Swan River Gardens

 

 

Question:  All kinds of plants in my yard are covered in Aphids!!! What should I do?

 

Answer:   It depends on the plant but generally the answer is to do nothing.    Aphids simply cannot kill most plants and the chemicals that work best also kill good bugs that love to feast on Aphids. The exception is in your vegetable garden. Since you probably don’t want to eat Aphids along with the broccoli you may want to treat them there.  Their sucking nature does mean they can be harmful by taking valuable moisture from the produce.

 

Start with the simplest solution: plain water, sprayed with pressure from the hose. Aphids are soft bodied insects and cannot take the direct impact of water sending them flying off your plants.    You should check your plants every day once you have seen Aphids.   They have a relatively short life span of only a couple weeks but they can be busy breeding and reproducing the whole time.

 

If water really can’t keep the Aphids at bay on edibles use the minimum amount of an organic product such as insecticidal soap and plan to treat the plants regularly.  

 

For ornamental shrubs and trees, we typically recommend doing nothing unless the infected area is close to an outdoor living area. We have to admit, Aphids can make trying to eat or spend time outside unpleasant.    Whether you treat with an organic or chemical product you will find that you have to repeat treatments throughout the season because of aphid’s voracious reproduction capabilities. Since the treatment can vary by plant type, size and location, come see us for suggestions on what to do and use to treat these pests.

 

 

Question:   I planted Yarrow in my perennial border and now my neighbor says it will be invasive. What can I do to prevent it from taking over?

 

Answer:    Yarrow has a well deserved reputation for being aggressive. If you planted it in a place it likes one small plant can become a 5-7’ wide Yarrow patch over time.    Let your Yarrow get established over 2 seasons.   It should not reach more than 2 feet in 2 years.   Then each spring that follows dig a line around it with a spade going down at least 8 inches.   Yarrow spreads with root growth. You may need to do this one or two more times over the growing season.   This technique will keep it at bay for at least 5 to 6 seasons. After that you should dig up the whole plant and divide it, maybe taking more care to put it in a spot where it can roam.

 

Other kinds of invasive or aggressive plants may need other kinds of measures to restrict their size. Cutting off flower heads before they go to seed prevents plants such as Salvia from freely reseeding. A truly aggressive plant such as Aegepodium (Snow on the Mountain) simply has no foolproof method of control. You really have to plant it where it can dominate because it will and you can’t stop it.

 

Remember too that the majority of perennials require dividing to thrive anyway.   Allow perennials to spend at least 3 years getting established and give them one more past that before you consider dividing them. And be sure to check that your perennial is not one of the minority such as a Peony that hate being divided.

 

 

Question:   Is it really okay to plant trees and shrubs in summer?   In other parts of the country only spring or fall are considered good times.

 

Answer:  Absolutely. But you do have to take a few precautions to insure your success.  We have a big advantage over many areas of the country because of our cool nights.   While we don’t recommend planting on 100 degree days, any day that starts with morning temperatures in the 60 degree range and ends with the same is fine.  

 

At Swan River Gardens we suggest that you buy and transport your plants in the morning, spend the hottest part of the day digging the planting hole (sorry about that!) and plant in the cool evening, giving the plant the whole cool night to recover. 

 

To transport your plants on hot days, a covered vehicle is best but if they have to go in the back of the pickup, drive home slowly and don’t go over 45 miles per hour. When you get home, put the plants in the shade and water the leaves. You are trying to help the plant get over the dehydrating ride home.    If the soil seems dry water it too.

 

When you finish digging the hole, fill it several times with water and allow it to drain away. This accomplishes two things: first, you get a peek at how the soil drains and can correct problems before they damage the plants. Second, it makes sure there is moisture down in the hole where the roots will be looking for it which is extremely important in summer when hot air evaporates much of our watering efforts.

 

Don’t shy away from planting in summer in Montana.   It can work just fine!!