An Invasive To Worry About

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, so in our last episode we talked about Bradford Pears (Pyrus calleryana) which are a bafflingly bad choice for a tree in the landscape. Well in conjunction with a LITFM Fieldtrips episode today in detail I will be covering the topic of an invasive deciduous tree called the Tree of Heaven. 

Image courtesy of Oregon State University, this image shows the form of a moderately sized tree.

The Tree of Heaven’s scientific name is Ailanthus altissima, and as I said before it is deciduous and is considered an invasive tree. This tree can rapidly grow to a height of 60-75 feet with a canopy of 35-50 feet; it is not uncommon for specimens of this tree to grow up to six feet per year. It’s leaves are borne alternately but the leaves themselves are evenly pinnate. Ailanthus is found in USDA zones 5a through 8. It is not soil sensitive and will grow almost anywhere even in extremely acidic soils; the most acidic it has been recorded to have grown in is 4.1 pH.  This adaptability and its ability to survive drought, herbicide and fires have made it hard to eradicate. 

This is a example of a young Ailanthus, now how it's been cut down once and is vigorously regrowing.

Additionally the roots of this particular tree will form offsets which are genetically identical to the parent and will also have the same gender as the parent. Normally this is where I would say it’s a limiting factor that Ailanthus are either male or female trees, however upon further research it seems a portion of their population is both, which may or may not include flowers that are bisexual. This means that it is possible that singular group of Ailanthus trees might suddenly be able to reproduce and you might have a greater threat on your hands after years of it only being able to ‘clone’ itself from root offshoots. Given that the seeds of Ailanthus have a 90% germination rate this plant would otherwise have no problem reproducing by way of its winged seeds which can drift on the wind a fair distance.

This is a typical example of a seed cluster on a Tree of Heaven, a healthy tree can produce several hundred seeds per cluster and the recorded record for a singular tree is between 470,000 and 440,000 seeds. In short these things are determined to multiply.

What makes this tree undesirable is its aggressive means of reproduction but also the fact that its fast growth comes at the cost of the tree having soft wood. Ailanthus’s bark is thin and easily damaged from mechanical impacts and it is susceptible to branch breakage at the crotch because of weak branch collar formation and the fact that the wood is very soft. All parts of the tree emit a odor when handled that roughly resembles peanut butter that has gone bad, though some liken it to rotting cashews or garbage. This makes the plant undesirable for gardens where it might be handled and unpleasant to work with in a woodworking sense. Ailanthus’s roots are also known to heave sidewalks and roads making it a troublesome tree for long-term urban planting. In the fall this tree’s foliage color is give-or-take yellow, but the display is so short lived and this tree tends to drop leaves early making it not even useful for fall color. All parts of the Ailanthus plant produce a specific inhibitor compound called Ailanthone which inhibits the growth of most other plants, especially those that have not been exposed to it in prior generations. This natural herbicide of sorts is not unique to the Ailanthus as the Eastern Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) produces a compound called Hydrojuglone which essentially has the same effect. Ailanthus is known by several common names including Stink Tree, Garbage Tree, Varnish Tree, Tree of Hell, and its Chinese name Chouchun. As last bit of information on this miscreant of a plant, it belongs to the Simaroubaceae family of which it is the most famous member. However, it has a not-so-well-known cousin named Quassia amara which has a number of medical uses, is effective at killing hair-based parasites and can kill mosquito larva without harming fish.There is one last thing to mention, Aailanthus looks like a bunch of other non-invasive trees, and oftenthese trees are damaged or eradicated in a misguided attempt to kill Ailanthus. Similar looking trees include the Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), various Ash trees (Fraxinus sp.), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), and various Hickories (Carya sp.). Identifying these similar looking trees is fairly easy, Sumac has fuzzy reddish-brown stems and leaves and may have fuzzy fruits. Ash Trees have opposite leaves, and all four look-alikes have completely to mostly toothed leaf margins. As an additional identifier, Black walnuts may produce a dead zone nearly devoid of other plants around their roots and they have large green fruits that when crushed will dye whatever touches the juices brown. Plus, Black Walnut fruits have an aroma you can't mistake for anything else. If you don't know for sure, hold off on the herbicide and check with an expert, that tree that looks like an Ailanthus might turn out to be a Pecan Tree (Pecans are a type of Hickory). But anyway enough of the gloomy world of a terrible invasive and on to this weeks garden photographs.

 

My Pomegranates are heavily in bloom for the first time since they were planted, I suspect this has more to do with me not pruning them this year than anything else.

It was surprisingly difficult to get a photograph of this but, two years later finally my Walking Iris (Neomarica northiana) are in bloom. the Flowers literally last less than one day. The plants are called walking iris because they produce plantlets on flexible stems that allow them to spread. Walking Iris are hardy in USDA zones 10 and 11.

These are the specimen plants of Wonderberry (Solanum retroflexum) in the Test Gardens.

Well now it's officially summer, the Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) is now in bloom.

Here we have the first nearly ripe tomato of 2021, It's a Sungold Cherry Tomato of course!

The raised garden bed, which currently has a Zanzibar Castor bean (bottom), Two Alabama Blue Collard Plants (middle)  and a Pineapple Sage (Top).

Here we have a Domesticated Cat (Felis catus), This cat isn't feral, she's just taken up residence on property and recently had kittens under the Pomegranate Bush. I've started feeding her and making sure she has access to clean water and honestly she's sort of become the Test Garden's Mascot. I dont know if she's just someone's outdoor cat or an outdoor cat that's used to people but I've named her Caliente. This Spanish for for emitting heat or warmth but more commonly means spicy which she was early on. She'd hiss, then meow then growl and meow again early on and I'd ask 'why are you so spicy? So the name stuck, and she's 'cali' some times for short.

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. Also, as of the start of 2019, my booth can now process credit or debit cards thanks to the acquisition of s a Square reader so your payment options have doubled. With that said, if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic vegetables, herbs and fruiting shrubs come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

Summer Veggies & Herbs: ($3.00 each)

Sungold Cherry Tomato (Sale $2.00)

Chocolate Cherry Tomato (Sale $2.00)

Lemon Drop Tomato (Sale $2.00)

Sweet Hundreds Cherry Tomato (Sale $2.00)

San Marzano Improved Paste Tomato (Sale $2.00)

Aunt Lou’s Underground Railroad (Sale $2.00)

Paul Robeson Tomato (Sale $2.00)

Cherokee Purple Tomato (Sale $2.00)

Walla Walla Sweet Onion

 

6" pot Sungold Tomato (Sale $3.00) 

6" pot Chocolate Cherry Tomato (Sale $3.00) 

 

Pepper, Sweet Banana

Pepper, Poblano/Ancho

Pepper, Habanero

Pepper, Golden Bell

Pepper, Ghost ($4.00)

 

Wonderberry (Limited Quantity)

Ground Cherry (Limited Quantity)

Cotton, Erlene's Green (Limited Quantity)

 

 

Basil, Emerald Tower

Basil, Dolche Fresca

Basil, Rutgers DMR Devotion

Cuban Oregano

Oregano

Mountain Mint

 

 

Ornamental Stuff: 

Zanzibar Castor Beans

Mexican Sunflower 'Fuego Del Sol'

Flowering Tobacco 'Saratoga Lime'

 

Coming Soon: 

Comfrey (Late summer)

 

We have a new place to share information and work on groovy sustainable stuff!  You can look for Sustainable Neighbors in our own Nextdoor.com group under the name “Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville”. You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join but it is a private group so feel free to request to join us if you are signed up on the Nextdoor.com site.

 

https://nextdoor.com/g/ybvdm226x/?is=nav_bar

 

Unfortunately, Covid-19 is still mucking up the works in terms of meeting in person. The good news is that Sustainable Neighbors does have a Discord Server. You can request access through our Meetup.com page or you can request access via our Nextdoor.com group. The meetup.com page is below for anyone looking to join us.

 

https://www.meetup.com/SustainableNeighbors/

 

Since our meetings have an open-door policy you don’t need to buy anything or maintain any sort of attendance standard, you can come on in and join the meetings. When this Covid-19 mess calms down we may be able to resume normal in-person meetings. If not, you can always send me questions through this blog or visit the farmer’s market. This brings to a close the twenty-first LITFM post of 2020; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on the 13^th of November. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.

Daylight Suffering Time is more like it!

 Welcome back to another episode of Lost In the Farmers Market, this episode was delayed due to weather and schedules. The pollen is starting up and this kills the man. Daylight savings is upon us and the clocks annoyingly are set to roll one hour forward at 2am on Sunday March the 14^th. Beyond that I had the hardest time finding a good topic for all you garden folks out there and then as with anything else Mother Nature slapped me in the face with an answer. There will be a fair number of garden photographs in this post so bear with me while we discuss the horticultural term known as Bolting.

 

Bolting is an odd term because depending on context it could mean you ran from something quickly, it could refer to bolting a door, it also is the act of driving metal pins into the rock face while rock climbing. In agriculture it has a specific meaning; Bolting is when an agricultural crop has matured and puts all of its energy into producing a flower so that it can then produce seed. In the case of non-perennial plants after flowering usually the plant loses its vigor and dies after its seed is matured. Bolting brings about some internal changes to most crops as all sugars and nutrients are diverted to flower and then seed production. In lettuce this makes the leaves bitter, and they become quite unpleasant. In cabbages it’s similar but this varies on the individual specimen and other factors. It is known that bolting is triggered by plant hormones in the Gibberellin family, but which specific one varies by the species of plant, and other triggers such as temperature changes, stress, the number photoperiods in a given day, and even if you mess with a plant too much. In short when we grow leaf crops for food we are always operating under the assumption that the stress of a sudden temperature change or a failure to maintain moisture and nutrient levels will cause a bolt and potentially ruin or reduce our crops. There is thankfully a niche market for the blooms of some crops that have attempted to go to seed, and so there is that recourse if your crop decides to call it a season.

 

The test gardens are no different than any other garden in regards to bolting my late summer crops typically attempt to bolt about now and that leaves me with several options. I typically will harvest what I can and freeze what is compatible with freezing but the rest are harvested processed and made into a late winter meal or three over the course of a week or two. This year I fully intend to make a fresh veggie heavy chicken soup and a few very fresh salads. This harvest technically isn’t the end of it, if I catch the plants attempting to bloom at the right point they might resprout and produce yet more leaves. But it is all diminishing returns because the warm season crops need to be planted in less than a month from now. How you handle this is up to you, but bolting can be used to your benefit if you time your harvests right and trick your crops into thinking they did not bolt at all.

 

 

This Mizuna Mustard has gone for it, full on flowering!



Oh no, not you Winterbor Kale!

 

 

 What's this, even my Collards have decided to call it a season!

 

 

 These are Dinosaur Kale plants that are just starting to flower.

 

 

 Here we have a bunch of radishes bolting. Honestly their flowers are kind of pretty.

 

 

With all that garden goodness covered this is the part of the blog where I have to advertise for the Fayetteville City Market. Now I know you readers probably don’t much like advertisements, but by booth at the City Market helps to cover the costs of running the test garden and literally maintains the Research & Development budget that is used to bring you the information that has made up the backbone of this blog. Also, as of the start of 2019, my booth can now process credit or debit cards thanks to the acquisition of s a Square reader so your payment options have doubled. With that said, if you want to get some GMO-free, Organic vegetables, herbs and fruiting shrubs come on down to the Fayetteville City Market on 325 Maxwell Street in downtown Fayetteville between the Hours of 9:00 am and 1:00 pm on Saturdays. Even in bad weather the market goes on though you might have to look for me under the ‘arches’ of the Transportation Museum’s front entryway.

 

This Week's Market List:

Soup Kit - Parsnip ($6.00)  

Soup Kit - Turnip ($6.00)

Just Onions ($3.00, 1lb)

Just Parsnips ($4.00 1lb) 

 

 

Spring Veggies: ($3.00 each)

Parris Island Romaine Lettuce

Cherokee Lettuce

Cimarron Lettuce

Lollo Rosso Lettuce

Black Magic Dinosaur Kale

Red Russian Kale

March House Plant Collection (ON SALE!)
Starfish Sansevieria
Aloe 'Checkerboard'
Aloe 'Walmsley's Bronze'
Gasteria fusopunctata - Ox-tongue
Haworthia tesselata
Haworthia Savannah
Haworthia 'West Jogo'
Mistletoe Cactus, 'Drunkards Dream'

 

There is no plant spotlight this week because all houseplants are on sale. I have to make room for the crops on the growing trays and prices have been cut even on the stuff that was $4.00.  So, there will be deals and steals but I will not be listing the prices online, you're going to have to come on down and get the goods.

                                          

We have a new place to share information and work on groovy sustainable stuff!  You can look for Sustainable Neighbors in our own Nextdoor.com group under the name “Sustainable Neighbors of Fayetteville”. You don’t have to live in Fayetteville to join but it is a private group so feel free to request to join us if you are signed up on the Nextdoor.com site.

 

https://nextdoor.com/g/ybvdm226x/?is=nav_bar

 

Unfortunately, Covid-19 is still mucking up the works in terms of meeting in person. The good news is that Sustainable Neighbors does have a Discord Server. You can request access through our Meetup.com page or you can request access via our Nextdoor.com group. The meetup.com page is below for anyone looking to join us.

 

https://www.meetup.com/SustainableNeighbors/

 

Since our meetings have an open-door policy you don’t need to buy anything or maintain any sort of attendance standard, you can come on in and join the meetings. When this Covid-19 mess calms down we may be able to resume normal in-person meetings. If not, you can always send me questions through this blog or visit the farmer’s market. This brings to a close the fifth LITFM post of 2021; stay tuned the next episode which should be posted on the 19^th of March. There will be more garden updates and other cool stuff.