After the Storm - Lessons Learned about People and Trees

Shhhh. Do you hear that? It is the collective sigh of relief in the wake of hurricane Irene. Or haven't you let out your sigh of relief yet? I think it’s okay now. Go ahead and breathe.

And now, comes the clean up. And the lessons learned.

One of the first things that I always seem to notice after something like this is what I learn about people. I think that any sort of emergency or disaster either brings out the kindness or the cruelness of people. There are those who reach out to their friends and neighbors, checking in, seeing if they need anything. And there are those who shove ahead of others in the crowded department store lines or loot the homes of people who evacuated their homes. With all of the stress of hurricane preparations and recovery, it's a little disheartening to learn about the negative side of people. So just ignore it. Move on.

The other lessons, of course, are the ones that are learned from Mother Nature. As of this writing, there are at least 19 deaths attributed to hurricane Irene. At least 11 of those deaths were caused by fallen branches or trees.

Millions of people were without electricity during the storms. Again, many of the power outages were caused by fallen trees.

I am a self-professed nature nerd and tree lover, so these statistics about the cruelty of nature  bother me as much as the reality of the cruelty of people. But these thoughts are not quite as easy to ignore. I can do my best to avoid unpleasant people, but my soul would suffer if I thought I had to be fearful of trees.

Thankfully, there has been a lot of research done on hurricanes and trees, conducted  by the experts who have experienced much of it first hand, researchers at the University of Florida IFAS Extension.  Since 1992, they have been studying the kinds of trees that were more apt to break or topple over during hurricanes, as well as the reasons why.  True, some of what they learned was about treess that don’t grow in the northeast. But as with most things in nature (human nature and mother nature) many of the lessons that life provides are not geographically specific.

If you lost trees or lost power, or are just interested in  learning a little bit more about trees and hurricanes, the University of Florida has created an entire website devoted to Trees and Hurricanes.

For example, some of the trees that were found to be MOST wind-resistant in their studies include: American holly, inkberry and bald cypress.  Some of the trees that were the least wind-resistant were:  tulip poplar, southern red oak and water oak.

Here are a few more of the  lessons learned:

Root/Soil Issues

• Trees growing in confined soil spaces are prone to blowing over.
• Root defects such as girdling roots cause trees to blow over.
• Apparently healthy trees can blow down because supportive roots have decayed or soil becomes soft from saturation.
• Large and old trees blow over; recently planted trees blow over; well established young to medium-aged trees are less likely to blow over.
• Construction activities within about 20 feet of the trunk of existing trees can cause the tree to blow over more than a decade later.
• Trees in shallow soils are more prone to blow over than trees rooted more deeply.
• Uprooted trees can break underground utility lines such as water and sewer.
• Trees become unstable in soils saturated by lots of rain.

Cultural Issues

• Trees that are preventively pruned are less likely to fail than neglected trees.
• Trees with one dominant trunk fair better than trees with co-dominant stems.
• Trees with bark inclusions are prone to falling apart.
• Large pruning cuts create decay and cracks that can lead to breakage in storms.
• Trees in a group blow down less frequently than single trees.
• Tree trunks can be hollow without openings in the lower trunk; these are prone to failure in storms.
• Trees that have failed before are likely to fail again.
• Topped trees break.

So while you are enjoying the relative peace in the wake of the storm, think of the lessons learned. Take care of the people and the trees that you love. And don’t be reluctant to get rid of the ones that may only end up hurting you.

Source: Trees and Hurricanes

Hurricane Preparations for Your Landscape

Hurricane Irene is out there. Round and round she goes, and where (or when) she stalls, nobody knows.

Although there is still a chance that Irene could blow out to the Atlantic, News4's Tom Kierein says the increasingly likely track puts the hurricane off Ocean City Maryland sometime Saturday evening. 

Passing through Ocean City, Irene would be close enough affect the Washington metro area. Heavy rains and strong gusty winds can be expected. (Source – Hurricane Irene Gaining Strength)

In preparation for the weekend weather, first and foremost, make sure that your family and possessions are safe. But after that, take care of your landscape and gardens.

1) Walk around your yard and secure or put away any items that could become potential missiles. This includes rakes, shovels, buckets, hanging plants: Basically, anything that isn’t tied down. Remember, wind gusts could reach 70 mph or higher.

2) Move all potted plants indoors. If you have large potted trees, lay them on their sides if they can’t be easily moved.

3) Survey any trees in your landscape for weak or dead branches that may fall during hurricane force winds. Some trees are known for their brittle limbs, but any tree that is improperly pruned or has interior damage to trunk or limbs can have breakage in high winds. Trees with large, dense canopies can also be thinned to help prevent uprooting. If need be, call a certified arborist to help you assess your trees and trim them, as needed.

4) Any tree that is in soil which is too wet is more likely to blow over in heavy winds. Excessive watering, planting in the wrong location, poor drainage or too much rain can all create soil which is too wet to hold a tree erect. Other factors which can cause a tree to blow over are decayed roots, planting in confined soil spaces (such as between sidewalks and roadways) or soil compaction due to construction activity or heavy equipment driving over tree roots. Again, when in doubt, consult a certified arborist.

5) If you see any areas in your landscape where soil has washed away from tree roots, fill the holes up to the original ground level.

6) Stake young trees for the duration of the storm and until excess water has drained away.

7) Dispose of all branches and yard debris before the storm arrives.

8) Prune back any heavy vines that are growing on arbors, making them top heavy.

9) Stake or otherwise secure arbors, if possible.

10) Add soil to low areas with poor drainage. If necessary, add rocks to direct water away from downspouts or below where rooftops converge.

11) Place rocks, bricks or homemade sandbags (bags of mulch, sand or garden dirt work well) to help protect low lying plants from excessive flooding.

12) Make sure all drains in your landscape are clear and working properly.

13) Clean out gutters and downspouts.

14) Where possible, direct water from downspouts and rain barrel overflows away from your home.

15) Don’t fertilize, use insecticides or herbicides in your yard. Rain from the storm will wash chemicals off your property and into our waterways.

16) Harvest your vegetables and fruits. Remove plant supports.

17) Place  screens over garden ponds to protect against falling leaves, branches and over debris.

18) Although you may be tempted to shelter or protect some of your prized plants, don’t cover them with anything that isn’t firmly secured from severe wind gusts. Just in case, take cuttings or collect seeds from any rare or sentimental plants.

Above all else, be safe!

Can earthworms predict earthquakes?

Since "green gardeners", with healthy, nutritious soil, often have more earthworms, I wanted to post a question. Have you seen more earthworms than usual crawling around lately?

Earthquakes emerging to the surface are supposed to be a tell-tale sign that an earthquake (or a flood) might be on the way. At least, that's what some people think.

Dr. Ikeya at Osaka University has been studying earthworms and earthquakes. Ikeya’s laboratory experiments were conducted to see if exposure to an electrical field or electromagnetic pulses could elicit animal behavior similar to what has been reported prior to earthquakes. The results: fish showed panic reactions, and earthworms moved out of the soil and swarmed when current was applied.

When asked why he decided to study the relationship between earthworms and earthquakes, Ikeya said:

The Kobe earthquake in 1995. I live 30 km from the epicenter and thought it strange that many earthworms dug themselves up in my small garden. At the time, I did not know the legend that a number of emerging earthworms is a sign of a large earthquake. Many people noticed this, including my neighbors.

(Source)

What about your pets or other critters? There are many theories that animals are more in tune with Mother Nature than humans. It's just something interesting to think about.

Here are some excerpts from an article on a U.S. Department of the Interior Website:

Rats, weasels, snakes, and centipedes reportedly left their homes and headed for safety several days befor a destructive earthquake. Anectdotal evidence abounds of animals, fish, birds, reptiles, and insects exhibiting strange behavior anywhere from weeks to seconds before an earthquake. However, consistent and reliable behavior prior to seismic events, and a mechanism explaining how it could work, still eludes us. Most, but not all, scientists pursuing this mystery are in China or Japan. 

We can easily explain the cause of unusual animal behavior seconds before humans feel an earthquake. Very few humans notice the smaller P wave that travels the fastest from the earthquake source and arrives before the larger S wave. But many animals with more keen senses are able to feel the P wave seconds before the S wave arrives. As for sensing an impending earthquake days or weeks before it occurs, that's a different story. 

A recent popular theory purports that there is a correlation between Lost Pet ads in the San Jose Mercury News and the dates of earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay area. A thorough statistical analysis of this theory, published in California Geology in 1988, concludes that there is no such correlation, however.

(Source)

So what did you notice? Were your pets or critters acting strange before the quake?

Waste Not, Want Not - Curbside Composting

In my previous post, Do Environmentalists Need Shrinks, I mentioned how I am sometimes almost obsessive about planet polluters. This trait really rears its ugly head when I see the kind of things that people throw away. Good, usable furniture left at the curb for the garbage man to pick up, for instance, when a local thrift store would probably love to have it. Or a bin full of plastic garden pots thrown into the trash when local chain stores like Lowes and Home Depot will willingly take them and recycle them. And when I go to a party or picnic, it sometimes takes all of my will power to keep myself from poking through plastic-bag lined garbage bins to remove perfectly recyclable cans and bottles.

So far, I haven’t gotten bad enough to dig through anyone’s trash for things that would make good compost. And if Howard County, Maryland’s idea for curbside compost pickup takes off and is adopted by other jurisdictions, I may never have to.

Compost is such a wonderful thing for a garden, and almost any green food scrap, plant waste or paper product, can be utilized to help make this garden goodie. But it is estimated that, in 2009, over 33 million tons of food waste and 13 million tons of yard waste ended up in municipal landfills. (Source)

Although most “green gardeners” have learned to use their own waste products to create compost, what about the many people that don’t have a garden or want to deal with compost?

Howard County is looking for volunteer households in the Elkridge and Ellicott City areas to participate in their new food scrap collection pilot program! Participants will receive a special food scrap collection cart that will be emptied weekly on recycling day. Their list of items, which are acceptable to recycle, include a few things that surprised me, including bread and other baked goods and pizza boxes.

The collected food scraps will  eventually be composted and turned into a soil amendment. If successful, this program could reduce trash sent to the landfill in Howard County by 23%.

Another interesting fact that I read on their website (but never thought about before – I guess because we compost everything) is that composting food scraps is much better than using a garbage disposal for two reasons. 1) It saves water and 2) garbage disposal use sends excess nutrients that are expensive to treat to the wastewater treatment facilities.

If you live in Howard County, I urge you to support this program. For more information, visit the Food Scrap Recycling Page on the Howard County website.

Of course, DC area residents can have their own curbside composting through Compost Cab. Compost Cab will provide you with a bin, collect your organics and deliver them to a local urban farm for composting. There is an $8.00 per week charge for their services. BUT (and here's the really great thing) CompostCab will even help you recycle your compostable materials at parties, picnics, weddings and other special events!! With Compost Cab, I can once again attend parties angst free!

What’s in if for you? According to their website “Cleaner air. Less waste. A smaller carbon footprint. A greener home or business. A stronger community.”

And, of course, you don’t have to worry about me coming by and picking through your garbage.

WSSC's Fishing Derby - the perfect lesson in WHY you are a "green gardener"

Want a great way to teach your kids WHY they should practice environmentally friendly gardening? Take them fishing!

Although I've always been a nature lover and gardener, it wasn't until I met my husband, an avid fisherman, that I learned the direct correlation between how I gardened and the health of local fish. He's the one that taught me that all of those fertilizers and other chemicals I was using in my garden could be finding their way into local water supplies, causing fish deformities and death.

So take your kids fishing, and spend a little time letting them know that their eco-friendly gardening practices help keep those fish healthy.

The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission’s annual Family Fishing Derby is Saturday, August 27 at its Triadelphia Recreation Area. This catch-and-release event promises prizes – and plenty of fish tales – for first-timers and fishing veterans alike.


Located at 2600 Triadelphia Lake Road in Brookeville, the derby begins at 9 a.m. and the final weigh-in is at noon. Prizes will be awarded for biggest fish and most fish caught – child and adult. A Maryland fishing license is required for anyone 16 and older.

The recreation area includes picnic tables and a playground set.

Register in person at Brighton Dam Visitor’s Center, 2 Brighton Dam Road, Brookeville, MD, 20833, by phone at 301-206-8240 or by e-mail to: saugust@wsscwater.com. More information is available on the WSSC website, www.wsscwater.com on the home page.    

Don't Miss the DC State Fair - August 27th

The second DC State Fair is being held on Saturday, August 27, from 10 AM to 6 PM. The contests have expanded this year–you can check out all the details by clicking on the links at http://dcstatefair.wordpress.com/2011contests.

The deadlines are approaching for the Crafts contests, Baked Goods contests, and Prepared Foods contests. If you're a crafty, culinarily inclined, or canmaster DC resident, submit your entries by midnight on Thursday the 25th to ensure your spot in the competition! Those who enter veggies grown in a DC community garden can win their garden a gift card donated by Behnke's!

This year, we have the following contests being judged at the Fair:

Baked Goods Contests

Pie Contests (best overall plus special prizes for most creative, best crust, and best apple pie)
Cupcake Contests (best overall plus special prizes for most creative, best appearance, and best vegetable-containing cupcake)

Craft Contests (special category prize for best craft containing recycled content)

DC Portrait Contest
Bike Accessory Contest
Vegetable Sculpture Contest

Vegetable Contests (special category prize for community garden with most entries)

Funkiest-Looking Vegetable Contest
Longest Vegetable Contest
Heaviest Vegetable Contest
Tastiest Tomato Contest

Prepared Foods Contests

Cucumber pickle
Other vegetable pickle
Fruit pickle
Jam/Jelly

The Homebrew and Photography contests returned this year, but as last year, judging has already occurred, but the winners will be announced at the Fair.

Check out www.dcstatefair.org/event-details for more information about the day!

Information provided by Kenneth Moore
DC State Fair President

Beautyberry Plants help beat the skeeters

I've always loved the American Beautyberry plant (Callicarpa americana), not just because it produces beautiful purple berries in the fall, but because every bird and critter that moves through my yard love to munch on those berries. Being a wildlife lover, I appreciate any plant that attracts more wildlife.

Wildlife: The fruit is high in moisture content and is an important food source for more than forty species of songbirds including the American Robin, Brown Thrasher, Purple Finch, and Eastern Towhee. The drupes or clusters are eaten by armadillo, foxes, opossum, raccoon and squirrels. White tailed deer consume the fruit in the fall after leaf drop. They also browse the leaves in summer when highly preferred foods are not available. Protein content of the leaves ranges from 18 percent in spring to 8 percent in fall. (Source)

Beautyberry is a native plant that requires absolutely no additional care in my yard.

BUT, I'm starting to appreciate the beautyberry plant for a whole new reason....it's ability to help repel mosquitoes.

I had heard about the mosquito repelling qualities of beautyberry long before I finally gave it a try. But for the last week or so, I've been using it when I go outside in the evenings.

I pull a few leaves off of a plant and crush the leaf and roll it on my arms and legs. I can honestly say that I have seen a drastic reduction in the number of mosquito bites.

Studies by the USDA Agriculture Research Service have concluded that the compound found in these plants - "callicarpenal" - may be as effective as DEET in warding off moquitoes.

If you don't have any beautyberry plants on your property, I encourage you to get one or two. Do it for the critters that love them (birds and more), the critters that hate them (mosquitoes!), or just for yourself. Every garden can use a little more purple!

For more information: Folk Remedy Yields Mosquito-Thwarting Compound

Formula for success - planting fall vegetables

August isn't really my favorite month. By now, I've had enough of summer heat and I'm anxious for autumn. And yet, I know that the respite that autumn holds, of colored leaves, cooler temperatures and visits to the local pumpkin patch will arrive and depart all too quickly, to be replaced by the bitterness of winter.

And so, August prods me to go outside.

The tricky part is trying to determine what can still be planted in August. Although it may seem far away, the first frost date is lurking out there in the shadows and needs to be taken into consideration for planting any cold sensitive plants, especially anything that produces fruit or vegetables.

Of course, no one can predict when the first frost of the season will actually occur. Sources such as the National Climatic Data Center, The Farmers Almanac, and Victory Seeds all list different dates for the average "first killing frost date" for DC. The earliest of which seems to be October 17th.....less than 60 days away. (Although a more accurate date is probably late October or early to mid November).

So now that we know that date, we can do a little math to determine what can still be planted.

I found this somewhat confusing formula on the Virginia Cooperative Extension website (as well as many other sites around the internet). I found it odd that none of them explained it fully and I have to admit I was a little lost. After looking at it a little closer, I've come up with my own explanation of what it is supposed to mean. The formula:

1. Number of days for seeds to germinate, if you grow your own from seed +
2. Average harvest period +
3. Fall Factor (about two weeks) +
4. Frost Tender Factor (if applicable; 2 weeks =
5. Days to count back from first frost date.

Here is the formula breakdown (as I understand it):

1) First, if you are growing your plants from seeds, you have to determine the average number of days for the seeds to germinate. Most seed packets will contain this information. It can also be found on many seed catalog websites. Here is a list I found on the Heirloom Seeds website.

2) I asked several "garden experts" I know what they thought "average harvest period" meant. To me, it was logical to think it meant the time from when a plant sprouts until when you can expect to start your "harvest". Other people thought it might mean the length of harvest period.

3) According to the University of Virginia Extension website "The Fall Factor takes into account the slower growth that results from cooler weather and shorter days in the fall and amounts to about two weeks."

4) "The Frost Tender Factor is added only for those crops that are sensitive to frost (corn, bean, cucumber, tomato, squash), as these must mature two weeks before frost in order to produce a reasonable harvest."

So if you take all of those numbers, add, subtract, carry the one, etc. you can probably determine what you can still plant with the hopes of getting some more luscious home grown food and veggies before old man winter comes along and spoils your plans for fresh, homegrown produce.

If you would rather spend your time planting instead of doing math, the folks at Johnny's Selected Seeds were kind enough to let me share their Fall Planting Calculator with you. Just put your cursor in the the square over the When to Plant column, and plug in the date that you think the first killing frost will occur. The worksheet does the rest for you.

They've got other great calculators on their website including a seed calculator, a target harvest date calculator, a caterpillar tunnel worksheet, and more. I encourage you to check them out!


More information from the Virginia Cooperative Extension:

Fall Vegetable Gardening

Building a Sustainable Future - One Flower at a Time - National Honey Bee Day

August 20, 2011 is a day to appreciate your honey - and the bees that produce it. It is National Honey Bee Day!

Protecting honey bees is another important reason to eliminate chemicals from your landscape. National Honey Bee Day will help you to understand why.

National Honey Bee Day was started by grassroots minded beekeepers to build community awareness of the bee industry, through education and promotion.  

The primary goals of the National Honey Bee Day Program include:  
1) Promotion and advancement of beekeeping.  
2) Educate the public about honey bees and beekeeping.  
3) Make the public aware of environmental concerns as they effect honey bees.

I've often mentioned the importance of pollinators and the dangers they face because of chemicals that some gardeners use in their gardens (among other things). The National Honey Bee Day website states:

We ask that every beekeeper join in this cause. We ask that backyard gardeners, those who love nature, environmental groups, and folks from every corner of society get involved and support saving the honey bee.

It's just not the honey bee in peril. Bats, butterflies, frogs, and other native pollinators are all being killed off through the increased use of chemicals and new lethal pesticides, herbicide, and fungicides on the market. The honey bee industry has suffered several years now with staggering losses due to "Colony Collapse Disorder". Yet to date, not one chemical has been banned or one farming practice changed. But the losses continue to mount year after year. 

There will be several National Honey Bee Day events in the area.

National Honey Bee Day at Sky Meadows State Park - 8/20/2011 - 11am - 4pm

Honey Bee Festival - Norfolk Botanic Gardens - 8/20/2100 - 10am - ?

But if you can't attend either one, I encourage you to visit the National Honey Bee Day website to learn more about the dangers facing honey bees - and the many reasons we need them!

For more information about bees, and other pollinators, visit:

Enjoying the Birds & Bees in Your Own Back Yard - Gardening to Attract Pollinators

10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Honey Bees

First Rooftop Garden Built for Bees

Emerald Ash Borer Quarantine a Serious Issue - Don't Move that Firewood!

Stop – Don’t Move that Firewood!! America’s neighborhoods and forests are under attack. The Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) beetle has destroyed tens of millions of ash trees. It lives in firewood. Move firewood and you spread the destruction. Help us protect the trees — and stop the beetle. Promise you won’t move firewood. Source – Stop the Beetle

If you are like me, you may be on the lookout for future firewood. Fireplace season isn’t that far away, so any piles of lumber from cut down trees look like potential fireplace fodder to me.

But because of concern over Emerald Ash Borers (EAB), there is quarantine in effect for many local areas that prohibits the movement of ash trees and wood out of quarantined area, as well as movement of all hardwood firewood.

This quarantine was issued by the United States Department of Agriculture Domestic (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) in order to prevent the spread of EAB. Specifically, the interstate movement of EAB-host wood and wood products is regulated, including firewood of all hardwood species, nursery stock, green lumber, waste, compost, and chips of ash species. (Source)

The areas of quarantine include:

Washington DC; Virginia: the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William & Fauquier, and the independent cities of Alexandria, Fairfax City, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park? (source) ; 

Maryland: All of Prince George's and Charles Counties are under quarantine and considered to be the Quarantine Area. Moving regulated articles out of these counties is prohibited. Additionally, the area of Prince George’s county south of I-495 and Pennsylvania Avenue, and the area of Charles County north of MD Rte. 6 between St. Mary's County and southbound Rte. 301, and north of MD Rt. 225 between southbound MD Rt. 301 and MD Rt. 210, and north of MD Rt. 210 between MD Rt. 225 and the US Navy Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, is considered to be the Infested Area. Moving regulated articles into the rest of the Quarantine Area from the Infested Area is prohibited. (Source)

From the University of Maryland  Extension Home and Garden Information Center: (Source)

The Emerald Ash Borer is an invasive pest from Asia that feeds on and kills ash trees within three years after infestation. Ash trees are one of the most common and important landscaping trees used in Maryland and are common in western Maryland forests. Ash wood is used for all traditional applications of hardwood from flooring and cabinets to baseball bats.  

Ash is the most common tree in Baltimore City with approximately 293,000 trees and accounts for about six million trees in Baltimore and surrounding counties. USDA has estimated that losses could exceed $227.5 million in the Baltimore area alone if the emerald ash borer were to become established. 

To help stop this damaging beetle, homeowners and citizens who live in and travel through known infested areas can help: 

* Don’t move firewood – buy it where you burn it. Hauling firewood is the most common way for damaging plant pests to be moved from one area to another. In addition, the state quarantine prohibits anyone from moving hardwood firewood or any other ash tree materials out of the regulated area.

*  Don’t plant ash trees. As the EAB is expanding its range in Maryland, diversified plantings of alternative tree species are recommended for residential landscaping. 

* Report any signs of the emerald ash borer to the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center at 1-800-342-2507

For more, extensive information about the Emerald Ash Borer and the serious damage it can cause, visit Stop The Beetle or the USDA website.