Anchorage Daily News

Here is a new Web site you all should bookmark: www.weedwar.org. It is maintained by Citizens Against Noxious Weeds Invading the North (CANWIN). I bet you didn't even know this was Alaska Invasive Weeds Awareness Week. This site will not only tell you all about that, Gov. Palin's proclamation and all, but has pictures and descriptions of the invasive weeds each and every one of us needs to be aware of. Hats off to Troy and Lori Zaumseil who started the 501(c)(3) non-profit group.

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Gardening calendar (6/25/09)

STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES: Take some time out from all your garden chores to enjoy your labors.

TOMATO FLOWERS: Pollinate those indoors using a small paint brush or cotton swab.

EDGING: Consider edging the lawn where it hits the driveway to prevent it from growing over the blacktop.

LAWNS: Llet the grass grow to three inches and then cut back one inch.

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In addition, the www.weedwar.org site lists all of the dates and locations for volunteer "weed pulls" organized by the Muni Parks Department, Citizen Weed Warriors and the U.S. Forest Service.

The site makes it very easy for any of us to participate in this extremely important activity. (If only CANWIN had been around when those first dandelions came to the state!) There are also links to weed programs run by the Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management in Alaska (CNIPM), The Citizen Weeds Warriors and UAA's Alaska Natural Heritage Program.

If you have a yard in Alaska, you owe it to yourself to at least familiarize yourself with the noxious weeds we want to keep from establishing any more of a foothold in the state than they already have. These are "bad" plants in the ilk of Kudzu and dandelions. Once established, they are a big, big nuisance. Really, it is your civic duty to be at least aware of the noxious weeds threatening the peace and tranquility of our habitat. Check out the site.

STAKE 'EM

Next, it is time to stake up those plants in need. Delphiniums, lilies and other tall plants break in the wind and under the weight of rainwater. Peonies, dahlias and oriental poppies are also very susceptible to breaking after a hard rain. The weight of tomatoes on the vine can snap a plant. The solution is staking.

Staking is not difficult but there are a few things to remember.

First, make sure you judiciously place the stake into the soil so that you don't damage the roots or tubers involved. Figure out where you want to put the stake, set it and leave it alone. Don't go poking around after that. In addition, make sure you use the right material to tie your plants to the stakes. Lots of folks like to use "twisties" (wire coated with paper). Those are fine for some plants, but will slice through a hollow delphinium stem. Use yarn when you are dealing with really tender stems and stalks.

Always think about what your stakes will look like when "planted." Some folks put the stakes for peonies "inside" the bush so that they are not visible. This makes sense. On the other hand, lots of people use big, visible stakes when doing dahlias using the stakes as a visual accent in their gardens.

Similarly, lots of things we grow up here need something on which to cling as they grow. Cucumbers, sweet peas, beans and clematis come to mind. Here again, you have the option of creating a garden accent by using a bold wire frame, for example, or one made of bamboo poles, instead of near invisible mesh netting sold for this purpose.

DEAD-HEAD

Next, it is time to think about "dead-heading" your annuals and some of the flowers in your hanging baskets and containers. This is nothing more than pulling off the old blossoms before they begin to set seed.

If they do set seed, these plants slow down and stop flowering. Fuchsia, begonias and petunias are three of the plants that will continue to bloom all season long if you remove spent flowers. Most modern petunias will "self-deadhead" but you will need to watch your plants to make sure they are not setting seed.

In addition, there are some plants which need to be dead-headed so they won't toss seed all over your gardens and spread to the point of becoming a weed (which is defined as any plant growing in an area where you don't want it). Oriental poppies, in bloom this week, are spectacular, but if you let them go to seed, you will be digging many of the new plants up next spring.

Shasta daisies, pansies, mustard are three seed spreaders that come immediately to mind, but I am sure you can look at your own yard and identify those plants which became weeds in ensuing years. Take action now and prevent problems from spreading.

Finally, there are some plants that need to be contained so they don't spread into areas of the garden where it becomes hard to control them. Mint and horse radish are at the top of this list. They are great to grow, but do make sure you have them in pots buried in the ground or surrounded by some form of root barrier.

Jeff Lowenfels is a member of the Garden Writers Hall of Fame. You can reach him at teamingwithmicrobes.com or by calling 274-5297 during "The Garden Party" radio show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KBYR AM-700.

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