Green Thumb Garden Club

All Landlovers members and guests are invited to the Green Thumb meeting on Wednesday, March 7th, to learn how to cope with the drought of the last 18 months (rainfall in Savannah is more than 20 inches below normal). Jim Helgren, owner of Oasis Irrigation Company, will educate everyone on how to maximize your irrigation system and connect a drip system to your outdoor faucet. The meeting at Skidaway Island Presbyterian Church begins at 9:30 for socializing prior to the presentation at 10:00. Landlovers members are welcome as are guests (@ $4.00). For more information, contact Linda Rich (598-5282).

Scroll down for information on Fall Mulching and Citrus Trees

Fall Mulching in Residential Landscapes

- Aletha Dunlavy
As noted in the “Guide to Successful Gardening at The Landings,” November is a good time to add mulch in beds planted with trees, shrubs, perennials, and winter annuals.  Adding mulch (to a total depth of about 3”) has several advantages.  Like spring mulching, the layer of mulch helps retain moisture in the soil.  This is especially important in winter when freezing temperatures are predicted.  Adding water to the mulch and soil in advance of a freeze potentially provides protection to the plants.  Heat is released as the water cools and then freezes, protecting the roots and keeping the air around the plants warmer longer.  The mulch also acts as a layer of insulation, moderating the soil temperature both in winter and summer.  Perennials benefit from this added protection. 

Weeds seem to know no season.  While the number and growth rate are slowed during the winter months, there remain those pesky varieties that take advantage of the lack of competition.  A good layer of mulch prevents sunlight from reaching the soil and thus weed seeds either don’t germinate or can’t survive.

All organic mulch materials decompose.  This occurs in the winter as well as summer but at a slower rate in the winter.  Finely shredded materials and pine straw decompose quickly in the summer contributing to the need to add more mulch in the fall.  But this never-ending job has a plus:  each decomposing layer adds organic matter and nutrients to the soil.  In addition, the decomposition of some mulch such as pine straw and oak leaves is acidic.  Thus, it is particularly useful around azaleas and camellias. 

The aesthetic value of a new layer of mulch is a side benefit not to be underrated.  The color and texture provided should be carefully considered – and appreciated!

Materials to use:

·         Pine straw – Used most frequently, pine straw is readily available, easily spread, compatible with the colors of the landscape, and effective.

·         Leaves – On Skidaway Island, leaves are more abundant in the spring.  The live oak leaves available then are especially useful as mulch, as they don’t pack together and are acidic.  Other leaves should be allowed to decompose before using them as mulch.

·         Bark – Available in nugget or shredded form, bark mulches decompose more slowly so additions are less frequent.

·         Inorganic materials – A number of materials are on the market now.  Many colors and textures are available (choose carefully!) and these products are long lasting.  Rocks, pebbles, gravel are also available.  They can provide interesting textures and contrasts in specific areas.  However, the absorbed and reflected heat may be too much for some plants.  No organic matter is added to the soil by these mulches, and some can be difficult to clean.

 See also:  Garden Guide to the Lower South,Trustees' Garden Club, Savannah, GA.

Citrus Trees in Georgia
-Debbie Roth

Do you have an orange, ‘Improved Meyer’ lemon, or other type of citrus tree on your property?   If you do, be on the lookout for a disease called “citrus greening.”   This is an insect-borne bacterial disease that affects citrus trees and related ornamental type plants (e.g., Mock orange) and is threatening the U.S. citrus industry and citrus trees in residential landscapes.  Since July 2009, the entire state of Georgia has been put under quarantine by the USDA for the moving, transplanting, and grafting of citrus trees.  Only citrus trees that have passed stringent USDA inspection standards may be brought into the state.  Before you buy any citrus tree, ask your nursery if its trees have passed this inspection.  While this helps ensure only healthy plants come into Georgia, it will not protect your tree from being infected once it is here.

Citrus greening disease is caused by the Asian citrus psyllid, a small sap-feeding insect which transmits the disease tree-to-tree (it does not survive outside of the plant or in the soil).  The psyllid likes to eat the tender new growth at the end of branches, where it also lays its eggs.  If you see insects or distorted or missing new growth on your tree, contact your local garden center for a pesticide appropriate for citrus trees.  Apply to the tree, leaves, and especially the new growth at the end of a branch, and reapply after 10-14 days (follow the label instructions).  This will ensure that all life stages of the psyllid are sprayed.

Common early signs that your tree is infected are a blotchy molting of the leaves, branch die-back from the ends, and/or a misshapen fruit that has any uneven coloring on the skin.  (The fruit itself is harmless although it may have a bitter taste).   Once infected, there currently is no known cure, and the tree may die within three to five years.

You may trim off a dead branch.  Set aside the removed branch for approximately two weeks (to allow the sap to dry up).  Then place the branch in your yard-waste bag for disposal.

For more information, see:
      ·  www.saveourcitrus.org
      ·www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_pest_info/citrus_greening/inex.sthml