L & S Gardens, La Pine, Oregon

Aspens are susceptible to many problems in the landscape. One of those problems is aspen leaf spot, a disease caused by fungus. Aspen leaf spot, or Marssonina leaf spot, is common on aspen trees in the late summer and autumn. Many of you have had this problem and this is what you need to do to help prevent it.

When affected by the disease, black spots develop on aspen leaves. However, black spots may develop for a variety of reasons, so it's important to recognize all of the symptoms of aspen leaf spot. Symptoms occur between July and frost. Leaves affected with the disease will be scattered randomly throughout the tree and spots will appear randomly on the leaves. The spots are dark brown to black circles containing more rings, looking almost like a bulls-eye. Sometimes the edges of the spots may appear irregular or feathery.

To manage aspen leaf spot, rake fallen leaves in the autumn to prevent the spread of the fungus in the spring. With the beautiful weather we are having this chore is a must to get done. If you have had the problem then I would suggest that you NOT put the leaves in your compost pile, but rather burn them. Aspen leaf spot is usually not severe enough to warrant the use of fungicide, but if the symptoms occur year after year, apply a fungicide in the spring when leaves are emerging from the bud and then again just as the leaves emerge. It's too late to apply fungicide once the symptoms are evident. Read and follow label directions carefully.

Spring Bulbs:
With this warm weather many of us are seeing sprouts from our fall planted bulbs. Do not try to cover them to protect them for when the weather turns cold. By covering them with more mulch you will only be creating a green house affect, warming the soil more so that they really grow more. Just leave them alone. The tops will die back and should emerge in the spring.

If you are wondering what to get your favorite gardener for Christmas think about a gift certificate from L & S Gardens or a copy of my Cold Climate gardening book. Just give me a call, you can put the amount on your credit card. I will either send you the certificate or send it directly to the recipient for you.

10/17/09 - Garden Questions?

Yes, we are closed for the season, but I'm always available to answer your garden questions either by telephone or e-mail.
I have been out of town the past 2 weeks and upon returning I have tried to catch up on past newspaper articles. Much has been said about preparing your lawns and gardens for winter. There were several articles that I disagree with. While not claiming to be a college trained garden professional, I do claim to have, well lets just say, many years of hands on experience.
I do not agree with leaving your lawn longer for winter in Central Oregon. In my experience, when lawns are left long in our area and we receive a good amount of snow, the snow lays the blades of the grass over causing a perfect situation for voles (field mice) to tunnel under the snow and eat off the grass (what a mess in the spring). Long grass and snow can also cause more snow mold with problems appearing in the spring.
Another article in a local newspaper stated that fall was a good time to fertilize trees, shrubs and plants. WRONG..you do not want to fertilize now causing new growth which the frost and extreme cold will kill. Do NOT fertilize plants, trees and shrubs in the fall. You should have already applied a timed release fertilizer to your lawns. A timed release fertilizer is heat activated, so it will not be taken up by the lawn until the weather begins to warm in the spring. I highly recommend this fertilizer for lawns.
Now is a great time to prune trees and shrubs. Many have already gone dormant, meaning that their energy has gone down to the root system. You can also prune early spring while the trees or shrubs are still dormant.
Have you mulched around all of your new plantings? A good garden compost, pine needles or straw work well for this chore. If we have a winter when we get warm days and cold nights your plants will do what we call "heaving". The frost will literally push the plants up above the ground exposing their roots. A layer of mulch helps prevent this by keeping the ground around the plants warmer. Plants that have been in the ground a few years usually have a stronger root system but I still recommend mulching every fall. By using compost you can work it into the flower beds in the spring.
Even though we are closed you can call to set a time to come into the nursery and get compost and bark.
Don't forget to call or e-mail me with any garden questions you have.

10/03/07 - Why Leaves Change Colors

Have you ever wondered why leaves change colors? Without getting too complicated I will try to explain the process.

I took a drive into Bend yesterday and marveled at the beautiful fall colors. The Flame Maples and the Burning Bush are extraordinary this year, along with the Aspen and the Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry. The mixture of red, purple, orange and yellow is the result of a chemical processes that takes place in the tree or shrub as the seasons change from summer to winter.
During the spring and summer the leaves have served as factories where most of the foods necessary for the tree's growth are manufactured. This food-making process takes place in the leaf in numerous cells containing chlorophyll, which gives the leaf its green color. This extraordinary chemical absorbs from sunlight the energy that is used in transforming carbon dioxide and water to carbohydrates, such as sugars and starch.

Along with the green pigment are yellow to orange pigments, carotenes and xanthophyll pigments which, for example, give the orange color to a carrot. Most of the year these colors are masked by great amounts of green coloring.

Chlorophyll Breaks Down

But in the fall, because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, the leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.

The autumn foliage of some trees show only yellow colors. Others, like many oaks, display mostly browns. All these colors are due to the mixing of varying amounts of the chlorophyll residue and other pigments in the leaf during the fall season.

Other Changes Take Place

As the fall colors appear, other changes are taking place. At the point where the stem of the leaf is attached to the tree, a special layer of cells develop and gradually severs the tissues that support the leaf. At the same time, the tree seals the cut, so that when the leaf is finally blown off by the wind or falls from its own weight, it leaves behind a leaf scar.

Most of the broad-leaved trees in the North shed their leaves in the fall. However, the dead brown leaves of the oaks and a few other species may stay on the tree until growth starts again in the spring. In the South, where the winters are mild, some of the broad-leaved trees are evergreen; that is, the leaves stay on the trees during winter and keep their green color.

Only Some Trees Lose Leaves

Most of the conifers - pines, spruces, firs, hemlocks, cedars, etc. - are evergreen in both the North and South. The needle-or scale-like leaves remain green or greenish the year round, and individual leaves may stay on for two to four or more years.

Weather Affects Color Intensity

Temperature, light, and water supply have an influence on the degree and the duration of fall color. Low temperatures above freezing will favor anthocyanin formation producing bright reds in maples. However, early frost will weaken the brilliant red color. Rainy and/or overcast days tend to increase the intensity of fall colors. The best time to enjoy the autumn color would be on a clear, dry, and cool (not freezing) day.

Enjoy the color, it only occurs for a brief period each fall.

9/24/07 - Planting Fall Bulbs

After this mornings hard frost (we had 14 degrees) I would say that now is the perfect time to plant those fall bulbs.
Many of you are getting tired of tending the garden, but you will be so rewarded in the spring with all of the spring color if you plant now.
Purchase good quality number 1 grade bulbs. Check to make sure that all of the bulbs in the package are firm. You don't want any soft or rotted bulbs. I am not selling fall bulbs so be sure to buy from a reliable source. I was in Costco last week and they had a very good assortment. Remember...if you think that buying 10 for $1.00 bulbs is a good deal, then be prepared for smaller plants in the spring. The cheap bulbs are usually not the best. You won't have success with all of the different varieties of bulbs that are being offered at the box stores so make your selections carefully. Daffodils, tulips, crocus, grape hyacinths, lily of the valley and ornamental allium are all good choices. When purchasing your tulips look on the package for Late Blooming. Lots of gardeners don't know that there are early blooming and late blooming. By planting the late bloomers you miss the hard frosts of spring.
When planting your bulbs, plant in a good amended soil, work bone meal or bulb food into the soil while planting and 'Rule of Thumb' make your planting hole three times deeper than the size of the bulb. Little bulb, shallow hole, large bulb, deeper hole.
We are closing the nursery this week for the season and I look forward to seeing you in the spring. I will continue to give you words of "Garden Wisdom" throughout the fall and winter. We will open in the spring the second week of March.
If you have heard the rumor that we are selling the nursery, then you heard right. Until the time comes that a suitable buyer comes forth it will be business as usual. If you know of someone that may be interested in a fun and rewarding business please have them contact Alan or Lillian Jones at Central Oregon Realty here in La Pine, 536-1531.

9/17/07 - Preparing your Garden for Fall

es, fall in definately in the air. We have lots of work to do in the gardens before winter arrives. Now is a good time to divide your perennials and move to other locations. Don't forget to amend the soil! Cut back all perennials that have finished blooming. Pull out any annuals that have gotten hit by the frosts. Lay compost, pine needles or other ground protection around your perennials and newly planted trees and shrubs. Give your lawn a good fall fertilizing. If you had trouble with your lawn not taking water this past summer, then you might want to aerate or thatch (now is a great time for this fall project).
I would like to invite you to a short seminar that I will be giving this coming Thursday at the Crescent Creek Clubhouse on Huntington Rd. at 6:00 pm. My topic will be "Preparing your gardens for winter." I will also answer any gardening questions you may have. This seminar is sponsored by Girl's Night Out. Dinner is $8.50 and the featured speaker is Andrea Merkord author of "Expect a Miracle"
To make reservations please call Lillian or Karen at 536-1531.

9/14/07 - Great Time to Plant Trees, Shrubs and Perennials

We are having perfect weather for planting trees, shrubs and perennials. Starting Saturday, September 15 all of our trees, shrubs and perennials will be 60% off marked prices.
It is now time to be applying a fall fertilizer to your lawns. You do NOT want to be fertilizing any of your plants. We do not want to promote new tender growth with the coming hard frosts.
It is too early to be planting fall bulbs. I will address this topic later in the month.
For those of you that are interested in how to prepare your gardens for winter, we are currently working on the flower beds in the nursery and my yard. You are welcome to stop by and let me give you a few pointers on the how and why or putting your gardens to bed for the winter. We are pruning a few shrubs and trimming perennials.

8/28/07 - Brown Needles on Pine Trees

Are you seeing browning of needles on your pine trees?
Did you realize that evergreen needles change color in the fall too, just like deciduous trees do? It's true and it often causes alarm in homeowners when their evergreen trees start to drop needles.
Older needles on the inside of evergreen trees are shed each fall after they turn yellow, brown or reddish tan in color. Sometimes this natural process is very subtle and goes unnoticed because only the inner most needles are affected. Pine trees can hold their needles for 2-5 or more years, depending on the species. Spruce trees generally hold onto their needles longer than pine trees do, approximately 5-7 years.
Fall needle drop is a natural condition and is not a sign of disease or insect infestation, however, any factor that increases stress on evergreen trees will intensify the autumn needle drop. Stress factors include drought, herbicide injury, root damage and insect or disease damage. Right now I'm seeing quite a bit of heat stress. I recommend, if possilbe, letting a small stream of water run at the base of the tree for several hours or longer to reach the entire root system.
Natural needle drop occurs only on the inner needles; if entire branches or needles at the tips of branches are dying, then something else is happening. A close inspection of any brown foliage should also be done to eliminate the presence of fungal leaf spots, spider mites, aphids or other potential pest problems. Here again, I'm seeing some spider mite damage on many evergreens.
If you have questions please call me and together we can have a healthy stand of trees.

8/13/07 - Tree and Shrub SALE

It's a beautiful time for planting !! The girls that work with me in the nursery think it is time we had a SALE. Saturday, August 18 from 9-5 all trees and shrubs will me 25% off marked prices. Our native soil is not good to plant in without amending the soil half and half with a good compost. You can choose steer, chicken or mushroom but planting without amending the soil is like building a house without a foundation (IT IS THAT IMPORTANT). Amending will help retain water and add those much needed nutrients that is lacking.

Come in and talk to the girls about the right plantings for your landscape.

8/09/07 - Planting Season

The one question that has been asked a lot lately is" is it too late to plant"? NOW is a perfect time to be planting trees, shrubs and perennials. Anything that is in a pot will be "oh so happy" in the ground. Work a good compost in with our native soil, half and half. Dig your planting hole a bit deeper and wider. Open up the roots on your new plant and plant it. I have a free planting "how to sheet" that you can pick up in the nursery.
You do NOT want to be transplanting at this time. Wait until late fall or early spring to move trees and shrubs.
Even though our evenings are getting cooler, you don't want to let things dry out. You may want to cut back on excessive watering. Remember water deep not just on the surface. Instead of 15 minutes twice a day you might want to go 30 minutes once a day or every other day depending on the depth of the roots and what you are watering.. We want to train roots to go down after water instead of laying just below the surface.
Plan your perennial gardens and come see us. We have a great selection of hardy plants

7/10/07 - Cutter Bees in the Garden

Have you noticed circles cut out of the leaves on many of your trees? They may be half circles or whole circles, but large pieces of leaf..gone. You don't see signs of a bug or other insects. What you are seeing is the work of the Cutter BEE. They are making their nests right now. There really isn't much that you can do to eliminate the problem because you would have to spot the culprit at work first and they are very cagey. Just look at it as a marvelous work of the insect kingdom. What other species can cut such a perfect circle out of a leaf and not even be standing on the ground. Some trees will have more damage than others but this will not kill the tree.
Be on the look out for spider mites in all foliage in your yard. Discoloration or mottling of leaves is a good sign that mites are literally sucking the juice out of the leaves on your plants. You want to use a miticide for this problem. If you are not sure what the trouble is with your plant, bring me a couple of leaves in a sealed bag.
On another note..we are having a Mosaic Tile class here in the nursery this Saturday from 1 to 3:30. Cindy Jensen will show us how to make a tiled patio table out of broken pieces of tile and china. Or you can tile a flower pot with the ideas she will teach. This is a FREE class. If you paid for this class we will reimburse you. We decided to make it a party and serve cold lemonade and cookies. Please call and let us know if you will be attending and please invite a friend. Park to the back of the nursery.

6/29/07 - Insects in the Garden

What a growing season we are having. All of my plants look like they are stunted. One day it is 88 degrees and the evening is 23. Parts of my trees have leafed out and some branches have nothing. All of the limbs are still pliable so they are alive. Hopefully they will leaf out next year. I'm not going to give up on them. Many of you have called with the same problem. If the limbs snap when you bend them then go ahead and cut back to the green part of the limb.
I'm seeing a large amount of spider mite damage in the trees, shrubs and perennials this year. Spider mites love the High Desert since it is dry with little humidity. Are you seeing leaves on your plants turning a yellow color? This may be a sign of mites. If you don't know what is going on bring me a leaf off of the plant or tree (in a plastic baggie) and I will take a look. Mites can not be treated with a regular insect killer. You have to use one that says it is also a miticide, this will include an oil base that works on mites. Spider mites have to be treated several times. They lay eggs, so you will treat and then treat again in about 3 days. The eggs lay dorman through the winter also and this is why I recommend a dormant oil spray on all of your shrubs and trees in early spring. Bayer has come out with a terrific produt that is for insects, mites and also a fungicide. This 3 in 1 product will save you money by not having to purchase three different products.
Have you fertilized again for summer. Remember that plants, trees, shrubs and your lawn all need to be fed. Especially with the stress they are getting with this erratic weather.
If I can be of any help please call or stop by the nursery.
If you are interested in our Lavender Daze class to be held on July 7, you need to sign up. We need at least 15 people to make this class work. In this class you will learn all about growing lavender, eat lavender cookies while sipping lavender lemonade. Make a lavender wand and experience the soothing affect that lavender oil has on the body. Sign up with a friend or come and meet new friends.
Just a reminder - we will be closed July 4th.

6/12/07 - Tips for a Healthy Lawn

One of the main reason gardeners have lawn problems is from too much watering and too little fertilizer.
Ideally an established lawn should receive one inch of water twice a week. If you are unsure as to how much you are applying, force a shovel down into your lawn 8-10 inches. Move the handle back and forth until you can see the soil. The soil should be wet down a minimum of 6 inches. Adjust your watering so that each time you water it reaches a depth of 6 inches. When weather is cooler, water once a week. Deep watering produces a larger root system.
Lawns should be fertilized at least three times per year. A 40 pound bag of 21-7-14 (our most popular) will cover approximately 3200 sq. ft. As you can see, you need to know how much lawn you have before you buy.
There is one product that most lawns need here in Central Oregon and that is granular lime, Calpril. If your grass is doing poorly under your pine and juniper trees, the soil may have become too acidic. Calpril will help sweeten the soil, thus making nutrients already in the soil readily available to the grass.
Don't forget to sign up for our worm composting class to be held this Saturday from 1-3 here in the nursery.

6/07/07 - Lydia Broom - Dutch Oven Cooking Demonstration

The question of the day seems to be:
"I was in Bend yesterday and noticed these low growing shrubs that look like big balls of yellow flowers"
You are looking at Lydia Broom. This shrub is an evergreen and blooms for about a month this time of year. Here in La Pine they are just getting ready to bloom. Now is a great time to plant. We have them in 2 gallon and 1 gallon containers.
For those of you that are interested in Dutch oven cooking:
I will be giving a presentation on Dutch oven cooking Friday evening at 6:30pm in Bend at the Deschutes County Historical Society. Three of my cooking friends will be joining me and we will be serving some mighty fine cobblers. Sue Clarke will be baking one on site. There is a $3.00 fee for non members and free to members of the Historical Society. The museum is located at 129 NW Idaho Avenue behind the Boys and Girls club, in the vicinity of the Bend Library. We will be outside so bring a jacket. To register call Kelly at the museum at 389-1813.

6/06/07 - Lawn Grass Going to Seed

The question of the week seems to be "What is happening to my lawn, I didn't have this seed looking grass growing in it last year"?
Does your lawn have stalks of grass with seed heads on them growing over the entire area?
We went from cool weather to extremely hot in a short period of days. When this happens you will see spinach, rhubarb and many other plants do what we call bolting (forming a stalk with a seed head). This is what is happening to many lawns in the area. No need to worry, your lawn is fine and a mowing will take care of the grass that has gone to seed.

6/05/07 - Cold Nights Ahead

As you have heard on the news and in the newspaper, cold nights for the next few days. There are a few plants that concern me. Your Oriental Poppies should be in bud and so should your Peonies. If at all possible I would cover these plants to protect the buds. You are also seeing new growth on the spruce trees and other needle trees and shrubs. Realistically you can't cover the whole garden, so when brown ends appear, don't panic. It will be the new growth that the frost got.
We are really stocked up on annuals and what an assortment we have. One of our customers yesterday said we had the best selection in Central Oregon (thank you). Remember, we do NOT sell Marigolds or Impatiens, they are way too tender for our area. Be careful with the Lobellia as it is a tender one also. Obviously an annual is an annual and will NOT take a hard frost, but the annuals we carry will usually go to 30 degrees. When maintaining your color bowls and hanging baskets remember that you want to use a fertilizer with a high second number, such as 15-30-15 or 10-20-20. The second number promotes blossoms. Too high of a first number will promote lots of green leaves and growth but not a lot of blooms. You can also use a balanced fertilizer where the numbers are all the same.
Have you signed up for our worm composting class? Ernie Hahn will be teaching us all about Worm Composting on Saturday, June 16th here in the nursery from 1-3pm.
Questions??? Call us...

5/23/07 - Rhubard Season

It is that time of year when the first harvest of Rhubarb is ready. I know many people that don't care for rhubarb so I want to share a recipe that is so good. But first, some facts about Rhubarb. This plant likes full sun, does not like to be over watered or you will rot the root, and it likes stter compost spread around it's roots base. When harvesting this fruit you want to go to the base of the stock, pull and twist. Do NOT cut the stalks.
You are likely to start seeing a tall white stalk coming out of the plant. What has happened is that we experienced a dramatic weather change quite fast. This stalk is a seed stalk and you will want to go to the base of the stalk, pull and twist and get it out of the plant. You may here fellow gardeners say that the plant bolted. There are several garden plants, especially spinach that will do this when we go from cool weather to hot quite suddenly.
The following recipe was given to me almost 20 years ago by my aunt Lynn Spring that lives in Redmond, Oregon. If I remember right she fixed this for one of our family reunions and everyone loved it.
Enjoy !!
Rhubarb Cobbler

From the L & S Gardens Test Kitchen

6 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup sugar
1 small package strawberry Jell-o

In a large mixing bowl add above ingredients and mix together. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan, spread rhubarb mixture evenly over bottom of pan.

1 white or yellow cake mix

Follow package directions for mixing, pour over rhubarb mixture.

Bake at 350ºF for 45 to 60 minutes. Cobbler is done when knife inserted into center comes out clean.

5/20/07 - Springtime Yard Damage

I have been walking the gardens throughout the nursery and my yard to see how plants are progressing and to check for winter damage. I had done this earlier in April and plants and trees were just starting to bud. At that time we had been having some 68 to 70 degree days. This lasted for about a week and then WHAM the temperature dropped to a night of 13 and 17 degrees. This freeze on top of warm days caused many buds to freeze and dry up. I'm sure as you walk your gardens you have noticed that some trees are just starting to show signs of leafing. Don't get in a hurry to diagnois some of your plants and trees as dead. I also noticed that a lot of my bulbs are shorter with smaller blooms, there again the reverse of weather. I'm now seeing that my Peony's are shorter than usual and they are setting bud. There again it is the past month of fluctuating weather. I'm sure most of you have your gardens cleaned up and fertilizer on everything. I'm running a bit behind with the raking in my gardens, but working on it.
We will be setting out our petunias and hanging baskets about the middle of this week. It is about a week early but many of you have asked for annuals before the Memorial week end. Just remember that we do NOT sell Marigolds and Impatiens, they are way too tender for our area.
We have a great selection of perennials that can go in the ground now.

Garden Updates 2007

L & S Gardens
“28 Years in Business and Still Growing”
linda@lsgardens.com
541-536-2049