Reading archive 2020-05-05

Mulches: The Good, The Bad, and The Really, Really Ugly

The Myth of Well-Behaved Ornamentals: “Garden plants do not become invasive”

The Myth of Xeriscaping: “Use of drought-tolerant plants reduces residential water consumption” - "One study demonstrated that mesquites – a staple of xeric landscapes – use more water than oaks under optimal conditions.

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"A study in Arizona several years ago demonstrated that homeowners understood the ecological principles behind xeriscaping, but their desire to have an aesthetically pleasing landscape translated to increased irrigation. Ironically, those homeowners most concerned about water shortages and conservation used more water than their neighbors with traditional landscapes!"

The Myth of Instant Landscaping: "How hard can it be to stick a plant in the ground?" - "It seems like common sense to add the rich, well-drained potting material to the planting hole to give the plant a head start. In actuality, this contributes to one of the leading causes of post-installation plant death. The potting material is always more porous than the surrounding soil: hence, it dries out faster and needlessly stresses the roots of the plant."

The Myth of Fragile Roots “You shouldn’t disturb the rootball when transplanting trees and shrubs” - "Though gentle handling of roots is good advice when transplanting seedlings, especially annual flowers and vegetables, woody perennials, shrubs, and trees all benefit from a more vigorous approach.

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"Containerized materials, especially those in gallon sized pots, often have serious root problems as a result of poor potting-up techniques. Potbound plants exhibit circling root systems, which if not corrected become woodier and more troublesome the older they get. Eventually these circling root systems become girdling roots, which can lead to the early death of otherwise healthy trees and shrubs. At transplant time, a more aggressive approach to root preparation can discover potentially fatal root flaws. Circling roots, J-hooked roots, knotted roots, and other misshapen roots can often be corrected by careful pruning. In this manner it’s possible to remove those root problems before they threaten the survival of your shrub or tree."

The Myth of Wandering Weedkiller “Glyphosate will move through root-grafts and kill non-target plants”

The Myth of Biodynamic Agriculture “Biodynamics is a scientifically sound approach to sustainable management of plant systems”

The Myth of Companion Plantings “Certain species will thrive, lean on, nestle with, and support each other in groupings” - "The problem with using the phrase 'companion plants' is that it is broadly used to describe plant interactions in the realms of science, pseudoscience, and the occult. A Google search of the phrase turns up nearly 10,000 hits on every type of web site imaginable – but only slightly more than 200 of these are .edu sites. On such sites and in the scientific literature there are credible and intriguing studies demonstrating the mutualistic relationships among companion plants and their associated, beneficial insects and microbes. On less credible sites and in some popular books are the pseudoscientific claims that companion plants can be determined by 'sensitive crystallization' of their extracts (i.e. to discover which plants 'love' each other), or through study of a plant’s “rhythm, its vibration, its music, and its note.” When the science gets lost in the supernatural, then it’s time for academicians and professionals to consider using different terminology.

"Fortunately, there are several alternate phrases or terms with precise definitions that can be used in lieu of companion planting. 'Intercropping' and 'polyculture' are commonly used to describe agricultural production methods using mutually beneficial species. Ecologists use 'plant associations' to define natural relationships among plants in non-agricultural situations. This latter phrase is my own choice for discussing the science behind plant interactions."

The Myth of Soil Amendments: "When transplanting trees or shrubs into landscapes, amend the backfill soil with organic matter."

The Myth of Clean Compost: "Compost is a safe, chemical-free source of nutrients for gardens"

The Myth of Permanent Peatlands: "Peat moss is an environmentally friendly organic amendment essential for many horticultural purposes"

The Myth of Polyacrylamide Hydrogels: "Polyacrylamide hydrogels are environmentally safe substances that reduce irrigation needs"

Three people charged in killing of Family Dollar security guard over mask policy

Ep. 263 - Earthworm Invaders

Kushner coronavirus effort said to be hampered by inexperienced volunteers