Growing Thoughts

It has been a very busy

couple of months for the

Society.

Our AGM was held Tues

Jan 24th as described be-

low. The speaker Frank

Glew, a writer of children’s

books about gardening

related subjects gave a

particularly interesting talk

on the plight of bees and

the effect nicotinoids have

on them. If you are not

aware, Frank and City of

Kitchener CAO Tom Clan-

cy were instrumental in

having the Huron Natural

area preserved as an edu-

cational greenspace in the

City. Frank’s books are

going to have a prominent

location in the Park this

Summer. Well worth a visit.

For a complete description

of our great Seedy Satur-

day event that was again

held in the main reading

room of Central Library

(KPL) on Queen St in Feb-

ruary, see the article on p.3

of this Newsletter. If you

weren’t able to make the

event this year, be sure to

start looking for notices for

the 8th annual event next

year.

If you plan to attend Cana-

da Blooms this year and

are scheduled to attend on

Saturday March 18th, be

sure to visit the Master

Gardeners of Ontario

booth where you can ask a

Kitchener MG one of your

burning gardening ques-

tions. The booth is open

every day of the show but

we are there Saturday on-

ly.

Finally, our Program Com-

mittee has been working

hard to attract interesting

and informative speakers

for the coming year. Check

out the program and don’t

forget to take in the Bulb

Sale, garden tours and

The Society’s annual general meeting was held Tues January 24, 2017 at the Kitchener

Public Library, Central Library. At the AGM, the Directors for 2017 were presented and the

Executive was elected. Your Executive for 2017 is: Rhonda Grein and Bruce MacNeil, Co-

Presidents; Catherine Owens, 1st Vice Pres; Maureen Gallagher and Inna Pugacheva, Co-

Treasurers; and Liz Stacey, Past Pres. Other Directors re-elected and elected were: Barb

Bezeau; Yvonne Fernandes, City Councillor; Susan Fulop; Dan Glen-Graham, Jonathan

Kao. Barb Bezeau was appointed Secretary at the first meeting of the Board following the

AGM.

Reports for the various activities of the Board were received as written.

Author and educator, Frank Glew gave an informative and interesting presentation on Don’t Worry, Bee Happy.

Welcome

Contents:

Welcome 1

KHS Annual General ... 1

How to prevent damping … 2

Rockway Gardens ... 3

Guide to Fertilizer for ... 4

Water soldier ... 5

Hummingbirds and ... 6

VOLUME 20, ISSUE 2

MAR 2017

Frank Glew and Tom Clancy

KHS annual general meeting ...

It’s Happening

Date: Tuesday, Mar 14, 2017

Location: KPL, Central Library

Time: 7:00—9:00 pm

Topic: Nice Things I Learned in

Other People’s Gardens

Speaker: Rob Howard

Date: Tuesday, Apr 11, 2017

Location: KPL, Central Library

Time: 7:00—9:00 pm

Topic: Gardening with Native

Plants

Speaker: Lorraine Johnson

Date: Saturday, May 27, 2017

Location: Rockway Gardens

Time: 7:00 am—noon

Topic: Bulb and Plant Sale

Check the May issue of the

Newsletter for more details

For more events see our website.

Page 2 Growing Thoughts

By Cheryl Losch, London Master Gardener

Nothing is quite as frustrating for home gardeners than the joy of seeing newly planted seeds begin to sprout and flourish one day, and then discovering them collapsed and wilted the next. Damping off is a fungal disease that makes seemingly healthy seedlings suddenly topple and die, or at times, never emerge at all. Although damping off is usually fatal, it is preventable. With a little attention to detail combined with good planting practices, your young seedlings will continue to grow into the healthy plants you want them to be.

The Cause

A number of pathogens live in the soil, just waiting for the right conditions to occur before they step forward. The common fungi that cause damping off are Pythium, Phytophthora and Rhizoctonia. Each are microscopic organisms that, when they come in contact with a root or stem system will penetrate the plant and disrupt the normal growth and cell develop-ment process of the plant. These pathogens all grow and thrive in poor soil and less-than-ideal environmental conditions.

Soil Conditions

Use a good quality, soilless potting mix to start your seeds. Fresh potting soils are usually free from harmful organisms and the nature of the mix provides good drainage, another important factor in reducing the risk of damping off. Soggy soil encourages fungal growth. Keep open bags of soil away from floors and any unclean surfaces that could transfer con-taminates into the clean seeding medium. When planting, also be sure to plant the seeds at the soil depth as indicated by the seed package. Planting seeds deeper than recommended in any soil could slow (or stop) their germination process and ultimately damage the seeds or young plants.

Humidity

Good air circulation and room ventilation are other key factors in reducing humidity buildup that promotes pathogen growth; do not crowd pots, flats, or the seeds when planting. If you do have multiple seeds in a pot, as they begin to grow thin the seedlings by removing the weakest looking and keeping those that are growing the strongest. Thinning helps to keep the air adequately flowing around the seedlings, which reduces the amount of moisture on the plants. When thinning, snip or gently pull out crowded seedlings, referring to the seed package for the right spacing for the plant being grown.

Temperature and Water

Cool soil temperatures before the seeds begin to germinate promotes the risk of damping off. Help ensure healthy seed germination by keeping the soil at a consistent 20-24 degrees Centigrade (70-75 Fahrenheit) during the seeds’ early growth period. Keep the soil evenly moist but not waterlogged until the risk of frost passes and weather conditions are favoura-ble to move the growing plants into an outdoor garden area.

Other Considerations

Many pathogens, including those that cause damping off are transferred to new plantings via garden tools. Before working with plants and soil, or after contact with any diseased growth, rinse your tools in a weak solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. Leave the solution on the tools for at least 15 minutes, rinse them off and allow the tools to air-dry. Planting seeds in new pots and flats as often as possible also helps prevent contamination. If, however, using new pots and flats each year isn’t practical, sterilize the containers along with your tools to provide the optimum environment for new seeds. And always remember to wear eye protection and gloves when cleaning pots and tools.

How to prevent damping off in seedlings

“It was such a pleasure to

sink one's hands into the

warm earth, to feel at

one's fingertips the

possibilities of the new

season.”

― Kate Morton, The

Forgotten Garden

Seedlings

Tomatoes

Page 3 Growing Thoughts

Rockway Gardens ...

“The greatest service which

can be rendered any

country is to add a useful

plant to its culture.

--The Fruit Hunters”

― Thomas Jefferson, The

Quotable Jefferson

Anniversary Tulip

By Bruce MacNeil

You are going to want to check out a number of things at the Gardens this year but first, we are looking for volunteer(s) to help us repaint the Memorial markers for the trees and shrubs that identify the tree or shrub and the family that donated them to the Gardens. Gardens staff will dig the markers out of the ground and the volunteer can paint them in the Garden House. Once the paint has dried, markers will be reset in the appropriate location. If inter-ested, please contact Barbara Morgan at 519-745-4669.

There are several things that we are doing to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary. We purchased a large number of the red and white tulips to commemorate the event. Check out the display in May. Barbara Morgan, Gardens Supervisor prepared a special design for the anniversary that will be used in the carpet bed this year. And finally, we are looking into pur-chasing some of the 150th anniversary flags for our flag wall. Check out the displays and Happy Anniversary everyone.

I don’t know when you last visited Rockway Gardens but it is well worth visiting several times during the growing season. The bulb displays in the Spring are always striking as we have planted approximately 15,000 bulbs that will be available for sale at our Bulb Sale and Plant Exchange. Then when the bulbs are finished, the perennials in the perennial border and those around the fountain begin their showing that lasts throughout the Summer and Fall. If that is not enough, the annual beds are just incredible. Lots to see and enjoy. We hope you enjoy the efforts of the incredible Gardens staff.

Seed Exchange

Seedy Saturday ...

The Kitchener Public Library, the Kitchener Horticultural Society, the Kitchener Master Gar-deners and the Horticultural Societies of District 19, Waterloo Region again cooperated to bring you the annual Seedy Saturday. It was a great event where we hosted over 500 at-tendees, some 25 vendors and an incredible seed exchange.

Seedy Saturday features a seed swap, first held in 1990 in Vancouver and today held in over 100 communities across Canada. A seed swap is a fair where growers exchange seeds from plants that they have grown themselves, meet kindred spirits, and gather infor-mation. Our swap started with seeds donated by Master Gardeners but quickly grew as many attendees brought seeds. In addition, attendees could purchase seeds, seed-lings/plants and products from the vendors. There were 7 scheduled speakers but unfortu-nately one had to drop out for health reasons. Speakers and topics were as follows:

Gardening for Butterflies: Attracting, Rescuing and Raising Butterflies, Thelma Beaubien

Plants for the Smaller City Garden , Dugald Cameron,

The State of GM Foods , Taarini Chopra.

The Peony from Seed , Darren Heimbecker

The Growing Connection, Robert Patterson

Creating a Healthier Yard you’ll Love, Rebecca Robinson

Forest Gardening, Nicola Thomas (cancelled) we will likely be having Nicola speak in 2018

It was truly a great day as we heard from attendees and vendors alike.

Page 4 Volume 20, Issue 2

BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

-10% discount at 5 nurseries & Ontario

Seeds

- 6 newsletters / yr

- 3 garden tours

- Bulb sale and Perennial exchange

- Bus Tour

- Concerts in the Garden

Guide to Fertilizer for shrubs (and bushes)

By Cheryl Losch, London Master Gardener

Important to plant health, fertilizing shrubs provides additional nutrients that the surrounding soil may lack. Using fertilizer on young and newly transplanted shrubs supports healthy plant growth and the shrub’s ability to establish itself into the landscape. It also supports shrubs with slowing growth to help them start to sprout once again. All plants produce their own food through photosynthesis and the addition of fertilizer provides the necessary ele-ments and ingredients to help promote the photosynthesis process and healthy, vigorous growth.

What the Numbers Mean

Most complete fertilizers are a mix of three elements - nitrogen, phosphorous and potassi-um, represented by a series of three numbers, such as 18-18-18. The numbers indicate the percentage of each element in the package by weight. Therefore, an 18-18-18 fertilizer would contain 18 percent each of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. A 16-4-8 would contain 16 percent nitrogen, 4 percent phosphorous and 8 percent potassium. A fertilizer with 8 percent nitrogen and no phosphorous or potassium would read 8-0-0.

What Shrubs Need

Nitrogen is the element most used by plants and is essential to healthy plant growth. Phos-phorous promotes strong root development, and potassium assists with water retention and disease resistance. Before beginning a fertilizing program, test the soil pH to ensure the fertilizer will be effective. A soil pH between 6.0 and 7.0 is the optimum level for the shrub to absorb and draw nutrients from the fertilizer. A high or low soil pH may render the fertilizer ineffective, or possibly toxic to the shrub. A soil test will determine if any adjustments need to be made prior to fertilizing.

Fertilize in early spring before the new growth begins. One application per year is typically enough, unless soil conditions are overly well-drained, sandy or if there has been a season of excessive rainfall. If so, a second application may be needed, depending on the overall health of the plant.

Water-Soluble Fertilizer

Also called fast-release fertilizers, water-soluble blends are dissolved in water prior to appli-cation and the nutrients immediately surround the plant when poured into the soil. Typically costing less than slow-release versions, the downside of water-soluble nutrients is their ten-dency to leach quicker through the soil with just a few inches of rain or additional watering, thereby not providing as much nutrition to the shrub as intended. However, for a suffering shrub, a quick soaking of a water-soluble blend may be all that is required to help its surviv-al.

Granular Fertilizer

Granular, or slow-release fertilizers provide ongoing nutrition throughout the season be-cause the granules release nitrogen and other elements over time. Place granular fertilizer in a wide circle around the shrub and gently work it into the soil surface. As rainfall or regu-lar watering occurs, the shrub receives light fertilization. Granular fertilizers are good for sloped areas, beds with high runoff or heavily compacted soils.

Natural Fertilizer

Natural fertilizers such as composted manure or vegetation provide the needed elements at a slower rate than other fertilizers and they also provide many of the minor elements that shrubs benefit from such as iron or zinc. The nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium levels tend to be lower in natural fertilizers, therefore requiring more frequent applications than other fertilizers. The benefit, however, is that natural fertilizers aid in improving the overall soil condition and can be added to the soil at any time.

(continued on p 5)

Garden Shrubs

Weigelia

Page 5 Growing Thoughts

By Theresa Billo The latest in a long list of invasive species is the Water Soldier (Stratiotes aloides). It is a very invasive perennial aquatic plant that has the capability to spread rapidly. Ontario is monitoring the water soldier and has placed it as prohibited under the Invasive Species Act. Water soldier is native to Europe and northwest Asia. Currently, the only known location of water soldier in North America is Canada, with one colony in the Trent River area, and the other in the Black River, near Sutton. It is possible that the plant was introduced via it’s use as an ornamental plant in water gardens, but no one is sure of that. Water soldier looks similar to aloe, spider plant, or the top of a pineapple. The leaves are about 40 cm in length, bright green, sword-shaped, with serrated sharp spines. These form large rosettes. The plants do flower, sporting three white petals. Water soldier produces offsets, similar to spider plant. The roots will sometimes attach themselves to the mud at the bottom. When it’s leaves mature, the plant will sink down below the surface of the wa-ter. They can be found growing even in up to five metres of water. Water soldier has the potential to do a lot of damage to the biodiversity of our waterways. It quickly forms dense mats of vegetation that, like other invasive plants, can crowd out native water plants. It can also harm plankton and other aquatic organisms by altering the water chemistry. Because of it’s sharp leaves, swimmers are in danger of being cut. Care must be taken when handling the plant. To avoid spreading water soldier, we should not purchase it for use in our water gardens or aquariums. Disposing of water soldier in the garbage will hopefully avoid it’s spread. On-tario has put into effect efforts to eradicate water soldier, by means of physical containment, removal and use of herbicides. Oddly enough, when researching this article, I came across some information from the Wildlife Trust in Great Britain. In Britain, the water soldier is on the “near threatened” list, and gardeners are encouraged to plant it in their water gardens!

Sources: Ontario Invading Species Awareness Program (web) Ontario Out of Doors magazine (Jan-Feb issue) The Wildlife Trust (web) EDITOR’s Note: I have had this plant in my pond for a number of years. It gets a number of babies every year that I gradually thin out. Plants removed go into the garbage (not composted). The plant has never flowered so I don’t worry about seeds but this article will make me even more careful if I decide to keep it. It has likely had its last year in my pond.

Water soldier ...

“I love spring anywhere,

but if I could choose I

would always greet it in a

garden.”

― Ruth Stout

Water soldier

A Guide to Fertilizer for Shrubs (and Bushes) (cont’d)

When Not To Fertilize

Poor plant growth is not always an indication of a need to fertilize. Planting in the wrong location, too much sun, not enough sun, overwatering, under watering, all can cause shrubs and bushes to have growth issues such as yellowing or fewer leaves than usual, limited twig growth or dying back of the overall plant. Before fertilizing, determine and correct the cause of the poor plant performance; the addition of fertilizer during periods of stress may cause further damage to the plant. Never fertilize when the plant shows signs of drought stress, such as scorched or drooping branches, and do not apply any fertilizers during a period of

drought unless the shrub is well watered. Fertilizing when conditions are dry may cause root, stem and leaf damage if water is not consistently available.

.

Pollinator

7 Floral Cr Kitchener, ON

N2G 4N9

K ITCHENER HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

GROWING T HOUGHTS

Phone: 519-745-4669 E-mail: hello@gardenkitchener.org

Website: gardenkitchener.org

Editor Bruce MacNeil

"Gardening is ultimate-ly a folly whose goal is

to provide delight."

Deborah Needleman

Ruby-throated Hum-mingbird

Only a single species of hummingbird is common in Ontario - the Ruby-throated humming-bird. They are named for the crimson, iridescent throat feathers of the male. Well adapted for sipping nectar from flowers, they have long, tubular or brush-tipped tongues and can fly forward, backward, to the left and right, hover, and propel themselves upside down. Ruby-throated hummingbirds supplement a diet of nectar with insects, spiders, and tree sap. Hummingbirds are often found near water in deciduous woodlands. Hummingbirds can be lured to your yard with a hummingbird feeder that dispenses sugar water from red plastic "flowers." Feeders should be filled with a boiled solution of 4 parts water to 1 part white sug-ar. It is unnecessary to add red dye to the sugar water. Hummers can also be attracted to a garden planted with nectar producing red, orange, or pink tubular-shaped blossoms, such as cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Butterflies feed on many of the same flowers as hummingbirds but find milkweed (Asclepias spp.) and dogbane (Apocynum spp.) particularly attractive. Butterflies that visit Ontario gar-dens include the tiger swallowtail, monarch, black swallowtail, and viceroy. An attractive moth that is active by day is also often seen. Sphinx or hummingbird moths are often mistak-en for hummingbirds since they move from flower to flower searching for nectar with similar movements. Sphinx moths are the adult stages of several species of large - bodied caterpil-lars, some of which can cause considerable damage to home gardens e.g., Tomato Horn-worm. To landscape for hummingbirds and butterflies, plant flowers in large clumps to make con-spicuous displays. Select a variety of plants so that flowering is continuous from May through September. A good garden design is one with layered vegetation; large shrubs in back with flowers in front, and a fence or arbor planted with flowering vines. To create a landscape that will attract butterflies, it is important to consider not only the flow-ers that will provide nectar for the adults, but also plants that will serve as larval food sources. Flower structure is also an important consideration. Tubular flowers are preferred, as are flat topped clusters. The tubular flowers are ideally suited to the proboscis of butter-flies and moths. Flowers of varying sizes should be provided to encourage a variety of but-terfly species. The flat-topped flower clusters provide appropriate landing platforms for but-terflies. Water is a final consideration in a butterfly garden. Butterflies don't drink directly from open water and some species such as Tiger Swallowtails and Skippers prefer drinking from wet sand or mud puddles. A water source that can accommodate the needs of butterflies should be incorporated into the garden design. A garden pond can be constructed or modified to include a gently sloping edge of wet gravel. From Master Gardener Reference Manual, 2nd ed 2014 p.9-6

Hummingbirds and butterflies ...

Of Note:

GardenKitchener is proud to provide to its members the creation of a hyper-tufa trough. This workshop will cost $15.00 and will be held May 9th at 6:30 pm Rockway Gardens. Partici-pants are limited so sign up early. Rain date will be provided.

To register, contact Liz Stacey at lmsliz@rogers.com or call gardenKitchener at 519-745-4669

Wilmot Horticultural Society is hosting their annual Spring Garden Explosion at the New Dundee Community Centre on Saturday Mar 18th. For more information check out their website www.gardenontario.org/site.php/wilmot or contact wilmothortsociety@gmail.com