Dear Neighbors and Gardening Co-op members Please see the great information summary by Gail below from a presentation by Montgomery Master Gardener Bob McDowell to the Queen Annes Civic Association. Is there any interest among any of you to attend a similar presentation to the Upper Sligo and Sligo Headwaters Civic Associations and the Sligo Natives Gardening Co-op? ALSO PLEASE NOTE his plea to be good to your trees (including your street trees) see the street trees at American Elm Park at the corner of Luttrell and Ladd for the proper way to mulch a tree. =========== Master Gardener presentation: Queen annes CA gardening meeting highlights Last night's presentation by Bob McDowell on gardening tips was really great - he shared lots of extremely helpful information. Some quick highlights: TREES: Take care of your trees and they'll take care of you: most important -1) KEEP LAWN MOWERS AND STRING TRIMMERS AWAY FROM THE TRUNKS. The damage done to tree trunks by mower wounds is the main cause of ailing trees in the home landscape, trees that may then drop limbs or fall. 2) DO mulch out in a wide area around trees (ideally to the drip-line - the outer tips of the branches), but DON'T mulch in all the way to the base of a tree; this practice makes the tree more vulnerable/less resistant to invaders and infections (borers, rot, fungus) so - no volcanos! think 'donut' instead when mulching around a tree (keep mulch 4-6 inches away from the trunk); . And don't spread your mulch deeper than 2 to three inches ; any more will inhibit oxygen flow. Also, our soil is very heavy, so we want to be sure rain gets through and oxygen circulates. 3) Don't fertilize trees. Soil in our region is generally pretty good - a mix of clay and silt - with the right amounts of phosphorous and potassium, so fertilizing isn't critical. Nitrogen can be added to lawns for optimal grass-growing conditions but it is bad for trees (encourages top growth at the expense of the roots) so another reason to keep grass well away from the tree and to fertilize grass lightly if at all. LAWNS: If you do fertizilize your lawn, you should do so in September or October. This is because your grass is better established than, say, in early March, when many people fertilize. There's a lot of run-off from early spring fertilizing, which goes into streams and rivers. At the very least, wait until May and you'll reduce run-off. Mowing your grass high helps keep thatch from spreading. Many of us have lots of shade, making it hard to maintain grass. The Turf Center, on Spencerville Road (301-384-6300 for directions) sells a grass called Hard Fescue, which is a good choice for shady areas. There are about 50 varieties of Hard Fescue, but in Spencerville they sell the Discovery variety, which yields good results. Also the fine red creeping fescue is a great alternative for shade. Also useful as lawn alternatives are the sedges- especially Pennsylvania Sedge (carex pennsylvanica) which NEVER needs to be mowed and forms a fine green lawn in shade to part shade. HARDWOOD MULCH IS BAD!!! Who knew? Apparently, hardwoods harbor manganese, which is poisonous to most plants. It can take up to thirty years for mulch decomposition to produce manganese toxicity, but once it happens, it's in your soil forever and will severely inhibit the growth of the plants and shrubs on your property. Pine or other softwood is much better over the long haul. Any flowering plants that bloom before July 1 should be pruned within three weeks after the blooms fall off. Any bloomers after July 1 may safely be pruned in the fall, or even the next spring. Pre-July 1 bloomers have new blooms that form almost immediately after the current bloom ends, post-July 1 doesn't produce the new stuff until the following spring. This is key for azalea pruning - ideally, we should do our pruning in the next two to three weeks, or else you risk cutting off your new growth for the next year. Montomgery County Composters provide free bins with holes in the sides if you want to create your own compost pile. Sorry - didn't get the number but I'll try to find out. (late addition: MoCo Composters can be reached at ... http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mcgtmpl.asp?url=/content/dep/composting/compostbins.asp ) The cicadas will only damage recently planted trees, when the females strip the bark to lay eggs. Mature trees can withstand the assault; saplings should be protected. There was more, but this information seemed worthwhile to share. The Master Gardeners are a volunteer component of the Maryland Cooperative Extension Office, which you can call with specific questions. The number is 301-590-9650; phones are answered from 9 to 1 pm Mon-Fri. If they're all as knowledgeable as Bob McDowell, it certainly would be worth a call.