Busting Gardening Myths: Let's Set the Record Straight
Hello, fellow garden enthusiasts and myth-busting aficionados! Today, we're diving into the murky waters of gardening myths—those pesky little tidbits of "wisdom" that have been passed down through the generations like a bad genetic trait. Strap on your gardening gloves and prepare for a healthy dose of reality.
Peonies and Ants: The Best Frenemies
Myth: Peonies need ants to bloom.
Reality: Peonies need ants like you need a raccoon rummaging through your trash. Sure, ants like peonies, but they're just there for the sugary nectar. Your peonies will bloom beautifully without these tiny trespassers.
Bees and Dandelions: A Misunderstood Romance
Myth: Bees love dandelions and they’re essential for early spring nectar.
Reality: Dandelions are like the fast food of the bee world – they'll eat it if there's nothing else around. Bees actually prefer a balanced diet of diverse flowers. So, feel free to wage war on dandelions without guilt.
No-Mow May is a Good Idea
Myth: No-Mow May is eco-friendly and benefits pollinators.
Reality: No-Mow May might sound eco-friendly, but leaving your lawn to grow unchecked can lead to more problems: weeds choke out the grass, residential grass is not the type of grass to grow longer than 3", it's not alfalfa; long grass attracts bad bugs and rodents, think ticks and mice. Instead, try a balanced approach: mow less often, keep your mower blades high (2.5" - 3"), or plant some pollinator friendly flowers in pots or in your garden instead.
Drought-Tolerant Plants: The Superheroes of Your Garden
Myth: Drought-tolerant plants never need water.
Reality: Even superheroes need a break. Drought-tolerant plants can survive dry spells, but if you want them to thrive and look their best, an occasional drink won’t hurt, especially when they're getting established.
Tar on Tree Wounds: The Sticky Situation
Myth: Cover tree wounds with tar to help them heal.
Reality: Smearing tar on tree wounds is like putting a Band-Aid on a bullet hole. Trees have their own healing mechanisms, and sealing the wound can actually trap moisture and cause more harm.
Cedars and Mosquitoes: The Unlikely Alliance
Myth: Cedars attract mosquitoes.
Reality: Blaming cedars for mosquitoes is like blaming your fridge for expired milk. Mosquitoes are everywhere it is cool, shady and moist, and they’re not setting up summer homes in your cedars.
Watering Plants in the Day: The Sunburn Scare
Myth: Watering plants during the day will burn their leaves.
Reality: Unless you’re gardening on the surface of the sun, this is highly unlikely. Water droplets don't act like tiny magnifying glasses. Just water your plants when they need it, morning or evening.
Adding Sand to Clay: The Concrete Mix-Up
Myth: Adding sand to clay soil improves drainage.
Reality: Mixing sand with clay is like adding sand to wet cement – you’re just making bricks. Instead, add organic matter like compost to improve your soil structure and drainage.
Sugar in the Soil: Sweet Tomatoes?
Myth: Adding sugar to soil will make your tomatoes sweeter.
Reality: Your tomatoes aren't on a sugar diet. Their sweetness comes from proper care, sunlight, and the right variety. Save the sugar for your coffee.
Gravel and Clay Shards: The Drainage Debacle
Myth: Put gravel or clay shards at the bottom of plant pots for drainage.
Reality: This actually creates a perched water table, leading to soggy roots. Use a well-draining potting mix and ensure your pots have drainage holes.
Compost Piles: The Stinky Myth
Myth: Compost piles smell bad.
Reality: A well-maintained compost pile smells like earthy goodness. If yours smells like a skunk’s bad day, you’ve got the mix wrong – too much green material and not enough brown. Turn it and balance it.
Black Walnut Trees: The Garden of Doom?
Myth: Nothing grows under a black walnut tree.
Reality: Black walnut trees do release juglone, which can be toxic to some plants, but many plants can coexist happily. Research and choose juglone-tolerant varieties to keep your garden lush.
Bust these myths, garden smart, and don’t let (wrong) old wives’ tales fool you into questionable gardening practices.
Happy gardening!
Shannon, the Garden Girl
Shannon, the Garden Girl, joins Kathy Bruce, host of Georgina Blooms (by Rogers TV Georgina) to debunk some common garden myths.