Climate Change and Your Garden
by Chris Clayton, BSc, BLA, Landscape Architect (retired)

Climate change is making our predictable seasonal rain and snow patterns much different; we can’t rely on them. Plants in our area have evolved to accommodate plentiful snow in Winter and the very occasional drought in Summer. In Winter a lack of snow allows frost to go deeper into the ground because the insulating quality of snow drift is lost, which can damaged roots and soil micro-biota. What can we do? Cover your plants with 30 ~ 50cm of mulch and keep it watered in Fall. This will be your insulating blanket.

Drought, the lack of expected rainfall, combined with higher than normal winds can lead to forest fires. Accumulated dry materials around your home are fire hazards especially, from embers blown in from nearby fires. What can we do? Keep your gutters and roof valleys clear of leaves & needles, remove chunky bark mulches, woody debris & dried evergreen needles. Keep plants within 30m of your house well watered in dry periods to maintain resilient root systems and take down dead or hazardous trees in the same area. Keep your wood pile free of loose chips and bark, better yet store your fire wood under a non-flammable roof. When selecting new plants for garden beds near your home, consider planting moist, succulent leaved shrubs that have minimal debris build up.  Avoid plants that have aromatic oils, resinous needles or papery, flaky barks.

Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) is a native shrub that grows to 170cm, with green leaves turn yellow in Fall and its white flowers produce red fruit. Ninebarks will grow in full sun in average soil or clay soil that is amended with some compost.

Water newly planted Ninebarks until the roots are firmly established. As always mulch 4cm deep. Older plants have an interesting feature of exfoliating bark. Shrub companions for Ninebarks are snowberries, red osier dogwoods, spireas and viburnums. Perennial companions are Bee Balm, Bluestar, Coneflower, Coral Bells, Coreopsis, Hostas, Peonies, Salvias & Yarrow.

Snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus) grows to 150cm with white flowers in June and July that produce white berries that are a low level of toxicity to people. It grows in full sun to partial shade and can tolerate clay soil. As always mulch 4cm deep.

Snowberries attract song birds, hummingbirds, butterflies and native bees and provide shelter for small mammals within their branches. Companion plants for Snowberries are Ninebarks, Serviceberries, Wild Bergamot & Black-eyed Susans

Note: like most native plants that thrive in the McKellar ~ Parry Sound area, natural rainfall will suffice, unless there are persistent drought conditions.

Successfully Growing Bare Root Plants
by Sue Poff

Unlike plants that you purchase in pots, bare rooted plants can be challenging to grow successfully. You must make sure you have the time to care for them throughout their first season, especially through drought periods.

When promoting healthy plants, we need to look at their root system as it is responsible for absorbing much needed water and nutrients. This is why many gardeners will use root stimulators and gels to help develop those roots upon planting.

With your MLCA plant orders this season, we are including two products to help you out. The first is a gel that your plants will soak in prior to your pick-up. This gel coats the roots to assist with retaining moisture. This gives your plant roots a bit of a boost to prevent them from drying out once planted. This DOES NOT mean you can skip your daily watering, yes, your plants need water every day; it just means your plant will be able to absorb more moisture to keep them healthy.

The second product we are including is a 2-year fertilizer product. It comes in the form of a tablet, which you will place in the bottom of the hole you dig for your plant. Especially important, add soil over the tablet, do not let the roots of your plant touch this or you will damage the roots. This tablet does not dissolve by water but is broken down by soil bacteria.

Both items will give your plants a bit of a boost to thrive once planted. If you cannot get your tree/shrub into the ground within a few days of picking them up, then please plant it into a pot of soil and remember to water daily. The MLCA tree/shrub sales team want you to have a successful growing season. Please reach out to us anytime if you have questions or need assistance with your plantings.

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