Ideas and Articles To Increase Your "Gardening Know-How"




Click yellow insignia for free download to open all the pdf files on this site.

  • Container Gardening by Lynne Mahan, Chairman, Chinook Garden Club NEW Article
  • Indoor Gardening by Barbara Tucker, Dearborn Garden Club
  • Patriotic Garden Ideas by Mary McLane, Thumb-R-Green Garden Club
  • Entering Horticulture in a Flower Show by Susan Andrews, Gallatin Empire Garden Club
  • Entering Flower Designs in a Flower Show by Jackie Preedom, Gallatin Empire Garden Club
  • Conditioning Flowers and Greenery -- making the arrangement last longer
  • Norm's Notes --Articles written by Norman DeNeal on Gardening in Montana. Norm is a charter member of the Butte Garden Study Club and has been gardening atop the Continental Divide for many years.
  • Annie's Arbor Notes, by Annie Mollock, Gallatin Empire Garden Club in Bozeman
  • Herbs -- How to Grow, Use and Enjoy! by Vicky Barbieri, State Herb Chairman pdf file
  • Nutrients for Garden Soil pdf file
  • Natural Insecticides and Fungicides
  • Seeds -- Buy or Grow Your Own by Ray Gallik, State Seed Chairman
  • The Plants of Lewis and Clark in Today's Landscaping by Jan Cashman, Owner of Cashman Nursery in Bozeman.
  • Wildflowers of Lewis and Clark by Susan Andrews, Gallatin Empire Garden Club, pdf file
  • Meriwether Lewis, the Naturalist, by Ella Mae Howard, Great Falls Garden Club
  • The Story of Our State Tree, the Ponderosa Pine
  • Our State Butterfly, the Mourning Cloak
  • Montana Garden Plants Attractive to Birds and Butterflies pdf file
  • Xeriscape Articles Water-Saving Methods


  • Container Gardening

    Lynne Mahan, Chair

    When Darlene Skari called me to ask if I would be the new Container Gardening Chairman, I thought, "what in the world can I do with that position?" As it turns out, a lot! The Container Gardening DVD is very informative as it is a 66 minute compilation of the program "Rebecca's Garden" from HGTV. One segment on color showed a formal garden with all the same color (cobalt blue in this case) containers; the impact was absolutely smashing. The Chester Garden Club obtained this DVD from our Video Library and made it their program for January 2008.

    Another something I can implement are new ideas for old containers. Late last summer (thank heaven it was a long Fall), I took pictures of containers around Chinook and even Augusta while visiting with friends. As we get into springtime, these photos will be posted here. This should give us all some fresh ideas for this year's containers.

    Now I want you to do something for me: "snap" gorgeous container gardening ideas and submit them to me by clicking on my name above. Please try to identify as many of the contents as possible. If we get a lot of them, I'll sort through them and put them on throughout these two years. If just a few, your pictures will be a sure thing for web site publication right away. Happy container gardening!


    Indoor Gardening

    by Barbara Tucker, Dearborn and Great Falls Flower Growers Garden Club

    CLEAN AIR NATURALLY WITH HOUSE PLANTS -- Common houseplants can clean indoor air of toxins, gases and pollutants, especially during our long winters when we keep our homes shut up to save energy. Try these plants: spider plant, aloe vera, philodendron, peace lilly, schefflera, chinese evergreen, corn plant, peperonia, golden phothos and sansevieria. To be most effective, place the plants in an area where circulation is best. Avoid cold, drafty areas near doors or touching the window.

    Propagating Indoor Plants

    Starting new plants--propagating--is a fun and rewarding way to develop healthy plants with almost no cost. The method most often used is to take cuttings either from a stem or leaf. Wetting the stem, dip it into a growth hormone such a Rootone and shake the excess off. Insert the leaf or stem in rooting medium such as perlite or vermiculite and do not let it dry out. In a month or so it will form roots, creating a new plant.

    Another way to propagate plants is through root division -- separating plants at the root zone. This is done when their growth slows or they become dormant. Use a sharp knife or trowel to divide, then repot in a suitable container with the proper drainage.

    African Violet Facts

    There are about 21 species and many cultivars of African violets. The leaves are deep green or variegated, fuzzy, oval or lance shaped. Clusters of single, semi-double or double, sometimes ruffled or fringed blossoms come in violet, blue, pink, white and sometimes bicolored.

    The African violet prefers filtered sun with well-drained soil. Turn the plant weekly for even growth. Water when soil surface dries, avoiding foliage. Fertilize with each watering, dilute fertilizer to half its recommended use. Deadhead flower clusters at stem base.

    Christmas Cactus Schlumbergeras bridgesii

    The stem segments have rounded notches and rounded ends. Medium light and normal room temperatures at a partly-shaded window is best throughout spring, summer and fall. To bring the plant into bloom it must be kept out of bright light in the evening. If your cactus is in a bright window, move it to a dim corner in a cool room or pull the shade in the afternoon. It is a light-sensitive succulent that thrives in a "jungle" understory condition. These plants like shade and water to bloom. (I add 1 tsp. castor oil to one watering late in September.) Apply a high potassium, tomato-type fertilizer once every two weeks throughout the year. Depending on the light conditions, the plant may bloom in late fall and early spring.

    Poinsettia
    The "Crown of the Andes"

    Did you know over 61 million poinsettia plants are purchased in the U.S. each year? When selecting a plant, look for dark green foilage down to the soil line, bracts [modified leaves] fully colored, no pollen showing on the flower clusters in the center of the bract, and plants displayed in an open uncrowded area [plants held in paper or plastic sleeves will deteriorate rapidly]. Note too, that extensive studies have shown that all parts of the poinsettia are NOT poisonous to humans or animals. A study at Ohio State Univ. showed that a 50 pound child who ate 500 bracts might have a slight tummy ache. The milky sap may cause skin irritation.


    Forcing Bulbs

    A Cornell University horticulturist found that growing paperwhites in the traditional way and, after the roots have started growing, replacing the water with 4 to 6% alcohol stunts the growth of leaves and stems but doesn't bother the blossoms. To reach a 5% solution from a 40% liquor (gin, vodka, whiskey, etc. but not beer or wine), add 1 part booze to 7 parts water. Or, use rubbing alcohol (1 part alcohol to 10 parts water.) Use this solution for further watering. Plants will be one-third shorter, but with large, fragrant, long-lasting blooms that won't need staking.


    Planting Ideas For a Patriotic Garden Theme
    Mary Davis McLane, Past President Montana Federation of Garden Clubs

    Many of us are planting red, white and blue gardens. To help you with ideas including flowering times and placement, the link below will give you inspiration and information on various "patriotic" cultivars. Try several of these in your garden this summer, take before and after pictures, and apply for the new Patriotic Garden Award (A-25).

    A Red, White and Blue Garden Planner


    Entering Horticulture in a Flower Show
    Susan Andrews, Horticulture Display Chairman

    If you are planning to enter horticulture in a flower show here are some suggestions to help you have a successful experience.

    • Several months before the show check the Horticulture schedule to see what classes you might like to enter. (If you wait to the last minute your chances of having a great entry are more luck than skill). Check your garden/houseplants to see what might be possible. At this time check to be sure you know the correct name of the plant – Genus, species and variety/cultivar. The correct name is important for two reasons:
      1 – to educate visitors to the flower show. Your entry may inspire someone to grow that plant. If you have the correct name a person has a much better chance of finding that plant.
      2. – If you are eligible to win a top award you must have the specimen correctly named. There are many resources available to help you in naming plants. The information you received when you purchased the plant (label tag), a friend who gave you the plant, seed catalogs or other books on plants.

    • Check the requirements for the entry – how many blossoms, spikes, stems, etc. does the schedule require? (When entering individual flowers, herbs, etc. it is a good idea to pick an extra stem/blossom, just in case something happens during the conditioning or transporting it to the show.)

    • Pick your specimens the day before the show and condition them. This helps to insure that your specimens will look their best and hold up during the show. Be sure your specimen is the “best it can be”. Try to pick it at the peak of maturity. Check for dirt and insect damage and carefully remove anything that would distract from the overall best presentation of your bloom.

      If you are entering houseplants, they should also be groomed – remove spent blossoms and damaged leaves. If the pot is not in the best condition – put it in another pot (known as double potting) not transplanting. Double potting is usually allowed unless the schedule says that it is not allowed. Check the condition of the soil in the top of the pot, if it is uneven or messy put a thin layer of new soil in the pot so it looks fresh and clean.
    • Houseplants need to have been in your possession for at least 90 days before the show so if you check the plant at that time you can make any adjustments as necessary.

    If you have any other questions ask a judge, the show chairman or someone in your club who has entered flower shows before.

    Entering Flower Designs in a Flower Show
    Jackie Preedom, Flower Design Display Chairman

    Scary business, but not if you take your time, relax, follow a few simple steps and have fun. As soon as you get the Flower Show Schedule read the entire thing. Schedules are written around a central theme and most have class and section titles that develop that theme. This will come in handy when you plan how you will interpret the class.

    Read the rules carefully and pick a class that interests you. Call the Entries Chairman and enter! You can’t begin to plan your design until you commit. If the Schedule lists a Design Consultant, call her and ask about anything you don’t understand. Reread the class description and make a list of the requirements. For example, the Schedule might read;

    Class 2 –“Let Freedom Ring” – a creative design using all fresh plant material and having a background. To be staged on one half of a six foot table, 28” deep and 40” high.

    The requirements would be;
    1. A creative design
    2. All fresh plant material
    3. A background

    You know that you have a space 36” wide, 28” deep and 40” from the floor. A good place to start would be to mark an area 36”x28”, table height if possible, so you have some idea of the space you will need to think about filling and how high your finished design will sit when being judged. Decide what components you could use to best express the title of the class and begin gathering them together. The title suggests a bell and you might want to include one or perhaps choose bell-shaped flowers. The theme is patriotic so you might plan to use red, white and blue somehow in your design. You are required to use a background so choose one that compliments the components you have chosen. You may also want to plan some type of underlay even though it is not required. Careful coordination of color and components is very important. Call and discuss your plans with the Design Consultant or an experienced friend. Double check times in the schedule and make certain to allow yourself plenty of time to get your arrangement in place. You may choose to work at home, but allow time for last minute surprises at the show like spilled water on your overlay. To quote Bob Thomas, a well known designer, “The keys to success are selectivity, restraint and good taste”.

    Your design will be judged using the following Design Scale of Points;

    20 points – Conformance (to the requirements of the Schedule)

    42 points – Design (Elements and Principles)
    The elements are light, space, line, form, size, pattern, texture and color. They are the visual and physical characteristics of the components used in flower arranging. The principles are balance, proportion, rhythm, contrast, dominance and scale. These are basic standards which govern all visual art forms.

    12 points – Artistic Concept (selection and organization)
    “The components of design are like characters in a play. Each is carefully chosen for its role” (Bob Thomas) Remember restraint.

    10 points – Expression (interpretation of class by exhibitor)
    Beware of becoming so literal in trying to express a class title that you neglect the basic principles that govern all designs.

    16 points – Distinction (marked superiority in all respects)
    This includes the condition of the plant material and other components and the workmanship of any mechanics that you use.


    This Scale of points can be found in the Handbook for Flower Shows and probably also in your Schedule. Your arrangement will be assigned a numerical score. The design with the highest score will win the blue ribbon.

    A Flower Show offers you many wonderful opportunities. The chance to spend time and get better acquainted with people who share similar interests can be invaluable. Participation in all aspects of Flower Show makes it more meaningful and lots more fun!

    Seed Harvesting Information -- by Ray Gallik, State Seed Chairman, Anaconda Garden Club

    It will soon be that time of year when we will be thinking - First: Do we or don't we put in a garden? Second: Do we buy seeds, plant and raise our own seeds for next year?

    Seeds are expensive so with a little time, effort and care, you can save a lot of money by saving the seeds from your plants. If you plan on saving seeds, the seeds you buy should not be AF1 variety because when AF1 seeds reproduce, they will not resemble their parent plants, as they are Hybrid. AF2 variety are preferred. AF1 and AF2 are noted by the plant in garden and flower seed catalogues.

    Buy good reputable seeds from a reliable source and you should not have to buy seeds again. When collecting seeds, there are some things to remember:

    First: Plant your seeds early, usually by the end of March or the first part of April or as soon as the ground is workable. This gives the plant a longer growing season and ample time to completely mature.

    Second: The plant must mature naturally but not in the garage or basement and should be completely ripe. It is ripe when the container, pod, fruit or vegetable is mature.

    Third: Collect the seeds and store them in a sealed, plastic bag and keep them in the refrigerator for approximately five (5) months. The temperature should be constant and not fluctuate-too warm or too cold.

    When buying seed packets, check for the correct zone in which you live. Buy seeds that will mature in your zone; zones are based on the number of frost-free days you'll have for your plants to grow and mature. Montana is divided into two zones- zones three and four.

    They say a robin is a "Harbinger of Spring" but I believe seed catalogues are. I hope you all have a beautiful yard and/or a productive garden.

    Conditioning Flowers -- how to make your cut flowers last longer

    We all like to bring in our garden flowers, seed pods and woody-stemmed greens to make floral arrangements. Here are some tips on "conditioning" the garden's bounty. There are two school's of thought on what time of day to cut flowers. Some believe early morning is best when the flower has taken water up the stem to maximum capacity for freshness. However, studies have shown that cutting late in the evening when the plant's "sugars" or nutrients are maximized will prolong the bloom. Experiment to see what works best. Choose a flower that has not fully opened. A full-blown flower won't last as long as one just about to open. Use a sharp knife and make a diagonal cut to increase the exposed surface for water uptake. If possible, it is strongly suggested that you take a bucket of tepid water with you so that the stem can be placed in water immediately. Greens can also be submerged in the water to increase turgidity. Very new growth does not condition well. Experimentation with each specimen will help make a long-lasting arrangement. Remove the leaves that will be below the water line. This will reduce bacterial growth and the flower stems won't clog with foreign matter. Keep your floral design out of direct sun and drafts. If possible, place the arrangement in a cool place at night. Some flowers require a moment of individual care to look their best. Here are some hints:

    • Bulbs -- Daffodil, tulip, grape hyacinth, etc. Cut off the white part on the bottom of the stem to ensure water uptake. A pipe cleaner can be threaded up the stem to help "bend" the stem to the position you desire.
    • Milky stems -- Poppy, hydrangea, hellebore, clematis, euphorbia. When these flowers are cut, the white sap drains out and the blooms become lifeless. To preserve them, hold each newly-cut stem over the flame of a match or lighter until the stem seals. Alternatively, if you can do it quickly enough, dip the stem in boiling water for 30 seconds then cool tap water to seal the fluid inside.
    • Hollow stems -- Delphinium, lupine. If you have placed the stem in water while in the garden, keep your finger over the cut end while placing in a vase. If the water has drained out of the stem, hold the stem upside down over a sink and pour water into the stem (a turkey baster works well). Immediately place in a vase.
    • Woody stems -- Lilac, forsythia, crabapple. Use a sharp and clean pruner to cut the stem so it is not sealed together. If the stem is not placed in water within 15-20 minutes, the water uptake cells at the end will dry out and never absorb water. Some people like to peal an inch or so of the bark off the bottom and/or crush the ends slightly with a hammer to expose more cells to the water.
    • Nodes on the stems -- Carnation. Make a diagonal cut between the nodes on the stem.
    • A note on pollen dropping from the flowers to your table. Some flowers, especially in the lily family, will leave an orange stain or at least a mess under your arrangement. When placing the flowers in the vase, remove the stamens with manicure scissors. This won't harm the flower and will actually keep the flower looking fresher without the pollen on the petals.


    Translating the Plants Discovered by Lewis and Clark into our Modern Landscaping Designs


    When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to lead the Corp of Discovery across the continent and find a route to the Pacific Ocean, Jefferson asked them to study plant and animal life. On their journey, Lewis collected and diligently described over 239 different plants. He is attributed to adding about 176 plant species to science. Many bear his name, such as blue flax (Linum lewisii) [pictured right] and our state flower, the bitterroot (Lewesia redivia).

    They found and noted plants on the plains of the Dakotas and Eastern Montana and the mountainous regions of Montana and Idaho. Many of these plants are not only found in the wild here, but are used in our home landscapes today.

    Linum lewisii © 2001 Larry Blakely

    Ponderosa pine was one evergreen found by Lewis. Ponderosa pine is not native to the Gallatin Valley but is found both east and west of here. Nonetheless, we use it here as a hardy drought tolerant landscape tree. They also found common juniper and Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum). One place Rocky Mountain junipers can be seen in the wild is between Butte and Anaconda where they look like soldiers lined up across the hills. ‘Welchi’, ‘Sutherland’, ‘Medora’ and ‘Wichita Blue’ are all selections of Juniperus scopulorum used in the home landscape where a hardy compact upright evergreen is called for.

    Larch (Larix occidentalis) is a tree native on the north slopes in the western part of Montana. It has needles like an evergreen, but the needles turn a beautiful golden color in the fall and drop like a deciduous tree. Though not frequently planted in yards, it makes a nice specimen tree. An evergreen that loses its needles in the fall has an advantage over other evergreens—it cannot winterburn!

    Saskatoon serviceberry, American plum, chokecherry, elderberry, golden currant, and silver buffaloberry were all plants noted by Lewis that were used as food by his troopes. All of these are used in some form in our landscapes today. Regent Serviceberry is a selection of Saskatoon serviceberry with a more compact shape. Regent makes an especially nice landscape plant because of its edible fruit and attractive reddish fall color. Many of you are familiar with the purple-leafed selection of chokecherry we call Canada red cherry that is commonly used here for a hardy ornamental tree. Other shrubs Lewis found include the commonly planted red twig dogwood (Cornus sericia) and snowberry (Symphoricarpos). Snowberry is not so common in our home landscapes, but is an attractive four foot shrub with large white berries in the fall. It does well in a semi-shady, moist spot.

    An outstanding shrub discovered and named by Lewis is the Lewis mockorange (Philadelphus lewisii). Lewis Mockorange is found abundantly in Montana west of the divide and in Idaho. There are some in our valley. I’ve seen them off the Gallatin Canyon Road. This shrub is the state flower of Idaho—and is called Syringa there for some reason, possibly because the shrub has a branching habit similar to that of lilacs; Syringa is the botanical name for lilacs.

    Lewis mockorange flowers in July with wonderfully fragrant white flowers that smell like orange blossoms. This shrub is drought tolerant, about five feet tall, and will grow in sun or shade. An improved selection of Lewis mockorange called ‘Blizzard’ was collected in Alberta, Canada. Blizzard is extremely winter hardy and long-blooming, with a profusion of blooms covering the plant.

    Besides bitterroot and blue flax, Lewis collected other herbaceous plants such as arrow-leaf balsamroot, found blooming yellow on the sunny hillsides of the Bridgers in June. Gaillardia or blanket flower, Rocky Mountain iris, silvery and silky lupines, and yellow stonecrop sedum are all perennial flowers they found that are used in some form in our gardens today.

    So in this year of the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, we remember the work they did classifying, describing and naming our native plants. It is interesting to include these natives in our gardens. And they are acclimated to our climate, so they survive with less water and thrive here more than some introduced plants. Plant these natives, think of the Corp of Discovery, and enjoy!

    The Ponderosa Pine (Pinaceae Pinus ponderosa)

    Pinus ponderosa, Western Yellow Pine, Bull, Black Jack, Western Red, Sierra Brownbark, Heavy, Western Pitch, Ponderosa Pine. Montana's state tree has a long list of names. This stately western Montana resident has figured heavily in the development of all the West. In what is now South Dakota, Lewis and Clark first observed the cones of the ponderosa pine which had floated that far on the currents of the Missouri River. Captain Lewis, particularly, took extensive notes on the tree as he passed through its habitat later during the journey west and back.

    Pioneers used the pine's wood for the civilization they were building. Ponderosa timber served everywhere, from railroad ties and telegraph poles to mine bracing and homes. Only later did its long needles and attractive cones garner more scientific consideration.

    In the spring of 1908, Helena's school children held a referendum on which tree best represented the state. The ponderosa easily outdistanced fir, larch, and cottonwood for the designation. It was not until 1949, however, that the Montana Legislature bestowed its blessing. The Montana Federation of Garden Clubs carried on a year-long campaign on behalf of the ponderosa. The state forester supported it as the "most typical" of all Montana trees and the best commercial timber... "king of the forest," he called it. The Legislature agreed. The beauty and value of the ponderosa pine makes it truly representative of Montana and worthy of its designation as the state tree.

    Montana's lumbermen have harvested millions of board feet from public and private lands throughout the state. In a recent year, the value of ponderosa pine harvested from public land alone was more than four million dollars. A major source of timber, ponderosa pine forests are also important as wildlife habitat, for recreational use and for esthetic values.

    Today the tree may be found in most parts of western Montana. Its range includes the entire West, from the plains to the Pacific Coast. On the average the tree reaches maturity when 60 to 125 feet tall (about 150 years old) and approximately 20 to 30 inches in diameter. The largest ponderosa pine on record live along the humid Pacific coast, where California naturalist John Muir once measured a giant, 220 feet tall and eight feet in diameter. Ponderosa pines grow straight and tall, sometimes more than two hundred feet. Within its extensive range, two varieties of the species currently are recognized: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa (Pacific ponderosa pine) (typical) and var. scopulorum (Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine). Arizona pine (P. arizonica), sometimes classified as a variety of ponderosa pine, is presently recognized as a separate species.

    • Leaf: Evergreen, 5 to 10 inches long, with three (sometimes 2) tough, yellow-green needles per fascicle. When crushed, needles have a turpentine odor sometimes reminiscent of citrus.

    • Flower: Monoecious; males yellow-red, cylindrical, in clusters near ends of branches; females reddish at branch tips.

    • Fruit: Cones are ovoid, 3 to 6 inches long, sessile, red-brown in color, armed with a slender prickle. Maturing August to September.

    • Twig: Stout, orange in color, turning black. Buds often covered with resin.

    • Bark: Very dark (nearly black) on young trees, developing cinnamon-colored plates and deep furrows.

    • Form: A large tree with an irregular crown, eventually developing a flat top or short conical crown. Ponderosa pine self-prunes well and develops a clear bole.


    Our State Butterfly, The Mourning Cloak

    © Illustration by Jane Shull Beasley for the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc.

    The Mourning Cloak butterfly (Nymphalis antiopa) was designated by the Legislature and Govenor Martz as Montana's State Butterfly in April 2001. The Montana Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. and fifth graders throughout the state chose the Mourning Cloak as it can be found in all 56 counties. It is capable of hibernating and surviving Montana's winters. The colors of rich brownish-maroon wings, trimmed with a creamy-yellow band on all four wings and bordered inwardly by brilliant blue spots are reflective of Montana's mountains, waving fields of yellow grain, and the blue lakes, rivers and skies. The underside of the wings are dark brown with lighter brown edges.

    Mourning cloaks belong to one of the larger families of butterflies, the Nymphalidae. Members of the Nymphalidae are more commonly known as the "brush-footed butterflies" because the front pair of legs of these butterflies are small, hairy and "brushlike." The North American common name for this species, mourning cloak, refers to its resemblance to a traditional dark colored cloak worn when one was "in mourning."

    Mourning cloaks often rest on dark tree bark where they are camouflaged and can bask in direct sunlight. This butterfly will open its wings and angle its body toward the sun to increase its body temperature prior to flight. Combined with its dark wing color, this enables the mourning cloak to absorb heat. Butterflies must be warm to fly so this is important to butterflies living in cold, mountainous areas, especially those that are active in early spring like the mourning cloak. Mourning cloaks are in flight mostly in the spring, late summer, and early fall.

    Tree sap is one of their main sources of food. Sap starts to rise in spring, often seeping out of the bark in places where the tree has been damaged over the winter. In addition to searching for fresh tree sap, adult mourning cloak butterflies also seek out their mates in the spring. The butterflies die soon after mating, but they have spent as much as ten months as adults, a long life for a butterfly. Before they die, females lay their eggs in clusters of rings around twigs on a single tree or shrub. The eggs hatch into caterpillars, which can grow up to two inches long and are velvety black with raised white dots and a rows of red spots and spines down the middle of their backs. The caterpillars feed in groups on the leaves of deciduous trees, including the willow, elm, cottonwood, poplar, rose, birch, and mulberry trees. They eat and grow, shedding their skin several times, and eventually leave the plant they've been feeding on. Once it finds just the right spot, the caterpillar will form a spiky gray chrysalis so that it can undergo metamorphosis to become a butterfly. After about ten to fifteen days, depending on the temperature, a new generation of mourning cloak butterflies emerge from their chrysalises.

    Tips to Help Gardens Thrive

    Compared to last year (2003), soil temperatures in my yard are 4 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher and soil moisture is about half of what it was a year ago. If you have similar conditions, go ahead and water your plants one or two inches a week to replenish soil moisture.

  • Don't apply dormant oil sprays late in the spring or when temperatures are too high. Doing so may cause phytotoxicity in your plants.
  • Some pines around the state continue to exhibit browning needles. This is a problem incurred last winter, although symptoms may become more evident as temperatures warm. However, many brown pines are greening up now and are out of immediate danger. If your pine tree is still brown after early July, replace it.
  • Begin transplanting trees and shrubs now (April), but be sure they are in sync with your area. In other words, be careful not to purchase rose bushes in full bloom and then plant them outside when those in your area are just beginning to leaf out.
  • Begin seeding new lawns or overseeding old lawns in a few weeks if the weather holds.
  • Peas, onion sets, spinach, etc. can go in now. Wait a little longer for transplants.
  • Check plants that are mulched or covered with baskets or rose cones and remove the coverings when the plants begin to grow.
  • For more tips, ask for the free fact sheet, "Can I Grow That Here?" at your county or tribal MSU Extension office, or go directly to our website.
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    Water Conservation Tips

    Instead of running the sprinklers every day, water the lawn only when it needs it or just give it a good soak once a week. If the grass springs back when you step on it, there's no need to water.

    Use mulch (chunks of bark, peat moss or gravel) to cover bare ground in gardens and around trees (leave some room around the trunk) to slow evaporation.

    Water the lawn in the early morning or evening when there is less evaporation.

    Plant drought-resistant, native trees and plants. Learn the techniques of xeriscape planting.

    Adjust your sprinklers so they don't water the sidewalk, driveway or street.

    Skip watering the lawn on a windy day when there is too much evaporation.

    Set lawn mower blades higher because longer grass means less evaporation and reduces stress on the grass during hot, dry periods.

    For a more thorough examination of this subject, read Montana State University's publication entitled Yard and Garden Water Management. (Written by members of MSU's Extension Service.)

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    Need more information on the Montana Federation of Garden Clubs?
    Send us an email HERE