Why is English ivy still being sold?
Why is English ivy still being sold? It’s invasive! It sneaked into my yard from somewhere and, when I drive around, I see it taking over more and more. I saw it for sale yesterday! What other invasive plants are being sold that we should look out for? My neighbor bought something called chameleon plant he can’t get rid of.
The Maryland Department of Agriculture has a two tier system for nonnative invasive plants, with lists online. Tier 1 plants cannot be sold. Tier 2 plants must be labeled invasive. (Sometimes labels fall off!) More plants are under consideration. Meanwhile, invasive plants available for sale include: shrubs and trees — Callery pear (Bradford), barberry, sawtooth oak, Oregon grape holly (mahonia); grasses — miscanthus, bamboo; and groundcovers — ajuga, pachysandra, periwinkle. (The last two can be planted under inescapable circumstances away from wilds or parks.) Any invasive plant that forms seeds, berries or nuts easily escapes, such as your English ivy which produces berries when it grows up a tree. At least it’s possible to kill English ivy, but your neighbor’s chameleon plant (Houttuynia cordata) spreads by underground rhizomes that are virtually impossible to eliminate. Save yourself gardening grief by familiarizing yourself with non-native invasive plants in your area. Search ‘invasive’ on the HGIC website.
I am starting my first vegetable garden . So far, I started seeds in egg cartons. I’m not sure if egg carton cells are deep enough. Do I have to transplant the seedlings
into larger pots before putting them into the garden?
Beginners and seasoned gardeners often ponder: “How do I know if I need to repot transplants?” If you have little seedlings already, it’s likely you’ll need to repot at least once before putting outside. Move to a pot about the size of a disposable party cup (great to rinse and reuse!) Unsure? Pop out one cell and peek at the roots. If roots have spread throughout the soil, then repot. Typical seed-cell-trays need repotting checks after 3-4 weeks. Other considerations: 1) Type of seed? Some vegetables require much more rooting space than others, e.g.squash versus lettuce. 2) Time before your area’s last frost date? 3) How well have roots developed? Little champs may be ready sooner than you are ready to plant.
On our website, search ‘when to plant vegetables in Maryland’. The calendar’s yellow bars help you time seed starting, so you don’t have to spend a lot of time transplanting. (It is so tempting to start too early!) Or use predicted frost dates and count backward the number of weeks necessary for seeds to mature into transplants (which is listed on the seed pack.) Typically Marylander’s use Mother’s Day as a target plant-out date to avoid late frost risk. Egg cartons are fun, but you might also try planting in a larger cell to begin with.
University of Maryland Extension’s Home and Garden Information Center offers free gardening and pest information at extension. umd.edu/hgic. Click “Ask Maryland’s Gardening Experts” to send questions and photos.