Daily Archives: July 3, 2019

Red and White Dahlia

July Garden Tips

Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Happy Independence Day! Hope you have a Happy and Safe 4th of July!  Here are some garden tips, educational opportunities, and events for July. Events include Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens South Conservatory, Independence Day Family Celebration, Brookside Gardens’ 50th Anniversary Celebration, Mill Creek Clean Up, Mill Creek Towne Entrance Repair Project, Sensory Sundays, Pickin’ on the Porch, and more!

Planning:

 

Flowers and Groundcovers:

  • Don’t fertilize plants that slow down in the heat, but keep them watered.
  • Fertilize lightly plants that are blooming heavily.
  • Cut back spent stalks on common daylilies.
  • Divide and cut back bearded iris.
  • Deadhead spent blooms on your annuals and perennials to encourage re-flowering.
  • Pinch back mums so they grow bushier and won’t flower until autumn.
  • Check for black spot on your roses – remove and discard any affected leaves in the trash, never back in your garden or in your compost – apply a fungicide with Neem oil every two weeks during the growing season.
    orange dahlias
  • Check on your container plants daily and keep them well-watered.
  • Plant warm-season annuals and tender bulbs (calla lilies, dahlias, gladiolus) in the ground and in containers.
  • Pinch out tips of leggy plants.
  • Fertilize transplants.
  • Water transplants deeply when dry.
  • Pests to watch for: Aphids, Deer, 4-lined plant bug, slugs, snails, spidermites, whiteflies
  • Diseases to watch for:  Blackspot on roses; powdery mildew, rust, bacterial diseases.
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Trees and Shrubs:

  • Prune foundation shrubs and trees to be no closer than 1 foot from the house.
  • Prune and thin shrubs that have already flowered.
  • Water slowly and deeply if summer is very dry.
  • Remove spent lilac and rhododendron blossoms.
  • Take soft wood cuttings of plants to propogate.
  • Pinch buds of fall-blooming plants (asters, mums, Joe-Pye weed).
  • Prune out Eastern tent caterpillar egg masses.japanese_maple_tree
  • Do not fertilize newly planted or transplanted plants the first year.
  • Keep mowers and trimmers away from trunks!
  • Spray with dormant oil to decrease pest infestations.
  • Begin planting when soil is not too wet.
  • Put diseased leaves, pesticide-laden grass clippings and weed seeds out for recycling rather than the compost pile.
  • Mulch or compost healthy leaves.
  • Remove Ivy, Pachysandra, and other vine-like groundcover from under shrubs.
  • Remove dead and dying trees.
  • Pests to watch for:  adelgids, Eastern tent caterpillar, Gypsy moths, lacebug, scale, sawfly, spidermites,  leafminers, and Japanese beetles.
  • Diseases to watch for:  Fireblight, Anthracnose,  Powdery mildew, Exobasidium gall on azaleas, Phytophthora, top dieback and root rot on azaleas.
  • For more tips, see UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Herbs, Veggies, and Fruit:

  • Plant heat-tolerant vegetables (Malabar spinach, Swiss chard).
  • Cut off bottom, yellowed foliage on tomato plants.
  • Water deeply when needed.Swiss_Chard
  • Second week in July is the last recommended week to plant sweet corn and cucumbers.
  • Pick blueberries at a local pick-your-own farm or visit a local farmer’s market.
  • Keep new fruit plants watered.
  • Sow seeds of fall crops (brocolli, turnips, cauliflower, etc.) in late July.
  • Cover berry bushes and fruit trees with bird netting.
  • Pinch back any straying strawberry runners.
  • Harvest regularly from your vegetable garden to prevent rot waste.
  • Remove finished plants.
  • Apply dormant oil spray to fruit trees.
  • Watch for insect and disease problems throughout your garden.
  • Pests to watch for: Corn borer, corn earworm, asparagus beetles, Japanese beetles, tomato hornworm, rabbits, deer
  • Diseases to watch for: Fungal, bacterial, viral diseases.
  • Here are some more UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips.

Lawns:

  • Don’t remove more than 1/3 of grass blade when mowing.
  • Water established lawns deeply but infrequently.
  • Fertilize Turf Only if Weak: apply 1 lb. N/1000 sq.ft.
  • Mow high to reduce weeds and stress: Fescue & Bluegrass: 3″ – 3 1/2″
  • Mow zoysia grass at 2″
  • Control wild onions in warm season turf with broadleaf weed control.lawn
  • Test soil if you haven’t already!
  • Dethatch if necessary and plug aerate BEFORE applying weed control.
  • To control crabgrass, apply pre-emergent herbicide to lawn (when forsythia blooms drop).
  • Turn your compost pile.
  • The annual soil science calendars from the Natural Resources Conservation Service are both educational and beautifully done. The one for 2018 as well as those for previous years are available as free PDFs here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcseprd1250008
  • Diseases to watch for: brown patch, and red thread
  • Pests to watch for: Grubs
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants:

  • Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
  • Begin hardening off before putting outside in shade for summer.
  • Move to shady location for summer.
  • Pinch out growing tips of leggy cuttings and plants that are overwintering.
  • Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film build-up.
  • Reduce fertilizing of your indoor plants (except cyclamen).
  • Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
  • Maintain moisture in pots wintering indoors, but do not over water!
  • Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents.
  • Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
  • Pests to watch for:  aphids, spider mites, mealybug, scale, whitefly
  • See UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips for more information.

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

  • Clean and refill bird feeders.
  • Check your plants at night with a flashlight for any night-feeding insects like slugs.
  • If you find slug damage, set out beer traps or Sluggo pellets.
  • Hand-pick Japanese beetles or shake them off over a bucket of dishwasher.
  • Caulk and seal your outside walls to prevent insect entry into your house.
  • Be vigilant for mosquito breeding spots – any standing water from a bottle cap to mosquitoblocked gutters- and clean them out immediately. Ask your neighbors to do the same. Put Mosquito Dunks in any areas that accumulate water.
  • Watch for: carpenter ants, flies, mosquitos, stink bugs, termites, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, deer, mice, moles,  snakes, squirrels, and voles.
  • For more information, see UMD’s HGIC Garden Tips.

Source: University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Washington Gardener.

Mill Creek Clean Up

Mill Creek Clean Up

Members of Mill Creek Towne Garden Club met with Henry Coppola of Montgomery County Department of Parks about Mill Creek, a tributary of Rock Creek. The banks of the creek have eroded with the heavy rains of the last few years. Trees are falling, roots are exposed, salt and chemical run off from roads impact water quality, and the banks will erode closer to the homes. Plus we saw all the junk in the creek, even a basketball. We learned about ways to counter the impact, but it will take cooperation from the people on the ground in the neighborhoods and leaders who understand what it will take to maintain the parklands we have, like this tucked away tributary. We are trying to arrange a volunteer clean up event in October with Henry’s help.

 

Please Support the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club’s

Mill Creek Towne Entrance Walls Repairs Project

Mill Creek Towne Entrance Walls Repair Project

Hello Mill Creek Towne Neighbors,

Your help is greatly needed with a community problem. The original entrance walls that identify our community as Mill Creek Towne are in a state of deterioration. One entrance wall, consisting of a center wall and two side walls, is located at Roslyn Avenue and Redland Road and is on Montgomery County property. The other entrance wall, consisting of two side walls, is located at Miller Fall Road and Muncaster Mill Road and is on Maryland State property. Both the county and the state have been approached and have declined to provide the much needed repairs and maintenance, stating that this is the responsibility of the community.

These entrance walls are more than fifty years old and, for all of that time, The Mill Creek Towne Garden Club (MCTGC) has been the caretakers of the entrances. We provide annual care with plantings either by doing regular maintenance work ourselves or engaging the assistance of professional workers.

We need your help to repair the Mill Creek Towne Entrance walls! See details in this link below on how you can help.

https://www.mctgardenclub.org/2019/06/30/mill-creek-towne-entrance-walls-repair-fundraiser/

Thank you for your support!!

Sincerely,

Mill Creek Towne Garden Club – Derwood, Maryland
https://www.mctgardenclub.org | mctgc@mctgardenclub.org | Like us on Facebook

 

July

See below for upcoming local events in June.

Summer-Festivals-Web-Banner

Montgomery Parks Special Events & Festivals

More events are being added regularly. Please check back often!

Save the dates for these upcoming events!  Events include Wings of Fancy at Brookside Gardens South Conservatory, Independence Day Family Celebration, Brookside Gardens’ 50th Anniversary Celebration, Mill Creek Clean Up, Mill Creek Towne Entrance Repair Project, Sensory Sundays, Pickin’ on the Porch, and more!

Montgomery County MD Food and Beverage Guide

The third edition of the MoCo Made Food & Beverage GuideMontgomery County MD Food and Beverage Guide is available!

The Guide features more than 60 local producers and farmers offering local-made products. Find the online version here:

https://mocofoodcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/MOCO_Directory_2018_FNL-digital.pdf

 

Master Gardener Plant Clinics

Varied Locations, dates, and times

Montgomery County Master Gardeners logo

Montgomery County Master Gardeners - Maryland

What can Master Gardeners do for you?

  • Help you select and care for annual and perennial plants, shrubs and trees.
  • Determine if you need to test your soil.
  • Provide you with information on lawn care.
  • Identify weeds, beneficial and noxious insects, and plant diseases and remedies.
  • Teach you how to use pesticides, mulch and compost.
  • Guide you in pruning trees and shrubs.
  • Provide you with options for managing wildlife.
  • Provide you with gardening resources.
  • Help you submit a plant sample for diagnosis

Plant Clinics are held at several sites in the county on a weekly basis and at special events such as garden festivals and the county fair. Regularly scheduled Plant Clinics are located at public libraries and farmers’ markets throughout the county as well as at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase.  There are also clinics three days per week at Brookside Gardens.  The busiest season is April through September, but some clinics are open year-round.  Bring your plant samples and questions to one of these locations in Montgomery County, MD (see link below to find a location near you):

http://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/plant-clinics

 

Support Our Local Farmers – Join a CSA and have fresh local produce delivered to you!

Montgomery County Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

CSAs can take many forms, but essentially they are community supported farms in which members contribute to farming projects, usually by way of membership fees, in exchange for fresh, local produce. The concept came to the United States from Europe in the 1980s.  They are a great way to take advantage of fresh, locally grown fruit, vegetables, herbs, and more while supporting nearby farms. Each one is different, some offer pickup locations in urban areas, some offer only farm-based pickups.

There are multiple CSAs located around the County offering a wide variety of products. CSAs begin taking sign-ups for spring and summer seasons in the early part of the year, and they tend to fill up FAST! Know of another CSA not on our list? Let us know! Montgomery Countryside Alliance also maintains a list: http://www.mocoalliance.org/community-supported-agriculture.html

derwood farmers market

Derwood Farmers Market

2019 Dates:  April 27 to October 26 on Saturdays
By popular request:  Early Hours  in 2019  9 am until 1  pm    

Support Our Local Farmers: Visit the Derwood Farmers Market!

A community farmers’ market featuring fresh local farm fruits, veggies, meats, baked goodies, arts, live music and more.  ​Meet sustainable local farmers and from-scratch makers of edibles!

Located at the parking lot in the front yard of Derwood Alliance Church
16501 Redland Road, Rockville, MD 20855

 

Lightning Bug Jubilee

lightning bug jubilee

Tuesday, July 2 and Wednesday, July 3 | 8 – 10 pm | All Ages
Brookside Nature Center | 1400 Glenallan Ave, Silver Spring, MD 20902

Watch fireflies light up the summer night! Did you spend early summer evenings catching fireflies as a child? This all too short fireworks display by these tiny luminescent insects is a wonder to behold. Join us for a short talk about these fascinating creatures and take a walk with a trained volunteer or naturalist to discover when and where to find the different fireflies that call Wheaton Regional Park home. $7 – Register on ActiveMontgomery.org

MORE

Prince George’s Shakespeare in the Parks presents “Much Ado About Nothing” Wednesday, July 10, 7:30 pm, at Meadowside Nature Center.

FREE admission!!

Vicious rumors, reluctant rivals, and the triumphant power of love. Join us for this fun-filled comedy, featuring Beatrice and Benedick, the witty rivals whose secret love for each other is revealed when they come to the rescue of Claudio and Hero, whose wedding has been sabotaged by the nefarious Don John.

Set on the picturesque island of Sicily, this travelling production features live musicians playing a blend of traditional Italian music, as well as original numbers composed from Shakespeare’s text.

Bring chairs, blankets, and a picnic.

Sensory Sundays

Sun. July 21st, 2019 9:00am to 11:00am

18400 Muncaster Road
Derwood, MD 20855sensory sundays

Join us as the sun rises over the Agricultural History Farm Park for a gentle time of hands-on learning. Meet the Farm’s animals, experience exhibits with lower lights and softer sounds, and explore tactile activities and crafts that will appeal to all kinds of curious minds. Please call Lisa Berray, Manager of Interpretation and Visitor Services for questions or more information at 301-467-8273.

Intended for All Ages

This event will be held at Agricultural History Farm Park

REGISTER

18400 Muncaster Road
Derwood, MD 20855Ag_Farm_Concert_2017

Wind down from the work week with an evening of local acoustic, roots, and bluegrass music on the porch of the historic Farmhouse at the Agricultural History Farm Park! Event includes featured local music artists, open mic, and the opportunity to pull out your own acoustic instrument to play with other talented musicians under the stars. Pack a picnic, bring your family and friends, and enjoy a laid back evening in the country.

Intended for All Ages

This event will be held at Agricultural History Farm Park

Fee: $5

 

REGISTER