Every now and then a garden columnist has to do it. Do what? Write a full column of "it is time to" suggestions. Why? I see people sitting idly in their yards enjoying things way too much. This is party season, too, and the yard can easily be ignored. The siren calls of fish, Flattop and other attractions beckon. Egads, how can I let this happen? It is time.Get moving
Time for what? Well, for starters it is time to deal with Linaria vulgaris, aka "butter and eggs." This pretty little weed, the one with flowers that look like tiny yellow and orange snapdragons, has the potential of overtaking the dandelion in Southcentral Alaska. Each of those flowers -- and there are a dozens on each stem -- can contain more seeds than you want to know about. These will be appearing soon, but it is always better to get the plants before they form flowers and then seeds.
So, go pull these puppies. You can use a Winged Weeder or a hoe to remove the tops or get a little deeper with a Cobra Head tool. That may be all you can expect, preventing new seeds from forming. Google for identification if you don't already know what they look like. And don't be a sucker for this plant's sweet little flower. It is an evil invasive weed and will take over along fences, alongside buildings and in your perennial beds.
Next, it is time to check out your compost pile. Active or static, poke around and see what is going on. Do you have usable compost? It should smell like sweet soil and you shouldn't be able to identify what went into it. What are you waiting for? Use it. Apply half an inch to an inch to the surface around your plants. It is the best stuff possible for providing what your plants need.
Or is it time to turn your pile? If it has stopped heating up, then it is. And if that doesn't work, it may be time to add more green material (grass clippings, alfalfa meal, strand hay) to heat it up. We have plenty of time left to produce decent compost before the pile goes winter cold.
Don't have a compost pile? It's time to start one. And now it's easier than ever to figure out what to use to start a pile. Visit here: Bingo!
Next, it is definitely time to get out a notebook and wander around taking a few notes, perhaps with a few sketches or references to cellphone pictures. In fact, you may just want to wander with your phone and dictate some notes. What flowers do you want to repeat next year or avoid altogether? Where are the gaps in the landscape that allow the neighbor to see your barbecue area and would do well with a new tree?
Do you have dead trees or limbs of trees that have to be removed? Are there trees or bushes that are growing in the wrong place, say, too close to the house or an outbuilding? What are you waiting for? Take note, make a list and start working on it.
How about that new garden you want or the new landscape bed? It is time to start work. Don't wait until next spring when you have a zillion other things to do. This fall is really too late as well. The soil in new garden areas needs to be tested and amended now so that it will be ready next year. And the soil food web needs to start working, building structure and depositing nutrients now so things are ready when you actually do plant.
It is time to harvest from your gardens. On the vegetable and herb side, lettuces, mint, radish and early-planted kohlrabi are ready for harvest. The mints will be in flower and these are invasive like crazy. Pick off the flowers before they seed (and make sure the roots are contained, not running free). It is time to replant lettuces and radishes. Potato plants need hilling so that only the top couple of inches of each plant are exposed. And now is the time to set up beer or yeast traps (5 to 10 feet outside the garden).
On the flower side, enjoy homegrown bouquets. Cut flowers from the garden are every bit as good as fresh vegetables. Bring a bucket of cold water out to your gardens and immediately drop cut stems into it. White flowers, in particular, will be covered with thrips. Shake, rattle and spray with cold water before bringing them into the house.
What about those last mock orange flowers? What a fragrance. Don't have any? Time to plant your first ones. This means it is time to visit your local nurseries. It's also peony season (probably past time to stake yours up, if you didn't heed my advice weeks ago). Enjoy yours. Delphiniums are up next.
And finally, it is time to pay some attention to your hanging baskets. Pull out the chickweed (how did that get in there?). Deadhead spent flowers (this is particularly important if they are already developing seeds) and otherwise neaten up. Be careful with pruning, though: It takes six weeks, for example, for a new flower bud to form on a fuchsia branch once it has been pruned. Best to wait until the end of the season if you can.
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. It is time to relax a bit in the yard and to enjoy the other benefits of Alaska. But it is always time to do certain chores in the yard. It is never time to let up completely.
Jeffs Alaska Garden Calendar
Anchorage Cooperative Weed Management Area 2015 Weed Smackdown: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 18. Family fun targeting European bird cherry. Meet at the Russian Jack Springs Park Chalet. Tools provided. Preregistration required.
Dandelions: We are in between flushes of flowers. Let the grass grow a bit longer between mowings and try to out-compete some of the new seedlings.
More on spittlebugs: Yes, there are a lot of them. However, they don't cause any harm to your plants.
Anchorage Garden Club annual City Garden Tour: Noon-5 p.m. July 26. Find more information at alaskagardenclubs.org.
Anchorage Garden Club 72nd annual flower show at the Northway Mall: Aug. 1-2. More information, including rules and categories, at alaskagardenclubs.org.