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1400 Flowers & Vegetahles
180 pages jammed full of detailed growing instructions for 2 all the plants listed. You'll find more than 90 different va- /['S 7-/78 rieties of tomatoes alone. Many exotic exclusives from Asia, E d South America are also listed pl 1l - old [ fal:'g;?tie:.n ou merica are also listed plus all your olc GROWER s SEND TODAY FOR FREE COPY! BIBLE"
4184 Stokes Bldg. FRIE
St. Catharines, Ont. L2R 6R6 ZIP
SPRING
P CITeEe PLANT SALE
It s never too soon to start thinking .'S'X %?}g%sf %%' x%hp g c's about Spring and with it the Civic WITH COMPLETE SERVICES
Garden Centre Plant Sale! It was a : resounding success this year, thanks 1929BayviewAvenue 486-2590 to the efforts ofall ofthosewho contributed plants and time. Internatl()nal
We re hopingto do even better i e next year, so do please remember the OrChld Centre sale when starting your plants under lights, and plant a few extra. Annuals, EXOTIC perennials, vegetables, house plants ORCHID they re all welcome. As usual, the sale will be in May, so you ll be PLANTS hearing lots more about it. Write for £
Please also remember our need for four and six-pack plant containers, which always turn out to be in R R R e PAVB A particularly short supply. Bring any (416) 961-7335 you have in to the Trellis Shop when it s convenient. * new plant lists - _#
November, 1979
Volume 6, Number 6
In this issue
Cover picture: Poinsettia, botanicallyEuphorbiapulcherrima, photographed by John Parsons ofMalton.
Better African Violets/5
Perennial corner/7
Now is the time/10
Pecans which grow in the north/15
Shrubs from seed/20
Publication Committee
James Floyd (Chairman), Jerry Maccabe, Mary Smith, WilliamStennson, Clive E. Goodwin
Editor: Fredrik Kirby
Advertising: Shirley Kirby (416) 226-0996
Graphics and Printing Drewmark Graphics, Toronto
General Information issn 03801470
Trellis is published in the months of January, March, May, July, September, and November and distributed on or about the 15th of the month previous by the Civic Garden Centre, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2. Telephone: (416) 445-1552. The Centre is located in Edwards Gardens, at Leslie Street and Lawrence Avenue East, the geographical centre of Metropolitan Toronto. It is a non-profit gardening and floral arts information organization with open membership. Subscriptions to Trellis are only available through Centre membership (10 per year). Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre.
You can enjoy all these benefits when you subscribe to TRELLIS horticulture and gardening magazine.
1. You become a member ofThe Civic Garden Centre. You will receive special members rates on all courses.
You receive TRELLIS by mailevery two months. It contains timely articles by outstanding authors; how-to-stories and seasonal suggestions; news of events and courses held at The Civic Garden Centre.
4. You may registerfor craftcourses,seespecialshows, hearqualified speakers.
You can borrow free from over 3,000 gardeningbooks.
You SAVE 10% on purchases over $2.00 at the Garden and BookShops.
TO LEARN MORE CALL 445-1552 AND EXPRESS YOUR AREA OF INTEREST
[ wish to subscribe to TRELLIS and become a member ofTHE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE. Enclosed ismy cheque for $ made out to THE CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE, 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Don Mills, Ontario M3C 1P2.
NAME
ADDRESS
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Donations will receive receipt for tax. (Reg. No. 0228114-56-13)
Better~African®VioletS
Grow them yourself, Mr. ErnestFisher tells Jim Floyd
Sitting in the dark on a winter s evening concerning yourself with the weather forecasts emanating from the cool glow oftelevision is a great Canadian pastime. Spring is notjust around the corner; it is right around the block. Many members of the Civic Garden Centre spend this annual period of hibernation planning for the spring plant sale and other indoor garden events. The avid members can be found wintering next to the cool glow offluorescent lamps, tending shelves of African Violets and other flowering miniatures. African Violets know no winter, nor accept a reason for any season.
Life for these plants is measured in generations. Though small in stature the family trees are extensive and a pleasure to document. For one grower, Ernest Fisher, managing the genetic relationships of a family of
African Violets started out as a hobby and became a retirement vocation.
Recently [ had the pleasure of meeting this man, sometimes referred to as Mr. African Violet of Canada. His plant display in Downsview is a
Editor s Note:
Mr. ErnieFisher returned to Englandfor hisfirst holiday in 31 vears; visited the Royal Horticultural Society on Greycoat Street, London; attended an evening meeting where the speaker from Reading University talkedon lighting usingslides to illustrate his lecture. He askedErnie s opinion, as a distinguished visitor, on the type oflight used.
While visiting home base, Mr. Fisher met his three brothers; Mrs. Fisher met her three sisters.
Heather Ann is an exquisite, fuschia-coloured African Violet developed by Mr. Fisher
Mecca for enthusiasts from as far away as India, Australia, Japan and even Africa. At last count his twentytwo year effort hadproduced two hundred and ninety-six new named selections ofthis diverse and wondrous plant. His sales display includes leafmodifications of quilted, plain, white or green edge variegations, boy spot, girl spot, holly edge and surrey fringe.
Mr. Fisher inspires novices to try growing their own and the process seems to be satisfaction guaranteed. Take a fresh cutting (two for insurance) ayoung leaffrom a healthy plant. Cut the stem on an angle. Place the cutting in wet, coarse vermiculite. Label the variety with a plastic marker and keep damp for ten days to three weeks. Indirect sunlight or preferably afluorescent fixture is needed. Bottom heat, as sitting over a warm lamp, encourages fast root growth. After the initialperiod, start weekly feedings with amildsolution of fish fertilizer (1% teaspoon) in tepid water (one gallon). Continue feeding for about seven weeks until plantlets (miniature leaves) begin to appear. If you were to set some cuttings late this year, there would be one to a dozen plantlets from each cutting ready for division in time for the spring plant sale at the Centre.
A professional grower s checklist wouldinclude all ofthefollowing items: vermiculite (to hold moisture), perlite (to keep soil open), peat moss (to create a woodsy feeling), ground limestone (to balance the acid inthe peat moss), Liquid Blue Whale Brand (or Alaska Fish Fertilizer) 6.2.1 and Sturdy Mixture 0.15.14, bone meal (for phosphorus reserve), real clay loam (for trace elements), chip charcoal (sweetens bulbs to ensure blue ribbon flowering on mature plants), with two or more time switches for normal twelve hour setting, increases light before shows,
and decreases during propagation, climate-controlled fly proof room (insulated, foiled walls, air conditioner and heater fan set for 25°C and fifty percent humidity), a scrubbing sink (for hygiene), sharp knives (for cuttings), small cards on strings (to attach to cross pollinated flowers to identify second parent) and plastic plant markers. If you do have all of the above materials, provide a guest book for visitors. Mr. Fisher also keeps a copy of 3500NamesforBaby and a hallway replete with photographs of friends, relations, and pets whose names have been used on new plants, such as Sweet Anna and Great Scott , his grandchildren.
There are plenty of amateur enthusiasts who receive much satisfaction with a shelf or two, lamps and correct fish fertilizers. The amount of personal care in growing these gorgeous plants makes the results fully satisfactory. There are some retired folks who claim it is a life saving hobby. Visit a grower soon and you will find these plants to be irresistible. X
Mr. Fisher, Canadian authority on African Violets, keeps breeding records that go back to 1953. Still has customers who have bought since 1965.
An Ernie Fisher African Violet named Lochiel 7
Ferennial Corner
as toldbyKeith Squires
Chrysanthemums usually bring to mind the fall blooming cultivars which create such a show in late autumn, but there s really a very large number of plant species that are classed as Chrysanthemums but which bloom at other times of the year, are hardy, and are quite different in appearance to the fall blooming kinds. The latter are perennials, but they are not really very tough and require quite a lot of attention if you are going to use them for more than one year. The perennial Chrysanthemums I'll discuss here don t need the same kindof attention or culture: you don t need to pinch them; you can leave them alone, and they will give you a show throughout the summer.
The Pyrethrum of our gardens is really Chrysanthemum coccineum. Its common name is Painted Daisy, and it comes in good colours, with the single formsjust as interestingin the garden as the doubles. They re fairly early bloomers, and are at their best in June.
Coming alonga little later is the familiar Shasta Daisy, which is Chrysanthemum maximum, hybridized often with two or three other species, includingthefamiliar wild Ox-eye Daisy. Shasta Daisy May Queen is a very early one that actually comes into bloomjust around the end of May, six weeks ahead ofany other Shasta Daisy available. This is not quite as good a Shasta as some ofthe later blooming ones, but is well worth having in the garden because of the extended blooming period it provides.
Most Shasta Daisies are three feet high, and so should be placedfurther back in the border because they are a little too tall to be right at the edgeof the garden. However, there is a new
one out that comes in at about 14 . This is Shasta Daisy Little Miss Muffet (also called Silver Princess ), and it gives you some flexibility in bringing a Shasta Daisy forward rather than having it at the back. That is important in these days when borders are not quite as wide as they used to be in grandmother s day. There are even lower growing cultivars under development. One under test at the present time is a double low-growing plant about 6 or 8 high which is quite impressive, but it will be three or four years before it is commerically available.
Chrysanthemum Marshallianum is ayellow daisy which is probably an Anthemis, but regardless ofits name
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it is an excellent plant to have in the garden because it gives a show of bloom in the summer and will tolerate an enormous amount of dry weather.
Matricaria or Feverfew is Chrysanthemum Parthenium and it s a little unusual in that the white cultivar is much prettier than the customary yellow one.
This is a low growing plant about 10 or 14 high with clusters ofsmall blossoms, and it has fragrant foliage. Some people find the fragrance very attractive, but others dislike it. Ifyou don t like the smell there is still no reason why you cannot grow it in your garden, because unless the foliage is disturbed you are unlikely to smell it. Snow Puffs is the name of the white cultivar, while Golden Nuggets the yellow one.
A couple of newer Chrysanthemums which [ am growing at present are Chrysanthemum argenteum, which has a very fine lacy silvery foliage, and well worth growing in the garden just for the attractive quality of the foliage alone. Chrysanthemum Weyrichii is a newcomer that is low growing and blooms very profusely, but probably needs dividing every two or three years to keep it vigorous and healthy. It grows lower in shade than it does in sunlight, but can reach 11 feet in the sun, forming a well-rounded plant that blooms well in the summer.
If there is a message in this range of different Chrysanthemums, it is to remember that in gardening there can be a very, very wide variety of different kinds of plants all under the same name, so don t get any preconceived ideas about plants based on the ones that you know. Often there are others which are very different, and which may serve you better.
Geraniums are another example of the same thing. When you hear the name you probably think of the familiar bedding geraniums that you
F, hybrid geranium, Salmon Flash . Vigorous, base-branching habit, globeshaped flower heads. These are botanically Pelargonium.
start from cuttings each year under lights. These are perennials all right: your grandmother wintered her plants over by hanging them up in a bundle in the cellar rafters, and planting them again in the spring. You can do the same thing if you have a dry, cold cellar with an earth floor! So they re perennials, but they re not geraniums botanically, but Pelargonium.
There are dozens of true geraniums, the genus Geranium, and they re all beautiful, and all excellent, hardy garden plants. Most of them are as tough as nails and all are easy to grow. They re satisfied with almost any kind of soil, but they do like sun. With one or two exceptions they re not shade lovers, although they ll tolerate an hour or two.
I'll start with a low grower: Geranium dalmaticum will get up to 6-8 after it s established a couple of years. It was introduced in 1948 from the garden of the King of Bulgaria, and it s still rather hard to get. It s a rose colour, a gorgeous little thing.
Most geraniums give bloom in June and July, and they come in a range of pinks and reds, with some blues and white. Many of the leaves are decorative in themselves, and change colour very attractively in the fall to a range of brilliant oranges or reds. Geranium grandilforum is one of
the taller ones and can get up to three feet, but usually it s under two feet. It forms a large bushy plant and has fairly large blossoms in a good shade of blue. Another blue one is Mrs. Kendall Clark , and it is interesting because it has white veins to the petals. Geranium ibericum is another blue that forms a good bushy plant. These taller growing geraniums can bush out to roughly the size of a bushel basket. A plant of Magnificum , a similar cultivar to G. ibericum, had at least 500 blooms on it in my garden last year.
One of the most unusual colours in the genus is Geraniumphaeum which has a maroonish purple bloom that explains its common name of Mourning Widow. The buds are black. At the other extreme is Silver Queen , an excellent white set off by black stamens.
Turning again to some of the lower growing ones, Geranium macrorrhizum Will Ingwerson is an excellent ground cover in dappled shade. It produces sheets of bloom, and in the fall the leaves turn red. Its blooms are alight pink, and it can reach a foot or so in height. Geranium subcaulescens splendens is a shocking pink and forms plants which reach 5 to 6 . Russell Pritchard is another pink one that growsa little taller.
One of the better species in a light pink is G. sanguineum, which forms a mound about a foot long and 4 to 5 high. Sometimes you can find it in white. The runt of the genusis G. sessiliforum Nigrum with black foliage. It is all of 1 high and 4 across. In fall the leaves give an interesting contrast of black and orange coloration.
I hope I've said enough to persuade you to try some of these delightful plants. There are 25 to 30of themin cultivation and it s hard to find a poor one.
TREAT A BIRD TO LUNCH!
Squirrel Proof SUET BIRD FEEDER
A fabulous feeder to attract birds: chickadees, nuthatches, etc. Made of frost free vinyl coated steel wire, easily attached to a tree or hung from a branch.
(/(LjdeSEERBUNsol10
around openings to frustrate squirrels.
Hood openings give weather protection. Uses any seed or seed mixture.
Metal perches with soft vinyl covers.
Easy to take apart for cleaning.
Lock top can't blow off.
Seed catcher attaches quickly and easily.
Saves expensive seed. Keeps yard neat.
Feeder and Seed available at Gift Shop, Civic Garden Centre.
November is the month for preparing the garden for winter. Hill up roses on or about November 15th. Mushroom compost is auseful material for this purpose. Use a straw mulch for biennials, such as pansies, violas and English daisies; also for semi-hardy perennials, such as chrysanthemums, gloriosa daisies and hibiscus.
Mulches are not intended to keep plants warmbut to keepthem steadily cool and dormant. Great harm can be doneto unmulched plants on a sunny day in winter, especially if the snow cover is light andif it then turns very cool at night (usually February and March).
Branches from Christmas treeswill protect mulched plants by shading them and helpingto hold snow.
Digup all areas in the flower gardenwhere annuals have been pulled out, as well as thevegetable garden. Frost helps to break up soil over winter.
CONDITIONING HEAVY SOIL
Agricultural gypsum, trademarked Claybreak, applied in thefall is an excellent soil conditioner, especially on clay soils. Jerry Baker, thewell knownAmerican horticultural broadcaster, hasfor several years pointedout the advantages of usingthis material on every type of soil containing clay.
TheWriter has usedit effectively for three years now, on a bed that was cut out of a previous area of the lawn. After removing the sod the underlyingsoil was heavy clay of a subsoil nature that proved very difficult to work. An annual application of gypsum, both summer
and fall, plus thorough digging has resultedin the soil being broken down into a goodtilth, with no lumps remaining, or soil cracking in dry weather.
PAPERWHITE NARCISSUS
Because paperwhites are shipped to this country beforethey are fully cured they should not be forced prior to November 15th. To do so will usually mean erratic growth and flowering. To grow them for bloom at Christmas they should be planted December 1st.
To avoid a prior sell-out it is necessary to buy the bulbs duringthe month of October. They can be stored in a cool basement, or in a plastic bagplaced in the refrigerator. Unlike the hardy Dutch bulbs they root rapidly and at the same time as the top growth is developing.
HOUSE PLANTS
Two attractive lesser known foliage house plants thatwill thrivewith limited care and normal house temperatures are: Fatshedera (tree ivy) A cross between English Ivy and Fatsia, hence the name, asHedera is the botanical name for ivy. It has stifftree like growth, with characteristics of both parents and should be kept pruned after it reaches a height of 24 otherwise it will require staking. Cuttings are easily rooted.
Aeonium arboreum A succulent that prefers the hot dry atmosphere of many homes and apartments and will tolerate up to twoweeks without being watered. Prefers sunlihgt but will grow well in moderate light. It has fleshy rosettes of spoon-shaped leaves, with tree-like growth. Cuttings are readily rooted.
WINTERREADING
Chatelaine s GardeningBook byLois Wilson
This book is well describedas the complete all Canada guide to gardening success . In may opinion it is stillthe best overall book ofits kind available today, for both amateur and experienced gardeners. It is an excellent reference book and exceptionally readable. Price: $17.95.
The CompleteBook ofBulbs byF.F. Rockwell&Esther C. Grayson.
Although originallypublishedin 1945 and updated in 1977 it is still an outstanding reference book on the subject. The authors are husband andwife both experts intheir own right. Price $11.95
TheApartment Gardener by Florence and Stanley Dworkin
This outstandingpaperbackon house plants is written by a husband and wife team, who live in an apartment in NewYork City. Ina sense the title is a misnomer, because the information is equally applicable to anyone who grows plants indoors. The suggestions and methods are original and up-to-date. There are almost 400 pages, andit contains more good ideas than a lot of books selling at many times the price. There are no photographs, but numerous descriptive drawings, aptly referred to as the total guide to indoor planting . A bargain. Price $1.50.
The CompleteBook of Gardening UnderLights byElvin McDonald
Probably the best book ever written on the subject, and a bargain at the soft cover price of $1.50.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden Handbooks
Awide selection ofbooklets of about 100 pages each, on various horticultural subjects, written by experts in each field. Price $2.25 per booklet.
All the above books can be
purchased at the Civic Garden Centre s bookshop or can be borrowed by members fromthe Centre s library.
AMARYLLIS
Amaryllis is probably the most spectacularofall modern bulbous house plants. Ideal because they bloomwithin six to eight weeks of planting and they accept normal house temperatures. The bulbsfrom overseas start arriving about midNovember and if planted at that time can be brought into bloom about midJanuary.
The flower stalks arealready set in the bulb at time ofpurchase. The largest size Dutch hybrids usually have at least two flowerstalks, sometimesthree. The great thing about these bulbs is the ease with which they can be brought into bloom.
Top size bulbs cost about $8.50 for named varieties and for unnamed ones by colour $6.50. When one considers that it takes the grower approximately three years to produce a flowering size bulb it can be seen that the effort is well worth the price.
The great advantage of starting one yourselfis that you can have the pleasure of actually seeing it grow and burst into bloom. It s an ideal plant for invalids and shut-ins.
Thereal trick with amaryllis is to maintain the bulb size the second year, and bring it into successful bloom again. The moment it stops blooming you should cut the blooming stalk and apply without fail aweekly feeding ofliquid fertilizer and continue to do so until September, when water shouldbe withheld and the plant allowed to go dormant for three months.
Even with all this care it is difficult to keep the bulb from shrinking, which means that if you are lucky you will have one flowering stem the continuedpage 14
CENTRE EVENTS AND NEWS
NOVEMBER PROGRAMME
Two courses start in November. On the 5th, the Advanced Needlepoint course begins and on the 7th there is aFlowerArranging Capsule Review. Don t forget 8 p.m. on November 20th, when Mr. Keith Squireswill be showing slides on Mexican Plants, taken on his many trips there. Those memberswho took the perennial course will recall Mr. Squires as the knowledgeable instructor, andhe also is one of Ontario s leading perennial growers. This meeting will be ajoint one with the Toronto Field Naturalists Botany Group.
The big money-raising event for the fall is the Christmas Greens and Sparkle Show and Sale, and this year it will be November 23-25th. Be sure to set these dates aside. There will be the usual array of craft work for sale, a bake sale and hand-crafted Christmas decorations. It s always a popular event so be sure not to miss it.
COURSES IN THE NEW YEAR
Underlisted are the Courses scheduled to start early in the New Year. Please mark these dates on your calendar now ifyou are interested. Rug Hooking: 8 week course on Friday. Starts Jan. 4th
Needlepoint for Beginners: 5 week course on Mondays. Starts Jan. 7th
Japanese Flower Arranging: 3 week course on Wednesdays. Starts Jan.9th
Chinese Brush Painting: 10 week course on Mondays. Starts Jan. 14th
Perennials for Ontario Gardens: 6 week course on Thursdays. Starts dJan. 17th
The full schedule of activities in the New Year will appear in the January TRELLIS as usual, with application forms for all courses.
WHITE ELEPHANT SALE
A new event we're planning for next year is a White Elephant Sale. This will be in the third week in March, but to make it a success we ll need all your White Elephants. So please bear the sale in mind if you re thinking of disposing of anything you do not need.
JUNIOR GARDEN CLUBS
The fall series of meetings ofthe two Junior Garden Clubs are well under way, with more exciting sessions planned for the Spring. The Green Thumbs, the pre-teen group, meet on the second Saturday morning of each month and the teen-aged Enthusiasts meet on the third Saturday.
Two groups of enthusiastic Centre volunteers look after both groups, the Green Thumbs led by Mrs. Barbara Burt and the Enthusiasts by Mrs. Jane Wilson. Any young people interestedin becoming active in either group can contact Mrs. Burt or Mrs. Wilson through the Centre.
There is also a summer programme with Junior Garden plots in Sunnybrook Park, where the young people grow their own plants and produce.
MISSING LIBRARY BOOKS
The librarian reports that the following titles are missing fromthe shelves following the summer inventory, and would be glad if patrons would return them.
Aaronson. Design withplant material. Cyphers. Modern art inflower arrangement. Emboden. Narcoticplants.
Foster. Creatingpictures with preservedflowers. Gordon. Poorman s nosegay. Hanzak. Bird s eggs and nests. Padilla. Bromeliads in colorand theirculture. Pasley. Summerflowers. Poole. Insect-eatingplants. Sander. Orchids and theircultivation.
Two up-dated revisions ofusefulbooksonAfrican Violets have recently been published.
FREE, Montague. AllaboutAfrican Violets. 4th ed. revised by Charles Marden Fitch, 1979. Has detailed information on all aspects of growing and propagation, with a new section on pesticides, light gardening, soil-free mixes and plant patents. [llustrated mainly in black-and-white. SUNSETBOOKS. How togrowAfrican violets. 2nded. 1977. Contains basic instructions for cultivationunder naturaland artificial light, propagation and showing, with a chapter on the other gesneriads. Well illustrated in colour, and has a useful shopping guide.
FLORALIES INTERNATIONALES
The Floralies Internationales, being held in the coming year in Montreal, marks the first meeting in the Americas of the world s major horticultural traditions.
[ s an enormous exhibition; the indoor Floralies starts on May 17th in the Olympic Velodrome, andtheoutdoor show runs from May-31st to Sept. 1st on thelle de Notre-Dame.
Visitors to the exhibitionwill be able to see the latest in contemporary landscape art, with selections ofthe best trees and shrubbery and cultivated flowers in the world.
The exhibition is aimed at fostering the development of horticulture generally, and to demonstrate its progress. Other objectives are to stimulate research into plant cultivation andhorticultural teaching, and illustrating the important links between man and his physical environment.
The constantly changing picture that the Floralies Internationales will exhibit from May through September next year promises to be one ofthe most exciting horticultural events ever held on this continent.
NOVEMBER 23-24
10a.m.~4p.m.
NOVEMBER 25
l1p.m.~4p.m.
ENS L GLITTER =¢
SPEAKERS PANEL
One ofthe Centre s services to outside groups is the Speakers Panel, which travels to horticultural groups within a radius of 50 miles around Toronto speaking on horticultural topics and gardening matters generally. They re an enthusiastic group ofvolunteers headed up by Mr. Ernie Pope, who is also author of the popular Now is the Time column in the TRELLIS. All the fees from the panel are contributed to the Centre as donations, and form an important part of the Centre s revenue.
The panel is very popular, and any horticultural groups wishing to book their services can make arrangements through the Centre office.
HOWARD DUNINGTON GRUBB MEMORIAL LECTURE
The Dunington Grubb Foundation announces that Mr. John Clayton of the Royal Horticultural Society will speak on English Gardens 1:30 p.m. November 29 Admission Free Cookies & Tea will be served.
NOW IS THE TIME PETER PAN GOLD
continued from page 11 ZINNIA second year, usually with smaller bloom:s.
If you feel that this is too much
All-America
Selections
Bronze Medal 1979 trouble it is best to discard the bulb after the first season and start with a new one the following year.
DECEMBER INDOOR SEEDING
While the majority of summer blooming plants grown from seed are planted in February and March, afew must be started in December if they are to bloom during the subsequent outdoor season. These include Tuberous begonias, geraniums, pansies and violas. >
Ernie Pope is a member of the Civic Garden Centre s Advisory Committee and a member ofNorth Toronto Horticultural Society. He is a regular contributor to the TRELLIS.
PECANS which grow in the north
by Douglas Campbell andJohn Gordon, Jr.
An ancientNorthern Pecan, one of the last of a vanishing breed, stands stalwart and straight on a rich delta area not far from the Mississippi River. A wind-felled companion tree is a reminder that unless these trees are regenerated via seedlings this hardy strain of pecan may perish.
There is one nut tree which is so widely appreciated that merely the mention of its name brings forth instant recognition and enthusiasm. That noteworthy nut producer is the PECAN. Countless millions of consumers have been delighted with such delicacies as pecan pie, pecan pralines, pecan log rolls and the occasional pecan intermingled in mixed nuts.
Many people picture the pecan as a majestic, southern tree which prospers in the rich bottom lands adjacent to quietly flowing rivers. The states of Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana boast some marvellous old specimens of pecan
ranging in age up to 500 years. Older trees may be up to 180 feet in height with trunks 6 feet in diameter! The impressive stature, strength of wood, long life expectancy and the prolific production of delicious kernels ofthe pecan justify its reputation as . . . the noblest nut tree ofthem all.
Although many people recognize the pecan as a tree of the South, relatively few are aware that it is also a tree of the North. Today an interested explorer can find native stands of pecan along the Missouri River in north-central Missouri and along the Mississippi River near Dubuque, lowa. The early settlers
reported finding pecans along the Ohio River as far north as Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Many of these trees have fallen to the lumberman s axe. However there are still a few, scattered trees of native pecan as far north as southern Wisconsin!
The way in which the pecan species became distributed throughout the North American continent is one of the most fascinating studies of natural history. Examination of fossil remains in the southern States indicates that the pecan probably originated in areas of northern Texas and southern Oklahoma. Prior to the 18th century the American Indians were primarily responsible for the substantial increase in the growing range of the pecan. In the south-central areas of the U.S.A. the pecan was a staple component of the Indian diet. The nuts were easy to collect, highly nutritious and could be kept for extended periods of time . . . an important consideration in the prerefrigerator era. An ample store of
The occurence of a group of three pecan trees now is an unusual sight in the north west corner of lllinois whereas in previous times there were many pecans along the Mississippi River right up into southern Wisconsin. Lumbering operations and the clearing of the rich bottom lands for corn growing have almost eliminated the stands of Northern Pecan. pecans was good insurance against hard times during the months of the year when other sources of food were scarce. Moreover the Indians of the South traded the pecans with the Northern Indians for other goods such as furs, flint, tobacco or even a good pipe! It is believed that when the Indians were travelling, they planted pecan nuts in the vicinity of their campsites to provide grubstakes for their future descendants. Since the Mississippi and its dozens of tributaries were the canoe-highways of the Indians, the Mighty River also provided the inroads for the spread of pecan growing over hundreds, possibly thousands of miles of waterway country. Paint yourself a picture of occasional fleets of dugout canoes, of hastily constructed campsites along the banks of the Mighty River, of chatting tribesmen gathered around the dancing flames of campfires and in that picture you have an instant history ofthe early travels of the pecan.
When the Indians planted nuts in
the vicinity of their campsites, they preferred to plant the biggest and the thinnest-shelled selections because in those days of rudimentary cracking tools, a large, thin-shelled nut was a considerable attraction. Thus the Indian tribes not only greatly increased the growing range of the pecan but also through their haphazard selection and planting activities, greatly improved the general quality of their favorite nut. It is interesting to note that the word pecan comes from an approximate rendition of the Indian word paccan ... food which has to be cracked out ofa hard shell.
It is fascinating to observe that the Indians must have had some favored stopover points in which they reestablished campsites many times and consequently had more thanjust a few nut planting ceremonies. Pecan nuts which were planted in the rich shorelands of the Mississippi system prospered magnificently and grew into astonishingly huge trees. . . even in the more northern areas. Several of these extensive nut groves still exist in all their primitive glory for the observation and inspiration of modern day nut growers.
Since the pecan has acclimatized to so many localities beyond the confines of its original birth place, the question begs to be answered . . . can the pecan adapt to the many northern States and even southern parts of Canada? Although the pecan has a reputation as a bit of a traveller to many different latitudes, the species does tend to have a few hesitations about discarding all ofits
PRUNING SPECIALIST
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southern traditions. Some of the general characteristics of the pecan which confirm its southern origin are:
(a) Relative slowness to leaf out in the spring.
(b) Growth processes requiring a warmer temperature than many plants of the north temperate zone.
(c) A relatively long growing season is required to mature well filled nuts and also to mature the wood of the tree for proper winter hardiness.
If the pecan is to adapt to the latitudes of the true north, it is clear that careful selection of seed sources and nursery stock must be made. Furthermore, Nature has provided an ideal mechanism for the remodelling of any botanical species. . . regeneration of the species via seedling reproduction. Therein lies infinite potential for redistribution of genetic combinations in order to
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allow adaptation of the species to the ever changing climates, habitats and other growing conditions. It is a most useful object lesson that the early settlers of southern Indiana and Illinois were able to select some of the better, earlier ripening types of native pecan growing on the adjacent shoreland of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. These selections produce good nuts nearly comparable in size to the southern sorts forthe residents of southern Indiana and Illinois. In addition some ofthe earliest ripening selections from this group will produce well filled pecans in a majority of seasons in the extreme north-west corner of Ohio as demonstrated by Art Weaver, a member of the Northern Nut Growers Association.
But the true gems of the pecan species for northern climates reside in the native stands hidden away in the rugged forests of southern Wisconsin and the most northern parts oflowa and lllinois. These native pecans occur up to 300 miles north ofthe points of origin of the currently available and commercially distributed northern pecans . These recent discoveries offer the promise of adapting the pecan to much more northern climates than ever was realized previously. Already several members of the Northern Nut Growers Association (NNGA) . .. a non-profit group dedicated to the promotion of nut growing in the North . . . have initiated exploratory expeditions into this extreme. northern range of the pecan. The authors of this article in the company of Gary Fernald, Ken Fritz andBill Totten oflllinois, George James of Missouri, Jon Jacobson of lowa, have made discoveries which are both interesting and exciting. Substantial stands of productive and early ripening pecans have been found. Although the nuts are somewhat
smaller than the papershell pecans of their southern cousins, there is a major compensation . . . the tasty kernels are some of the sweetest known to exist anywhere!
The NNGA members who have been carrying out the exploratory work, have been searching for the following characteristics which will make the pecan adaptable to the more northern locations:
(a) Extreme earliness in ripening.
(b) Complete winter hardiness and excellent tree characteristics.
(c) Good size, crackability and quality of nuts.
(d) Good productivity ofnuts.
The success of these exploratory expeditions has evolved into aSeed Distribution Program of Northern Pecans to be undertaken for the benefit of current NNGA members and the general public. This program is sponsored by the NNGA as a public service venture for the operatingyear 1978-79. The conditions of this unique offer are summarized as follows:
(a)
MEMBERS OFTHE NORTHERNNUTGROWERS ASSOCIATION
Members ofthe NNGA may obtaina packet of8Northern Pecan seedsfor a cost of$2.00 postpaid.
(b) NONMEMBERS
Interested persons who are not NNGA members may obtain a packet of 8 seeds for $3.00 postpaid.
Address enquiries to:
The Northern Nut Growers Association Inc., Attn: Mr. R. D. Campbell, R.R. No. 1, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada L0S 1J0
It should be remembered when trees are grown from seed, that there will be a wide range of characteristics in the resulting seedling. There will be noticeable differences in growth rates, ripening season ofthe nuts, tree form etc. Many of the parent
trees which produced the nut seed for this offer, have experienced and survived winter temperatures as low as -350F and also have ripened well filled nuts in seasons as short as 130 frost-free days.
The few remaining pecans in the most northern parts of the native range (lowa, lllinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin) are found in the bottom land areas immediately adjacent to rivers. These areas are also rich prospects for corn lands and the pressure to eliminate the majestic old pecan trees is great. This seed offer may be the last opportunity to save and regenerate this hardiest source of the Northern Pecan.
The pecan is a uniquely North American tree. Nothing else quite like it has been discovered anywhere else in the world. The pecan is one of the very few North American species - which has been recognized as having major agricultural significance for feeding the hungry populations ofthe world. Horticulturists of many nations have viewed the pecan with covetous intentions and this has caused the species to be introduced on an experimental basis into most of the temperate zone countries around the globe. Would you like to share in the adventure of adapting the noblest of all the nut trees to the latitudes of the True North?
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS.
..
Douglas Campbell is Presidentof the Northern Nut Growers Association and resides in Niagaraon-the-Lake, Ontario. John Gordon Jr. is the Program Chairman of the Northern Nut Growers Association and resides in North Tonawanda, New York. Both men have extensive experimentalplantings ofa number of species ofnorthern nut trees includingseveral thousand specimens ofpecan. They have travelled extensively in the last severalyears on expeditionary searches to identify superior types of nut treesforproduction ofnuts in the more northern climates.
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There are many ways to develop a garden, and the unorthodox way can be fun. . .
The following method trial and error works well for many common shrubs.
The ground is prepared by digging in chopped leaves, peat, granite sand, or whatever humus and natural minerals you have at hand. A slower method is to build a deep leaf mulch and wait for it to disintegrate in a year or two. The collection of baskets of fresh seed from your favorite rambles or from a friendly gardener is then distributed on the surface (or buried, if you have too much competition from squirrels and birds). Three times the depth of the seed is a reasonable rule of thumb, but surface planting works well.
Water well if the season is dry.
Then watch for seedlings, reducing the competition by thinning and/or weeding as required to give your pet preferential growing conditions. Be sure to keep that cultivator put away!
After two or three years, weed out any extra volunteers, and allow the healthiest ones to have all the space. And, presto, you have a garden.
These shrubs can, of course, be transplanted, but [ am assuming you threw the seed where you wanted it to grow.
The scheduling of a garden of this sort depends on the availability of fresh seed, and that depends on the weather. Some years are good seed years, so be sure to take advantage of them when they come.
A shrub NOT recommended for this method is mock orange, which tends to have no fragrance when
grown as a seedling. Pull out all seedlings early, as they get tenacious roots in a few years.
Shrubs recommended:
For sun or shade: jetbead, yew, highbush cranberry, maples, serviceberry, honeysuckles (not named varieties).
For sun only: common juniper, oaks, Daphne mezereum, Cotoneaster' multiflora, beauty bush, hawthorns, sumac.
For shade only: beech, bluebeech, ironwood, common witchhazel.
One of the advantages of this method is that you soon learn to recognize seedlings, so that if by good fortune an outstanding seedling appears in your garden, you are in a position to recognize its worth.
Another advantage is that these species need not be bought, so your money can be spent on the kinds that require more horticultural expertise for propagation.
Mary Smith is a Toronto Landscape Architect with a particular interest in natural gardens. She serves on both the Civic Garden Centre Board and Publications Committee.
Summer Holdovers
As frost approaches, many gardeners pot up small plants or volunteer seedlings of annuals to provide color indoors. Wax begonias, impatiens, petunias, coleus, lantana, alternanthera, geraniums, vinca, lobelia, ageratum, dwarf marigolds and many others will give weeks to months of bloom or foliage beauty.
As a general rule, the younger and/or more compact the specimens that are taken from the garden, the more successful they will be as house plants. Maximum sun or artificial light is necessary. If the plants are mature, they will usually benefit from being cut back, especially if muchofthe root system is lost in digging them up. In herbs, parsley, chives, sage, rosemary, oregano and thyme all take well to being potted and moved indoors to bright windows or the light garden.
For later winter bloom or to have plants for the garden in early spring, 3 to5 stem cuttings taken from new shoots at the base of mature plants root easily in sand, perlite, peat or vermiculite. Cut offthe lower leaves, dip the base in a rooting hormone and gently insert the cutting at least two nodes deep into a hole in the medium. A plastic bag over the container is the best way to keep the cuttings moist. It s fun to experiment with just
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about any not-too-large annual from the garden. A suburban gardener we know pots up petunias in 3 pots, puts them in an east window and has a wealth of bloom all winter. Another has spectacular gazanias flowering through winter in a big, cool south window.
from The Avant Gardener
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Stressing Growth
To keep indoor plants from growingout-of-bounds, give them a good shaking or massage them daily. Do the same if you want to dwarf a tomato, marigold or chrysanthemum or a tree or shrub. Conversely, ifyou want a plant to grow rapidly, don t touch it, and keep it protected from natural shaking forces such as wind.
Research at many institutions is showing that applying or preventing mechanical stress can tailor plant growth as effectively as many of the growth-regulating chemicals now in use. Such stress appears to affect the production and movement of growth hormones, and perhaps also the translocation of sugars produced in photosynthesis. The shoot tips and new leaves are the most affected. Shaking a tomato plant twice daily for 30 seconds reduces its height by more than 50% in 4 weeks, while just rubbing the growing tip of one branch will reduce growth ofthat branch without retarding the others.
Thus stroking growing tips of plants in a terrarium, light garden or window can shape them to fit their location. Shaking is a more efficient way to reduce their overall size. Daily shaking of flats of vegetable and flower seedlings will keep them from getting leggy. Once they are transplanted into the garden, rapid growth will be aided by a windbreak in windy areas. Virtually all plants, it seems, are sensitive to mechanical stress.
X from TheAvant Gardener
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One of the pecan hunters pauses to admire a mammoth Northern Pecan tree which is located several miles north of New Boston, lllinois.
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Plants for an Eastern Exposure, which receive direct morning sun from sunrise to near midday, upper left: a. Dizygotheca elegantissima (False Aralia); b. Nephrolepis exaltata bosteniensis (Boston Fern); c. Ficus benjamina (Weeping Fig); d. Dracaena reflexa; e. Begonia rex cultivar (Rex Begonia); f. Dryopteris (Fern); g. Cordyline terminalis (Hawaiian Ti); h. Tolmeia menziesii (Piggyback); i. Saintpaulia lonantha (African Violet); j. Polyscias (Ming Aralia); k. Aeschynanthus radicans (Lipstick Vine); I. Sinningia speciosa (Gloxinia); and m. Tradescantia (Wandering Jew).
Plants for a Northern Exposure, which receive the least light, top left: a. Spathiphyllum Clevelandii (Spathe Flower); b. Cissus rhombifolia (Grape lvy); c. Adiantum (Maidenhair Fern); d. Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen); e. Philodendron panduiforme (Fiddle-leaf Philodendron); f. Dracaena massangeana (Corn Plant); g. Chamaedorea elegans (Dwarf Parlor Palm); h. Scindapsus aureus (Pothos); i. Dieffenbachia amoena (Dumb Cane); and j. Ficus pumila (Creeping Fig).
Pictures courtesy of Chevron Chemical (Canada) Ltd.
