be imagining things too.
Coal, that looks like stinging nettle:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/gardeninfo/weedid/broadleaf/upright/stingingnettle.html
Peter. I got all the peonies last year — all divisions from friends. The non-blooming ones came from one source. The blooming one came from somewhere else. The blooming one gets more shade than the others, which are in full sun. The non-blooming ones have weensy little flower buds, but I don’t think they’re going to do anything.
This might sound a little silly, but I we are brand new to gardening. We renovated almost all of our garden space in our yard between last fall and this spring. Meaning, we put in and/or transplanted at least 40 plants. Many of them are doing NOTHING. The annuals and the shrubs are doing fine, but almost all of the perennials I got- mostly at the Friend’s School Plant sale-are just sitting there. I put most of them in the ground on the 15th of May and have been watering diligently, but I don’t think overwatering. Any ideas? Am I too impatient?
I don’t want a garden that becomes boring once autumn and winter hit us. I’m looking to get some more plants with interesting autumn foliage. So, I’ve only made a cursory look around town and I couldn’t find one, but are there any nurseries that sell the Mt. Airy Dwarf Fothergila to consumers?
Oh, secondly, I have a garage on an alley. There is a 40″ strip between the alley and the side of the garage. The garage roof is angled so that rain will run off onto the 40″ strip. I DO NOT want to mow this area anymore. I’m thinking of putting up some trellises and having some interesting vines climb them. I don’t want vines that attach to the garage, the area will get about 4-5 good hours of sunlight a day, then the garage casts shade across the plot. I’m considering some groundcovers for the ground, but what are some good partial sun low maintenance vines. And are there any good groundcover plants that can handle roof rain runoff?
JM, most of the perennials sold at the Friends sale are pretty small. I’d give them time. A gardener gave me a great rule of thumb once: The first year they sleep, the second year they creep and the third year they leap.
Curmedgeon, the Monrovia website has a fabulous tool where you can see what local nurseries have recently accepted shipment of the plant you want. Just search for your plant, then put in your zip code and it will show you retailers. In the case of Mt. Airy Dwarf Fothergila, it reports that Tangletown, Cobblestone, Mickman and Edenvale have gotten the fothergila. Of course, you’ll want to call to confirm before heading out, but at least you’ve got a starting point now.
Curmudgeon, clematis vines!!! GREAT groundcover is VINCA and Menard’s has deep tubs of them right now for $6, which is a good price for the size, but they were $4.50. They prefer shade. Otherwise, if it gets more sun, phlox.
My peonies baffle me too. This is their second rising, and they barely grew more than they were when we planted them. We put in bone meal, and one looked like it sank, so the other night we carefully raised it (our soil is very clay). Frustrating, since my friend ignores hers and they are HUGE.
I do have a question about tulips and daffodils. After the blooming is done, how long do I have to let the ugly foliage die back before I can just cut it off? If I cut too soon, will it affect them for next year?
FYI, Home Depot has some killer delphiniums in decent sized pots for $4.99. Fleet Farm has some really good buys now too. I just got a 3 foot tall Merrill Magnolia for $22.
Curmudgeon, be sure you buy the perennial versions of the groundcover, there are annual versions of both I think.
Auntie K, I had some peonies that took a few years to bloom after I transplanted them. I have another that hasn’t blossomed yet after two years, but I’m not ready to dig it out. If you have buds, that’s a good sign.
For the life of me, I can’t figure out how to make the Monrovia site do anything like you describe, Robyn. 
When ever I type in “Mt. Airy Dwarf Fothergila”, I get a result for “Dwarf Hairy Penstemon”.
Weird. You’re right, CG. Try Mt. Airy Fothergila and you’ll get closer. I think I probably forgot to put in the word “dwarf” when I searched the first time. Sorry if that’s not what you’re after.
Ah! Tried that way, Robyn, and it worked for me this time! Looks like that’s the one based on the “scientific name” given at the Monrovia site, that’s one of the many scientific names it goes by. I think I’ll be bookmarking their site for future reference now!
Hi there! I am new to gardening and thought that this year was the year to get moving on a side garden, but I have been so overwhelmed with watering!
I am wondering, what are your favorite MN perennials, something outside of the ordinary?
i’ve begun to find two different kinds of caterpillars eating my brussel sprouts leaves. i’ve been picking them off and killing them as i find them. is there a better way to handle them? will they spread to my other brassicas? one is a light green solid color caterpillar, the other is smaller, light green with dark green stripes.
moppysocks
I don’t know how well the praying mantis work for getting rid of pests, but my neighbor gets them every year and they are pretty cool when they get big! We love to find them in the yard and watch them…
Laura, I am not sure what the striped ‘pillar is but the other one is a imported cabbage moth. Get some BT (baccillius thuringetis, maybe I spelled that right) a naturally occuring bacteria that makes the caterpillar die but does not hurt anything not munching on the cabbage family. Any garden center will have it.
Peter. Thanks. I think I will be patient, too. I noticed last night when I went to check on them that the hydrangeas in that same bed are looking rather wilty (but the ones in the other bed are fine). I think it might be the bad combo of first year in new bed and not enough water. (I thought the buds were a good sign, too.)
My home’s previous occupants planted Engelmann ivy vine against a wooden deck wall and elsewhere. This very invasive ivy dropped debris from the trellis overhead, provided wasp habitat, and crept into the lawn.
Weeks ago we removed all the hanging ivy, the original crowns and several inches of roots, but unfortunately runners (stolons?) somehow established themselves under the slatted wood deck. Their shoots are poking through the deck floor slats.
How can I retard or stop the ivy’s growth without chemically damaging humans, animals, and surrounding plants? Concrete?
Anybody have any ideas why my morning glories haven’t popped? I soaked and planted almost two weeks ago and NOTHING.
Nobody answered my tulip question, not a very helpful blog topic apparently.
Hey Bluebird, I cut the spent blooms off my daffodils and tulips, but leave the leaves till they turn yellow or fall over. They look kind of unsightly, but if you hack them off sooner, it does take energy from the roots. You can tie the leaves together to make them look a bit more tidy (or hide them behind some other plant).
Sara, did you nick or sand the hulls of the morning glory seeds before you planted them? If not, they’ll probably still come up, but it takes a long time to get through the thick shell. Keep watering where you planted the seeds. They need to swell to break through the hull.
nhokkanen, in regards to your ivy — concrete might just be the ticket. Can you smother them with concrete block or bricks under your deck?
Speaking of poison ivy rash — what helped me the most last summer was Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy Soap. I tried lots of products — BBPIS gave the most relief. Last summer we learned it is possible to get poison ivy from the pets if they run through a poison ivy patch and then brush up against you. Good luck eradicating your poison ivy plants.
Allison, it’s not native to MN, but it’s definitely out of the ordinary–Fireball Hibiscus. Mine will be 3 years old this summer and I just love the humongous blooms. You can see a pic of it from last year here: http://elisabethviola.blogspot.com/2008/08/fireball-hibiscus.html
Thanks, Robyn, for your suggestion. Alas, to get bricks underneath the deck I’d have to tear up most of the wood slats. So many projects….
I was toying with the idea of pouring powdered concrete mix underneath. But then later if we can afford to pour a slab (and do it properly) I’d have to hammer apart my heavy handiwork and haul it out.
As Charlie Brown says, “AAUGH!”
nhokkanen, I like the powered concrete idea. Very clever. And when the time comes to pour a slab, you can just get a volunteer from craigslist to come get “free fill” from you. No? How about loading up a super soaker with vinegar and shooting at the ivy from between the deck boards?
I like the hardy hibiscus, but they do break dormancy really late. I’m not sure if mine made it through the winter yet (I have the red and a white variety, bought them both at Lowe’s; they made it through the first winter, but this last winter was brutal).
Try getting a goat or two for the poison ivy… from what I hear, they eat everything, and are not negatively affected by poison ivy. Just be careful not to pet them right afterwards… =)
Curmudgeon Geo…I grew Mt. Airy Dwarf Fothergila when I lived in IA and loved it! I never planted here because if I remember, I believe it was hardy from zone 5 and up.
Bluebird 74, I learned this from a friend–to keep your beds tidy without taking energy from your spent bulbs, dig a shallow gullet, push the stems and leaves into the gullet, and bury them. That way, they continue to feed the bulb without the ugliness! Further covering them with mulch helps your beds look even better.
Thanks, Robyn, for the vinegar tip! And I know just the boy to operate the super soaker — my 11-year-old. However I’ll have to set some ground rules, making payment contingent upon him not aiming at Mom.
Peonies won’t bloom if buried too deep. Wait one more year, and if they still don’t bloom, dig them out in the spring when shoots are just appearing. Replant them with the eyes just below the soil surface. If they are divisions, they may take several years to bloom. I received some divisions from a friend five years ago, and it wasn’t until last year did they bloom beautifully. This spring they are even more prolific. Good luck.
Poison ivy- roundup will work- if applied carefully, consistently, and repeatedly. One application will knock it back a great deal- then the problem is, people think it’s gone- and don’t notice it’s not fully killed until it’s back to its original infestation density. Put it on your calendar- go out and search for new leaves 45 days after spraying. Respray all you find. Repeat until- you don’t find any at all. Twice.
Remedy- this is proven- wild touch-me-not; our local Impatiens- has an ingredient in its juice that actually counteracts the urushiol in poison ivy. You can just rub the juice of the touch-me-not over the affected areas- or; make a concentrated juice by boiling; which can be preserved and applied as ice cubes.
Poison Ivy - rhus tox. Get thee to the co-op and look in the homeopathic stuff and get the strongest they have. When you get into PI, put a couple under your tongue ever 10-15 minutes until it stops itching, and when it starts, do again. It will disappear quickly. I say this having a backyard full of it (until Roundup, yes, Greenpa is right).
Poison Ivy…the Minnesota stinging nettle solution works on P.I. as well: Jewel weed. Look for it in or around deciduous forests in the same general area as nettles…usually a lower, wetter area frequently adjacent to a bog. Crush the stem and apply the juice and it provides at least an hour or two of relief. It works for mosquito bites as well. The description of “wild touch-me-not” given by Greenpa makes me wonder if this is the same plant. But Jewel weed is the “Boy Scout” version. 
Not sure if this thread is still open, but I have a question: I live in the city and we recently lost our one and only backyard tree. We’re shopping for a few new trees and hope to create as much of a “native woodland” landscape as is possible on our little lot. We would like to plant a black walnut (this area is on the opposite side of the yard from my veggies, so I think it will be okay). We’re looking for a few other trees that are native to MN, would look natural/woodsy, and would compatible with a black walnut. Any suggestions?
So sad I missed this thread. If you’re still answering questions, I have a few!
1. Are my rose bushes dead if they have no green on them anywhere?
2. When is the best time to plant Peonies?
3. Should I be fertilizing my vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, pole beans)? If so, what is a good organic fertilizer to use?
Erin, since no one else has answered - I don’t know from personal experience, but this UMN site lists some trees that grow well with black walnut:
http://www.extension.umn.edu/yardandgarden/ygbriefs/h407blkwal-tox.html (We have 2 in our yard so I’ve spent some time reading up.)
Here’s my question… I found the strangest plant with flowers growing under one of my pine trees. Anyone have a clue? I couldn’t track it down in any of my plant books…
Greengirls Connie Nelson, Robyn Dochterman and Jaime Chismar are dishin' the dirt from the backyard garden and beyond. Whether you're a greenthumb or greenhorn, they're eager to learn from your misshaps, mistakes -- and most importantly, your sweet successes -- all growing season long.
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