Biography
Cydney Steeb, Advanced Master Gardener, can be contacted at Emmet Conservation District, 3434 M-119, Harbor Springs (231) 439-8977 or cydney.steeb@macd.org. Her Gardening Wit and Wisdom column runs every Wednesday.
Woods alive with spring beauty
May 8, 2013
Take a break from gardening and head for the woods. Mother Nature is putting on a fine display of beautiful spring wildflowers. They won't be around long since many of them are ephemerals. Ephemerals such as spring beauties, trout lilies, Dutchman's breeches, squirrel corn and trillium bloom for a very short period of time, two to three weeks and then completely disappear until the next spring. While you're out there, keep your eyes open for morel mushrooms.
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Spring is finally here!
May 1, 2013
What a beautiful weekend to work in the garden. All our wonderful early spring flowers are blooming and the buds are swelling on trees, shrubs and grapevines. Yes, spring is finally here. Right now I have hellebores, pulmonaria and native hepatica blooming along with a few crocus and daffodils.
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Snow melt reveals winter damage in the lawn and garden
April 24, 2013
The snow finally melted enough for me to take my first tour of my gardens to access the winter damage. To my dismay it was pretty extensive.
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Indoor seedlings may need a little help as we wait for spring
April 17, 2013
So, is winter ever going to leave us? I feel so bad for all the birds that are migrating back to this yucky weather. Today I noticed my song sparrows are back and juncos are migrating through the area. I threw out a scoop of thistle and sunflower seeds for these and other ground feeders. Driving north on U.S. 31 recently, I saw a pair of sandhill cranes searching in the snow for a morsel of food. And the weather forecast, as I write this article says we may get more snow over the weekend. Ugh! OK, everyone think SPRING!
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Make your yard a welcoming place for birds
April 10, 2013
Not feeling inspired about gardening this week with the crummy weather? Me neither since I still have too much snow in my garden beds to even consider readying them for planting. But yesterday I saw a little glimmer of hope.
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Does your lawn have grubs?
March 27, 2013
Were you one of many people who had birds, in particular crows tearing up your lawn last fall? Then you may have a grub problem. Instead of cursing the birds, thank them for eating all the grubs and alerting you to the problem. If you have an irrigated lawn the grubs are probably Japanese beetles who like wetter lawns, especially golf courses. If you don't irrigate and your lawn is infrequently if ever watered, your problem is probably European grubs. The bad news is adult grubs overwinter in the soil and will start feeding on your lawn roots once the snow has melted and the ground warms.
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Impatiens downy mildew can over winter in flower bed and containers
March 20, 2013
Last summer homeowners and landscapers alike did battle with impatiens downy mildew (Plasmopara obducens) which affects garden impatiens (impatiens walleriana). This is not the same downy mildew that affects vegetables and other ornamental plants. In fact is doesn't even affect New Guinea impatiens.
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Warm up to gardening
March 13, 2013
Gardening can be great exercise, but few gardeners, me included, take time to warm up and stretch the way we would before any other exercise activity.
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Bring spring indoors
March 6, 2013
So have you had your fill of winter? Me, too!
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When and how to prune clematis
February 27, 2013
Along with hydrangeas, I have the most difficulty remembering when and if to prune my clematis. I decided to check out a few university websites for clematis care so I can make notes on when to do what in my garden journal. I've found this to work well for my berry plants. If you have clematis in your garden, I hope this information will help you, too. Group numbers are often indicated in catalogs or on plant tags.
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Use wood ash in the garden
February 20, 2013
Wood ash can be useful in your yard if used with caution.
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Why count birds?
February 13, 2013
Have you heard of the term "citizen scientist"? If you haven't Wikipedia defines it as scientific research conducted, in whole or in part, by amateur or nonprofessional scientists, often by crowdsourcing. Citizen science is sometimes called "public participation in scientific research." This weekend you can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count and become a citizen scientist.
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Don't guess, soil test
February 6, 2013
You have to have good soil to raise good plants. Every experienced gardener knows this and yet not every experienced gardener takes the time to really manage their soil. Even I'm guilty of this.
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Recycling in the garden
January 30, 2013
OK, so what are we going to do with 2 liter or larger soda bottles? Make cloches for frost protection.
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Test your seed knowledge
January 23, 2013
In a few of my past articles I've mentioned catalogs I would recommend requesting if you are not already receiving them. One I always look forward to receiving and feel is worth mentioning again is from www.johnnyseeds.com. It's packed with valuable gardening information for the novice and seasoned gardener alike and it's free.
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Know your garden terms
January 16, 2013
As I peruse the many garden catalogs I've been receiving over the past few weeks I noticed that many do not include explanations of terminology used.
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Get to the root of food storage
January 9, 2013
Last week, I wrote briefly about root cellars and how they seem to have become a thing of the past. To my delight I received emails from a few local people saying they were using a root cellar.
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Plan for new gardening year
January 2, 2013
Happy New Year!
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Warm winter poses danger to plants, trees
December 19, 2012
No snow in Northern Michigan is causing much concern. Lack of snow to insulate the ground could allow frost to penetrate deeper into the ground, which can mean some marginally hardy plants and some plants in containers left outdoors for the winter may not survive. Gardeners could see significant losses of shallow rooted non-native perennials.
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Gift ideas for your favorite gardener
December 12, 2012
Are you ready for Christmas? Me neither. Here are a few gift ideas for the gardener in your life. How about a magazine subscription? A couple of my favorites are "Organic Gardening," and "Fine Gardening." I'm going to try a new "Michigan Gardening" magazine I received information about.
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Catalogs for the gardener on your list
December 5, 2012
Whether you're an experienced gardener, or planning your first garden for 2013, there are three seed/plant catalogs I highly recommend you request now, because they are packed with free valuable information. When they arrive, brew a nice cup of herbal tea and go through them page by page.
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Winter alters watering schedule of houseplants
November 28, 2012
Houseplants generally thrive during the spring and summer months, but many factors challenge us to help them survive the fall and winter. Part of the problem is that indoor humidity levels drop considerably when we fire up our furnaces. Dry air can be devastating to houseplants, especially considering that most are tropical in origin and require a humid environment to thrive. Here are some tips to keep your houseplants happy.
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Garden cleanup, fall or spring?
November 14, 2012
With gardening season winding down I thought I'd share a bit about my gardening background. In past articles I have expressed my opinion, formed after seriously studying gardening and horticulture over the past nine years. I don't have a horticulture degree, but have recorded almost 500 hours of continuing horticulture and environmental education in the MSU Advanced Master Gardener Program. I've loved gardening and nature since I was a child gardening with my dad and grandfather.
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Bugs try to move in for the winter
November 7, 2012
Now that our temperatures are consistently staying in the low 40s and 30s some of our outdoor friends are trying to join us indoors. The pine seed bug is a typical accidental invader, similar to the better known Asian lady beetle and box elder bug. The adults wander into houses by mistake in the fall of the year. They are attracted to the exposed south sides of houses where they love the warmth of the late season sunlight. After sunset, they crawl into wall voids and attics through cracks and gaps in the siding, foundation and eaves, or around windows. Like other invaders, they do not bite, sting, feed, carry diseases, or otherwise cause harm to people, pets, the house or its contents. They cannot reproduce inside the house, as egg laying and development are restricted to the host plants during the summer months.
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Time to dig dahlias, plant bulbs
October 31, 2012
We've had some pretty crazy weather this year, but nothing as bad as much of the rest of our country has endured. Our West Coast had a record number of days when the temperature was over 100, the central states had widespread drought with crop losses and now as I write this article, the East Coast is bracing for hurricane Sandy. Can you believe New York City is basically shut down? I'll take our blizzard and 80 degrees in March any day. It's been tough on our cherry and apple farmers and it's sad to see rivers like the Jordan so very low. Let's hope our weather patterns improve for next year's gardening season.
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What is the world's largest fruit?
October 24, 2012
Botanically speaking, the definition of a fruit is the part of a plant that contains seeds. That is why people are often confused when tomatoes are frequently referred to as fruit.
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Garden checklist will help keep you on task
October 10, 2012
Where was all this nice rain this summer when we really needed it? Now that it's time to get out in the yard and prepare our gardens for the winter season, we get wave after wave of chilly rain. While the rain is needed to hydrate our trees and shrubs, I would appreciate just a few hours of sunshine to inspire me to join the birds and squirrels outdoors. For now, I'm just sitting by the fireplace making a list of tasks I'll need to accomplish when the weather breaks.
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Fall garden care
September 26, 2012
There's a nip of fall in the air and our gardening will soon be coming to an end. If you still have large green tomatoes on your vines, cutting off any growth above the fruit will put more energy into finishing off your tomatoes. If any of your heat loving veggies are still pretty small, you may as well pull out the plants and compost them. It is unlikely we will have enough heat, sunshine or time to grow them to maturity.
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Instinct tells hummingbirds when it's time to go south
September 5, 2012
With all our wonderful migrating birds beginning their long journeys to Mexico, Central and South America I thought it was time to share a few bird tips I've learned over the years.
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Grubs damaging your lawn?
August 29, 2012
After experiencing the warmest winter ever, many of us are experiencing major lawn grub problems. Japanese beetles, European chafer beetles, and June beetles appeared early, laid eggs early, and hatched new grubs that are doing major damage to non-irrigated lawns. Even some irrigated lawns have suffered damage.
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Tips to get your plantings through the winter
August 22, 2012
Last weekend's cooler temperatures was a reminder that fall is just around the corner. Trees and shrubs you have planted this year can benefit from a little TLC to get them through their first winter in your yard.
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Planning for next year's garden begins now
August 8, 2012
It may sound too early to plan for next year's garden, but now is the perfect time to do just that. I like to stroll my gardens at this time of year with my camera and notebook so I can take notes on what worked and what didn't. Taking a picture reminds me why I wanted to make the change.
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Care for your containers
August 1, 2012
As summer reaches its peak, be careful not to neglect your beautiful containers. Deadhead flowers and remove leaves that are yellow or turning brown. The plants are at their maximum growth and will need daily watering and weekly fertilizer. Planters placed in a sunny location for several hours per day may need watering more than once a day. Also the smaller the pot, the more often it will need watering.
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Water, the staff of life for plants
July 25, 2012
The end of July signals the time to stop fertilizing perennials, shrubs and trees to give new growth time to harden off. Annuals and veggies may still appreciate a weekly weak fertilizer application.
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Too hot to dig
July 18, 2012
Have you had problems with some unknown critter or maybe a neighbor's dog or cat digging in your lawn or flower beds? Well here's a simple remedy I've tried that has worked for me. After repairing the damage, sprinkle the area with cayenne pepper. I first tried the pepper when a badger was rolling up a large section of my lawn looking for grubs. After replacing the lawn three times, I sprinkled cayenne pepper liberally over the area and had no more problems. It also worked when my usually well-mannered golden retriever decided she had to get the ground squirrel that had tunneled into one of my flower beds, in her backyard. Scolding her didn't work, but the pepper did.
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Warning! Beware of wild parsnip
July 11, 2012
Beware the wild parsnip! This plant is found along side of roads and in fields and begins blooming around the first of July. It has a yellow umbel flower head and resembles dill. Wild parsnip can cause phytophotodermatitis; if the plant juices come in contact with skin in the presence of sunlight, a rash and/or blistering can occur, as well as skin discoloration that may last several months. The blistering can be much worse than poison ivy. If you need to remove it from your property, be sure to wear long pants, long sleeves and gloves.
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Farmers at the mercy of Mother Nature
June 27, 2012
I am so glad I don't make my living as a Northern Michigan farmer. I complain when I have to drag hoses and sprinklers around when we don't get adequate rain and then I drive home to Boyne City and pass by corn fields and I'm reminded that farmers are totally at the mercy of Mother Nature. No rain, no corn!
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A week for the birds ... and bees, bats and butterflies, too
June 20, 2012
Five years ago the U.S. Senate's unanimous approval and designation of the final week in June as "National Pollinator Week" marked a necessary step toward addressing the urgent issue of declining pollinator populations.
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Gardening 101
June 6, 2012
Let's review some basic gardening practices. With all the wonderful rain we received this past weekend I will start with watering.
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Watering, pruning and deadheading ... oh my!
May 30, 2012
Did you get all your planting done over the holiday weekend? I got my annuals potted, but didn't quite get my veggies in. I thoroughly watered my veggie garden bed and watered my potted veggie seedlings in anticipation of planting them on Sunday, but the much needed beautiful rain happened and delayed that project. If you make sure to hydrate your potted plants prior to planting them, you will help to minimize transplant shock.
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Beware and be ready for frost
May 23, 2012
Traditionally, here in north county we say it's safe to plant our annual flowers and heat loving veggies such as peppers, tomatoes and basil after Memorial Day. This rule of thumb is based on NOAA's statistics that say there is only a 50 percent chance of frost after May 26.
