Hanging plant baskets

provide another level to

your summer patio or

porch garden. Single-

species baskets already

made up are available at

retail nursery centers.

Typically, these are 10-inch

baskets fill with one kind of flowering plant

that cascades over the edge of the contain-

er. Popular plant varieties include new

breeds of flowing petunias, Tahitian bridal

veil (Gibasis geniculata) and ivy geranium.

Flowers and foliage are evenly distributed

across the canopy.

But why not create your own? It’s easy.

Start with the container. Hanging baskets

can be made using traditional wire basket

stuffed with sphagnum moss, terra cotta

pots, ceramic pots, or plastic containers.

Also, before buying plants for your basket,

check the sun and shade patterns of the

hanging area

and choose

the best plants

for the bas-

ket's location.

Avoid breezy sites where the

plants may get battered by

wind.

For designing your bas-

ket with a style all its

own, select plants that

meet three basic criteria:

no finicky nutritional

needs, no major pest problems

and plenty of heat tolerance.

Following are some plants

that make the grade:

Abutilon ‘Apricot’

Calibrachoa ‘Trailing Blue’ and

‘Cherry Pink’

Evolvulus ‘Blue Daze’

Felicia ‘Hanging Blue’

Geranium ‘Acapulco Compact’, ‘Blue

Blizzard’, ‘Galleria Ruby Red’ and ‘Galleria

Snowfire’

Portulaca ‘Apricot’, ‘Duet Rose’ and ‘Duet

Yellow’

Scaevola ‘New Wonder’

Streptocarpella ‘Blue Concord’

Cutera ‘Snowstorm’

Torenia ‘Summer Wave Blue’

Great candidates for combination bas-

kets are those that alone are not that dra-

matic but collectively make a splashy dis-

play. Plant small plants at the start of the

season so they grow together to form a nat-

ural, gathered-bouquet look that evolves as

the species intertwine. You can cover up

less than perfect plants, say, that lack

foliage at the bottom or are droopy, by

combining these plants to their best advan-

tage with plants of differing characteristics.

To achieve a pleasing combination bas-

ket, vary the form of the plants you choose.

Use taller species to add height, mounded

species to add

mass, and low-

growing, cascad-

ing species to fill

in, add depth, and

soften the edges of the

container.

Consider textural variations. A com-

bination of coarse, medium and

fine texture will be more pleasing

than three to five plants of a sim-

ilar texture. Color is a little tricky

since you may be planting baskets

before the plants have bloomed. Try

to find a picture of the flower color

or at least a thorough description.

Another idea is to use all one-color

flowers, but vary the lightness, dark-

ness or strength of the color.

For a little more interest, use closely

related or analogous colors (for

example, yellow, orange and red).

COOPERATIVE EXTENSIONUNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE

COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES

MAY 18, 2004IS

SU

E 3

(continued on p. 2)

Designing

your own

flowering

baskets

Analogous colors

are next to each

other on the color

wheel. Complementary colors

demand attention. They are oppo-

site each other on the color wheel.

Purple and yellow or orange and blue are very

effective compliments. Neutral colors--black, gray and

white—can add depth to the composition and help sep-

arate others colors that might clash or overwhelm each

other.

Suggestions for summer combinations baskets are:

Impatiens sultanii ‘Fiesta’ series or ‘Tioga’– multi-

petaled flowers in bright colors

Verbena canadensis ‘Coral’, ‘Lavender Geranium’ –

upright growth so flowers stand above foliage and ‘Sarah

Graves’ – unique coral flowers with ruffled petals

Ipomoea ‘Blackie’, ‘Marquerite’ and ‘Terrace Lime’ –

these sweet potato colors add coarse textures and great

foliage colors

Helichrysum ‘Silver Licorice’ – medium-textured and

‘Icicles’ – fine-textured

Brachyscome ‘Misty Lilac’ – Lavender flowers held

high above the fine foliage

Whatever kind of container you use, keep the following

in mind for healthy maintenance and summer-long

bloom:

• Water - Hanging basket plants have small soil balls in

proportion to the size of the plants, which means

they tend to dry out rapidly, especially those plants

grown in sphagnum moss baskets or terra cotta clay.

Check pots daily and water as needed. During hot

weather, you may need to water more often, depend-

ing on the kind of container and its size. Always take

off the attached tray so water can drain out freely.

• Fertilizer - Because a hanging basket plant requires fre-

quent watering, it also need to be fertilized often.

Frequent watering leaches out soil nutrients. Apply a

complete water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks.

• Pick off old flowers as they fade. This is called dead-

heading and it encourages blooming plant to produce

more flowers instead of setting seed. If the plants start

getting straggly, pinch a few inches off the stems,

which encourages bushy new growth.

—Susan Barton

TWO WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BED

Do your gardening plans include a new bed for flowers

or vegetables? Then you will want to prepare the plot per-

fectly.

Last fall the New Castle County Master Gardeners con-

ducted a demonstration of two different methods for killing

off grass in order to start a new planting space. Using the

NCC Extension Teaching Garden on South Chapel Street in

Newark, Master Gardeners compared the two methods side-

by-side. One side was sprayed with a non-selective herbi-

cide; for the other the grass was covered with layers of

newspapers, which were then blanketed with several inches

of hardwood mulch.

To work effectively, non-selective or broad spectrum

herbicides such as Round-up™ must be sprayed onto plants

while they are actively growing. The leaves absorb the

active chemical and move it systemically to the roots,

resulting in death within days to two weeks. Because the

plant must take up the chemical, no residue is left in the

soil to damage new plantings. Be careful, however, that the

spray does not drift onto desirable nearby plants. Also, stub-

born or well-established weeds may need more than one

application of the herbicide. Layers of newspaper and

mulch kill off grass by blocking light. It may take several

weeks to months to kill the roots, but no plant can survive

indefinitely with no light.

In our comparison trial, we found both techniques use-

ful for garden-bed preparation. After two weeks, the lawn

2

HANG IT ALL (continued from p.1)

(continued on p. 3)

3

TWO WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BED (continued from p.2)

covered by newspapers and mulch had turned yellow and

looked feeble; the herbicide-sprayed lawn looked dead. After

one month the newspaper side looked dead, but a few dan-

delions and one patch of crabgrass had sprouted on

the herbicide side.

Checked after the winter, it appears both

sides are ready to plant. The side treated with

herbicide has appreciably more growth of

weeds, whether newly seeded or from seeds that

remained in the ground. Only a few weeds had

sprouted on top of the mulch.

So which technique is better for home use? It

depends. If you need to clear an area with heavy

turf and weeds, herbicide will work quickly, though some

stubborn weeds could need more than one application. The

area will be ready for tilling and planting within several

weeks. Some gardeners may have concerns about the use of

broad spectrum herbicide if valuable shrubs or plants are

nearby, of if children and pets use the area. If you do

choose herbicide, remember to read all the instructions on

the product, wear proper protective clothing, and don’t try

to spray on a windy day. After spraying an area, you will

need to wait a week to plant flowers, vegetables, and turf-

grass, and up to a month to put in tomato plants.

If newspapers and mulch suit your needs, you will get

rid of grass and weeds, but more slowly. You will also have a

head start on a mulched garden bed.

Simply cut through the news-

paper and plant right into the

soil underneath; the mulch

can be smoothed back into

place. It is a good idea to cut slits

into the newspaper so that rain can

penetrate easily. Since the area is

covered already, it will not be as easy

to work up or till. If you plan to grow

vegetables for consumption, you

may wish to avoid using newspa-

per with colored inks; some may

contain heavy metals that can

build up in the soil.

This experiment was conduct-

ed on the south end of the Cooperative Extension Teaching

Garden, with the west side getting the newspapers and the

east side herbicide treatment. Come and compare the

results, and enjoy the plantings of native plants and shrubs!

—Anne Boyd, New Castle County Master Gardener

DNLA PLANTS OF THE YEAR

This year marks the Delaware Nursery and Landscape

Association’s 10th annual Plant of the Year selection.

These plants were chosen because they are great garden

plants and particularly well suited to thrive in Delaware gar-

dens.

Ceratostigma plumbaginoides is a 12’ tall, spreading

groundcover with intense, bark-blue flowers in summer to

late autumn. When the flowers drop, they leave behind a

collar of maroon sepals that are also showy. Fall color is a

wonderful bronze-red. This underused groundcover thrives

in sun to part shade. Ceratostigma works well with spring

bulbs because the foliage emerges late in the spring, allow-

ing the bulbs to take center stage and then providing good

coverage for the leaves of fading bulbs.

Magnolia grandiflora ‘Little Gem’ is an evergreen mag-

nolia with lustrous dark green leaves and creamy-white,

beautifully fragrant flowers. Michael Dirr, famous plants-

man from the University of Georgia, claims the fra-

grance is "better than the best perfume." ‘Little Gem’

is the smallest evergreen magnolia cultivar available

growing to 20’ high by 10’ wide in 20 years. It

can be grown as a single specimen or treated as

a medium-sized screen or hedge. Leaves are

smaller than the species (4") and flowers are

smaller (3-4") but borne at a young age.

‘Little Gem’ will flower continuously from

May through October, but flower production

slackens in the height of summer heat. This is

a Zone 7 plant and should be planted in a

protected spot in northern Delaware.

4

Spiders, an arthropod rela-

tive of insects, are predators,

mostly of insects. They tend to

be generalist predators, not discriminating as to

type of prey. Spiders have eight legs (insects have six), and

they lack antennae and wings. Spiders have a body of two

distinct sections versus the three sections of an insect.

About 50 families of spiders occur in the United States,

and most of these are good guys—providing an important

garden benefit as natural control agents. While many

Americans consider spiders creepy and dangerous, only two

arachnids on mainland United States are poisonous—the

black widow and the brown recluse. I’ll get back to those,

but first let me tell you the important job most spiders do

and how they do it.

Spiders capture their prey in three ways. The largest

group construct a web. Common web spinners include the

orb weavers, the sheet web spiders, the comb-footed spi-

ders, and the funnel web spiders. The second most com-

mon method of capturing prey is active hunting and run-

ning down prey. Examples of hunting spiders include the

wolf spider, the jumping spider, and the lynx spider. The

third method, as seen in crab spiders, is the ambush

method. These spiders are common on flowers and vege-

tation; they stay motionless until prey comes within

easy grasp.

Virtually any active stage of an insect's life cycle

can fall prey to a spider. Some spiders will even eat

insect eggs or pupae. Individual spider species are

more likely to catch a certain prey type, based upon

the method of

prey capture.

For example,

orb weavers are

more likely to

capture adult

flying insects

than crawling

ones.

Spiders tend

to have only a

single genera-

tion per year. As a result, they are unable

to rapidly increase their numbers.

Spiders are more diverse in habi-

tats with greater variety of plants

and plant types.

Spiders play a major role in the

front lines of natural enemy complex. They help add sta-

bility and a buffer zone in the garden, which keeps

insect pest populations from exploding.

Spiders are susceptible to pesticides, so be careful

when applying insecticide. Take a look. Maybe spiders

and other beneficials are already keeping insects under

control.

Spiders common in Delaware

• Jumping Spider: Small to medium spiders with short

legs and stout bodies. The body is hairy and may be

brightly colored or iridescent. Found primarily under

stones and in debris. They "jump" short distances to

escape potential harm when disturbed.

• Crab Spider: As the name suggests, these medium-

sized spiders are crab-like in appearance. They walk side-

ways or backwards to escape harm. Crab spiders spin no

webs. Expert in camouflage, the crab spider lays in wait to

ambush prey. One species can even change color depending

upon the color of the flower it is resting on.

• Fishing Spiders: Often quite large, these spiders have

a leg spread of three inches. Most live near water and can

walk over the sur-

face and even dive

into water. They

feed on aquatic

insects and small

fish. These spiders

are rovers.

• Orb Weavers:

Included in this

(continued on p. 5)

group are the garden spiders, many of which are brightly

colored black and yellow or black and red. Typically found

resting head downward near the center of their large orb

web, they weave during the night. They feed on a wide vari-

ety of insects that fly into their web.

• Wolf and Ground Spiders: Most of these common

spiders are large and dark brown in color. They may

be found running along the ground chas-

ing prey. Few build webs.

• Household Spiders: Common house-

hold spiders are the cobweb spiders and

yellow house spiders. Cobweb spiders

construct webs in corners and areas of lit-

tle traffic such as basements. They trap

all manner of insects that may

invade homes. Yellow spiders make

much smaller webs and hunt along

window sills. walls or floors for suitable prey.

• Harvestman or Daddy-Longlegs: Although not spi-

ders (they are a separate order of arachnids), they deserve

mention here because they are found in our gardens. These

arachnids have a small oval body and extremely long legs.

They feed on plant juices and dead insects.

Spiders to steer clear of

The black widow spider, a comb-footed spider, is one of

our largest arachnids. Females are about 1/2-inch long with

long slender legs. A reddish or orangish mark—in the shape

of an hourglass—is visible on the underside of the globular

abdomen. Although timid by nature, black widows will bite

in self-defense if accidentally squeezed or threatened. Bites

cause extreme pain, which usually extends to the abdomi-

nal muscles. Black widows seek out dark places in which to

construct a retreat. This may bring them in close proximity

to humans in sheds, under lawn furniture, and in lumber

piles or yard debris. Wear gloves when cleaning out such

areas, particularly in summer or fall.

As for the brown recluse, when it bites, this spider is

known to cause sores that are slow to heal. More common

in the southeastern United States than in Delaware, these

spiders are easily transported, so check vacation gear when

returning from a trip to a southern or western state.

Basically shy, brown recluse spiders hide in dark corners

and avoid contact with humans. If you feel intense pain

after being bitten by a small (3/8 inch long) brown spider,

call your physician. A distinctive identifying mark is a vio-

lin-shaped marking on top of the leg-bearing section of the

body.

—Dewey Caron

GOLD MEDAL AWARD WINNERS

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has been

awarding the Gold Medal Plant Award to little known

and underused woody plants since 1988. Here is a

description of one of the 2004 award winners.

Magnolia ‘Daybreak’ is an outstanding addition to the

Gold Medal Magnolia collection. It has clean, attractive

foliage, unsurpassed fragrance, and blooms in May after any

chance of frost. The large, deep pink flowers of ‘Daybreak’

open to 9 to 10 inches in diameter. With an upright growth

habit and pollution tolerance, it makes an excellent speci-

men or street tree. Plant in sun in well-drained soil. Grows

30 feet high by 6 feet wide. Hardy in zones 5 to 8.

5

SPIDERS (continued from p.4)

Cooperative Extension Education in Agriculture and Home Economics,University of Delaware, Delaware State University and the United StatesDepartment Of Agriculture cooperating. Janice Seitz, Director. Distributed in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914. It is the policyof the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, disability, age, or national origin.

Contributing Writers

Susan Barton, UD Extension HorticultureSpecialistDewey Caron, UD EntomologistBob Mulrooney, UD Extension Plant PathologistDerby Walker, Ag Agent, Sussex CountyJo Mercer, UD Extension Educator, HorticultureMaggie Moor-Orth, Extension Ag Agent, Delaware State UniversityJay Windsor, UD Extension Agent, retired

Magnolia

6

For many gardeners staking plants is more of a chal-

lenge or an annoyance than a welcome aspect of garden

maintenance. Finding easy, creative ways to keep plants at

attention would make any gardener happy.

If you want to avoid staking altogether, the solution

may be simple as the site. For example, take advantage of a

fence for "built-in" support as the plant grows. Do not plant

sun-loving varieties in a shady spot; this forces plants to

seek the sun. The plant gets long and leggy as it leans to

catch some rays, and ends up blossom first in the soil.

Another knock-down culprit is the wind. For the areas

in which wind might present a problem for tall plants, put

in tough, sturdy plants with good wind resistance—

Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker) or Monarda (Bee Balm) are good

choices. A natural way to support flopping plants is to put

them next to varieties that will hold them up. Try combin-

ing shrubs with a bushy, dense habit near to perennials or

annuals that tend to fall over.

There are those plants, however, that are just tall.

Delphinium, Aconitum, Cimicifuga and Thalictrum all pre-

sent a challenge even when sited properly. One trick is to

pinch back the growing tip of the plant about one month

into the growing season. This promotes branching and a

shorter, bushier habit without loss of flowers.

This simple trick may make all the differ-

ence between having to stake or

not.

When all else fails and staking

becomes necessary, knowing

some basic rules will make

staking a breeze. Staking

early in the plants growth is

a good idea. This helps pro-

tect roots and allows the

plant to grow up natural-

ly while hiding the

method of staking.

Matching the stak-

ing method to the

type of plant

growth helps cre-

ate a more natural, unobtrusive look in the garden.

Fuller, bushier plants with large flower heads such as

peony require either a metal grid stake in a circular frame or

a similar cage style made with stakes and twine. In either

case, setting them in upon early growth of the peony is

important. Both of these staking methods allow the peony

to grow up through the staking structure and provide sup-

port throughout the plant. As the plant grows, the staking

becomes virtually invisible.

Single stakes are used for plants with large heavy flow-

ers on single stems. Dahlias, delphiniums, and lilies all work

well with single staking. Bamboo, lightweight green alu-

minum, or stiff iron rods are some of the type of stakes

available. Again, place these in the ground early so as not to

disturb the roots, and insert 1 to 2 feet below the soil sur-

face. Soft string or twist-ums are used to attach the com-

pletely elongated stem to the stake after buds have formed.

An alternative to having to attach the stem to the stake is

the curly-cue stake, which surrounds the stem as it grows up

through. These stakes provide a creative alternative.

One of the most natural staking methods is referred to

as pea-staking. Widely used in English gardens, this method

uses a cut, dense, twiggy, 3-dimentional branch or branches

from a tree or shrub. Measure the branches slightly shorter

than the expected growth on the plant you are staking.

Push the branch or branches into the ground around the

sides of the plant. As the plant grows it will cover the

branches. The branches of birch, pin oak or buddleia work

well for this method meant to hold up Coreopsis,

Helenium, Campanulas and tall, hearty Geraniums or

Asters.

These are just some of the ways to combat plant flop-

overs without creating an abundance of work. Planning

ahead and incorporating some of these ideas will help keep

the garden looking its very best throughout the growing

season.

—Marcia Stephenson, UD ’03,

Delaware Center for Horticulture

KEEPING PLANTS AT ATTENTION: A BRIEF GUIDE TO STAKING PLANTS

Delaware has lots of biting mosquitoes that need quiet,

non-flowing water for development. The First State’s most

notorious biter is the salt-marsh mosquito, which develops

in brackish water—the adults hatch two weeks fol-

lowing high tides. We also have freshwater

mosquitoes—one group develops in low-

lying areas, including yards or areas near

streams, while a third group develops from standing

water in common containers, including tin cans, old tires

and roof gutters.

The best way to control mosquitoes is to find and

eliminate their breeding sites. Doing away with large

areas of standing water such as swamps or ditches

requires community-wide effort. Here are

some steps homeowners can take to prevent

mosquitoes from breeding on their property:

• Dispose of old tires, buckets, plastic sheeting, or

other containers that collect and hold water. Do not allow

water to accumulate at the base of flower pots or in pet

dishes for more than a few days. Clean debris from roof gut-

ters and remove any standing water on patios or flat roofs.

• Change water in bird baths and wading pools at least

once a week. Consider stocking ornamental ponds with

predacious minnows, known as mosquito fish, or apply a

"biorational" insecticide which prevents mosquitoes from

developing in the water. Products containing

methoprene(Altosid®) or Bacillus thuringiensis var isrealien-

sis (Mosquito Dunks®, Bactimos®, & Vectobac®) are essen-

tially harmless to other aquatic organisms.

• Check for standing water around faucets,

air-conditioner units, etc., and repair leaks or

puddles that remain for several days. Eliminate

seepage from cisterns, cesspools, septic tanks,

and animal watering troughs.

• Fill or drain puddles, ditches, and swampy

areas in your yard. Remove, drain, or fill tree holes

and stumps.

• Irrigate lawns and gardens carefully to prevent

water from standing for several days. Mosquitoes can be

kept out of homes by securely screening windows, doors,

and porches. The occasional mosquito found indoors can be

eliminated with a fly swatter or aerosol-type insecticide

labeled for flying insects.

Repellents will help prevent bites out of doors. Use

mosquito repellents containing ingredients such

as diethyl toluamide (DEET). In general,

the higher the percentage of DEET in the

ingredients, the longer the protection. Low-

percentage formulations are available for use with

young children. Non-DEET containing repellents (e.g.,

Avon Skin-So-Soft®, citronella) may provide some relief,

but to a lesser degree and for a shorter duration. Apply

insect repellent on outer clothing as well as the skin.

Adult mosquitoes prefer to rest in dense vegeta-

tion during the day. Remove tall weeds and

grass in your yard. To further reduce intoler-

able populations of adult mosquitoes around

structures, apply insecticides to the lower limbs of

shade trees, shrubs and shaded areas adjacent to founda-

tions. Lawn and garden formulations containing carbaryl,

chlorpyrifos, malathion, or synthetic pyrethroids (e.g., per-

methrin, cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin) are effec-

tive but only for a short time.

Many consumer products claim to attract, repel, or kill

outdoor infestations of mosquitoes. Most of these devices

do not work, or are only marginally effective. ‘Bug Zappers’

using ultraviolet light as an attractant are generally ineffec-

tive in reducing outdoor mosquito populations and their

biting activity.

Somewhat better results have been obtained with cit-

ronella candles. For maximum protection, use mul-

tiple candles positioned close to—within a few

feet—of where people are sitting. Ultrasonic

devices, mosquito-repellent plants, and other

"gimmicks" routinely advertised in the mass media

are generally ineffective. If a mosquito control device

sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

—Dewey Caron

7

PLANNING AHEAD FOR MOSQUITO SEASON

Cooperative Extension SystemU.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREUniversity of DelawareNewark, Delaware 19716-2103

Garden Check is published 10 times annually.

Annual Subscription rate: $17.50, payable toUniversity of Delaware.

Direct subscription requests, questions, andcomments to: Garden Check

Agricultural Communications113 Townsend Hall University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716-2103 Phone: 302-831-1355 Fax: 302-831-6758 E-mail: gardencheck@udel.edu

Trade names given herein are supplied with theunderstanding that discrimination is notintended and no endorsement is implied byDelaware Cooperative Extension. To protectyour safety and to obtain the best results whenusing any pesticide, always read the label andfollow directions carefully.

Call the Garden Line for help with home lawn,garden, and pest questions: New Castle Co. (302) 831-8862 Kent Co. (302) 730-4000 Sussex Co. (302) 856-7303 Find Garden Check back issues on the Internet: http://bluehen.ags.udel.edu/deces/hg/

Susan Barton, Extension Specialist Ornamental Horticulture

THEY’RE COMING! THEY’RE HERE!

With all the hype about the arrival of the 17-year cicadas (Magicicada spe-

tendcim), I thought a little information was in order. First, the adult stage of

the cicada does not eat so gardeners need not worry about feeding damage to

plants. This insect’s major role in the ecosystem is to provide a protein source

for snakes and birds.

After spending the past 17 years below ground, maturing and feeding off

tiny hairs of tree roots, cicadas have lived the better part of their life cycle.

So far, they have molted (shed their exoskeleton) four times. They climb

above ground and molt one final time, which frees their wings. This molting

process typically happens at night, so it’s not likely you will see it happen.You

will find discarded shells clinging to trees. At this stage, cicadas have wings

that can span several inches, thick bodies and noticeably red eyes. Male

cicadas are known for their distinct call, which at 120 decibels, is louder than

a lawnmower.

The only injury may be by females that lay eggs in terminals (the tip) of

tree branches, an action that can cause growing terminals to die. By the

time you observe the damage, however, the eggs have already hatched, so no

control will help. Trees do not die as result of cicada egg laying.

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit 199Newark, DE