DIY Landscape Designs

08/15/2024

What’s that Blooming in the Ditch This Week: Have you noticed a light green, fuzzy thing climbing over everything in the Ditch this week?

It’s called Wild Cucumber Vine (Echinocystis lobata)

It’s most noticeable this time of year because it’s in full bloom. The frilly white male flowers with their six long, curly, petals sit on tall, upright spikes that make the plant look like a mist drifting over plants and trees. It really stands out when it grows on plants with dark green foliage. It’s an annual vine that sprouts from seed each year. In Greek, ‘echinos’ means hedgehog and ‘cystis’ means bladder – meant to describe the spiny, round to oblong fruit found on this plant. Look below each male flower spike and you’ll see the female flower attached to the developing fruit. Yes, it’s related to the garden cucumber, but the fruit on this plant is not edible. This vine, often confused with grape vine, is much more delicate looking and the flowers are very fragrant. If you don’t want it growing on your trees, as it can be very aggressive, trace the vine back to the ground and cut through the main stem before it sets fruit. This will keep the plant from setting seeds that would germinate next year. However, some people actually grow the vine each year on a trellis or arbor in their yards because they like the delicate vine and the wonderful fragrance of the bloom.

04/03/2024

I'm hearing a lot of questions about the two large broods of periodical cicada emergences expected this season just south of us. What does that mean for you? Let's start with the fact that we do indeed have annual cicadas in our region with broods that are not synchronized. Therefore, we experience low numbers of cicadas that appear every year. The big commotion going on just south of us are about the periodical cicadas that emerge relatively synchronized over a few nights in large numbers every 17 to 13 years. Despite their swarming, cicadas cause only negligible damage to plants and no harm to humans. Adult cicadas only live for two to four weeks, and during this time they generally do not feed. Hence, they are not like locusts/grasshoppers who have mandibles and chew on leaves. It's projected that periodical cicada numbers in our area will be relatively low because we are on most northern edge of this emergence. Therefore, do not expect much, if any, landscape damage.

Take a look at the map below (Image by Gene Kritsky, Mount St. Joseph University) and you'll see the projected emergence regions are just south of us here in Minnesota and Central Wisconsin. That doesn't mean we won't see some occasional periodical cicadas in our area, but nothing to be alarmed about and certainly no need to worry about any severe plant damage.

For more detailed information and further reading:
https://www.uwlax.edu/currents/cicadas-2024/

02/16/2024

Have you seen any bug activity outside lately? Here’s one to look for when you’re spending time outside in our new winter wonderland!

Is that a caterpillar crawling across the snow? Yes, in fact, it’s a winter cutworm! This species is aptly named, because the caterpillars (larvae) are cold-tolerant and can be active when temperatures dip. They navigate winter as caterpillars before pupating in the spring. Adult moths are active during warmer months and display an amazing array of different color forms.

Is winter cutworm considered a pest? No! Many species in the cutworm family play a vital role in the food web and even serve as pollinators for certain crops. Read more: https://insectlab.russell.wisc.edu/2023/01/31/snow-falling-on-cutworms/

📸 Winter cutworm caterpillar wandering on the snow. Photo submitted to UW Insect Diagnostic Lab in late 2022.

02/12/2024

Looking for a great way to expand your knowledge on how to prune shrubs? This is fantastic way to do just that…

Are you confused about which shrubs to prune at what time of year? Do you wonder if you are using the right techniques to prune different shrubs? Join Extension Horticulture for a FREE online program to learn four simple shrub pruning techniques, how to make proper cuts and when to prune. This program is free but requires registration, https://bit.ly/3Ubfeor.

An EEO/AA employer, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming, including Title VI, Title IX, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act requirements.

02/02/2024

We still have work to do to enhance our personal property landscapes to be more environmentally friendly. Learning that we and nature are not separate is the first step.

https://xerces.org/blog/western-monarch-count-tallies-233394-butterflies?fbclid=IwAR0XBVWAzMCOEhEPGPUg5o8gnEZDSMsoXjOcIlT6Y51Y4sHptQsnbKsT7CE_aem_AWs7w4lV2lNSPkKKlGkSAegV-iR1akxrP1AzLdm9bzWgydUp9fFrgsfkp1pxASPrYsk

The overwintering population of western monarchs remains at approximately 5% of its size in the 1980s.

01/19/2024

Leafless branches during the winter season allows you to easily see patches of missing bark on the trunks of your ash trees. This is a tale tell sign that birds are pecking for boring insects wintering just below the bark. Most likely those insects are Emerald Ash Borer larvae. Take a winter walk to inspect your ash trees while winter offers you the best view.

01/12/2024

There may be some snow accumulation in our future. Therefore, I thought this might be a timely reminder on how to deal with heavy/wet snow buildup on your evergreens. https://www.facebook.com/reel/252158681231875?fs=e&s=TIeQ9V&mibextid=jaSYs6

11/17/2023

Heads up for the weekend: Don't put your garden hoses away yet. This is the LAST opportunity you'll have to water your evergreens!

It's been very dry for the last three weeks. Evergreens (Trees or Shrubs) that have needles or leaves that remain green on the plant through the winter – should be DEEPLY watered in the fall before the ground freezes when precipitation has been insufficient. Evergreens continue to lose water during the winter, especially when the temperature is above 40°F and on sunny, windy days. If the soil is dry, the plants may become desiccated, turn brown, and die, even if those symptoms don’t become obvious until spring.

Use this last round of temps in the 50's to water in your evergreens to prevent winter burn damage. For more detailed information:

‘Winter burn’ refers to a type of damage to evergreen foliage that typically occurs over winter. Common symptoms are browning and dying from the tips of the foliage inward. Several factors cause winter burn on evergreens, including winter ‘thaws’ while the ground is frozen, dry soil in autum...

07/09/2022

Seriously, don’t use Japanese beetle traps!

06/07/2022

Blooming in the Ditch this week – That PINK flower is DAME’S ROCKET (Hesperis matronalis)
Have you noticed masses of tall, light pink/bright pink/purple flowers blooming along the roadside that looks like a tall garden phlox?
Well, I’m sorry to tell you this, but it’s not a phlox – it’s called Dame’s Rocket. Even though it’s quite pretty, this plant is an invasive species and is increasingly moving into high-quality forests. Unfortunately, part of its success as an invasive plant is because of its widespread distribution in commercial “wildflower” seed mixes. Seeds readily escape gardens and enter natural areas via rainwater runoff, waterways, vehicle tires, footwear and animal fur.
How can you tell if it’s Dame’s Rocket and not a phlox? Here’s the details for you: Dame’s rocket resembles the phlox plant family but the flowers are made up of four petals and the leaves are alternately spaced. All phlox species have 5-petaled flowers and the leaves are opposite each other.
What can you do about it? If you want wildflower seed mixes, please purchase them from a reputable supplier and not in a can/box from big box chain stores. Dame’s rocket is a tall, showy, short-lived perennial in the mustard family and it reproduces strictly by seed. Therefore, if you have it growing on your property, pull up the entire plant when it’s blooming to prevent it from producing seed. Eventually, the seed bank in the area will be depleted.

06/07/2022

PART 5: WHAT TO DO IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE JUMPING WORMS?
Don’t Panic! Capture some of the worms and take detailed, high resolution, digital photos showing the ring around the worm's body in relation to its head. Compare your pictures to the ones shown in the photo I've attached to this post. If your pictures correlate to the photo and the description for Jumping Worms, go ahead and submit a report to EDD Maps at: https://www.eddmaps.org/report/

06/06/2022

PART 4: WHAT MN/WI COUNTIES NEAR ME HAVE REPORTED SIGHTINGS OF JUMPING WORMS?
Every metropolitan county in the St. Paul/Minneapolis area has at least one confirmed sighting of Jumping Worms as well as St. Croix County in Wisconsin. This means all of us need to be aware of jumping worms and be diligent about preventing them from being introduced to our own private property. Again, if you suspect you have jumping worms, please take the time to report evidence of what you believe to be jumping worms to https://www.eddmaps.org/
For your review, I’ve attached another photo showing you an overview of what a Jumping Worm looks like as well as how you can tell them apart from an European/Earth/Nightcrawler Worm.