Crabapple trees add beauty, keep birds nourished
The Candymint crabapple is disease-resistant and has two-toned pink flowers.
Question: After living in my home for 30 years, I’m doing a landscape makeover. My plan is to invite birds and butterflies to my yard. I’m currently looking into crabapple trees with fruit that birds like to eat. I also want it to be disease resistant with pretty spring flowers.
I had a Candymint crabapple in front of my home in Milwaukee. This Sargent crabapple variety is disease resistant with two-tone pink flowers. The red fruit persisted through the winter until the birds ate it all in spring. Birdland has fruit that softens throughout the winter, providing a steady source of food for the birds. Check out horticulturist and plant breeder Mike Yanny’s post on crabapples for the Birds www.kb.jniplants.com/crabapples-forbirds/
Q: My peace lily, dracaenas, spider plant, prayer plant and dieffenbachia tend to get brown leaf tips. I heard long ago that it was the result of using tap water. Is this the cause or is something else going on? The plants seem OK, but the brown tips look bad. Any suggestions?
These and a few other plants are sensitive to the chlorine and fluoride added to water as well as perlite in the potting mixes and some fertilizers. Flushing the buildup of these chemicals out of the soil with bottled water or rainwater can help. Water thoroughly and repeat two more times at 20 minute intervals. Allowing the water to stand for several days in a wide open container will allow the chlorine to evaporate but not the fluoride. Eliminate the problem by using water free of these chemicals. Use rainwater, melted snow or bottled water. You can clip off the brown tips with a pair of sharp garden scissors. Trim the ends to a point to maintain the plants’ natural appearance.
Q: Is it safe to add Poinsettia debris and other houseplant debris to the compost pile? I use the compost for my vegetable garden and am concerned about using any plants with milky sap in the composting process.
No problem adding the fallen leaves or even these dead plants to your compost pile. Although the milky sap in some plants can irritate our skin and eyes and needs to be handled with care, it is not harmful to other plants. It along with the rest of the plant debris will break down over time. This is a great way to recycle them back into your garden.
Q: I’m starting a new 12 inch deep raised bed vegetable garden. There is currently medium sized gravel in that area. Do we need to remove it under the garden, or just fill it with soil?
A 12 inch deep raised bed should provide sufficient soil for your vegetable plants. Anytime we raise a garden or limit the amount of soil, it impacts watering and fertilization. Just monitor soil moisture throughout the season and water the garden thoroughly as needed. Consider taking a soil test once your bed is created to find out what type if any fertilize is needed. I would cover the gravel and lower inside edges of your raised bed with landscape fabric. This material allows air and water through but will keep the soil from settling into the gravel below.
Post questions at melindamyers. com, or write P.O. Box 798, Mukwonago, WI 53149