SEMSGARDEN

SEMSGARDEN

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  • Tree fern (Dicksonia antartica)

    Tree fern (Dicksonia antartica)

    An ancestral plant in the garden.

    Culture sheet: when and how to plant a tree fern?

    Family: Dicksoniaceae.
    Dimensions : in nature, the plant can reach 15 m in height. In our climates, it will reach 5 to 8 m, after many years.
    Distance and depth of planting: in the ground, the plants must be separated by about 3 to 4 m so that the fronds spread out well without being hampered. Plant the fern in the spring when the earth has started to warm up. Planting is possible in the fall in mild climates.
    Growth: it is very slow, the trunk, called the stipe, growing every year by only 3 to 5 cm.
    Appearance: this fern is a sight on its own. Its massive and upright trunk is formed by the successive layering of the fronds (leaves of the ferns). Its root system is aerial, surrounding the trunk with a brown felting. It is he who captures the humidity and mineral salts necessary for the growth of the plant. In May-June, the fronds appear at the top of the trunk. Rolled up in butts inside, they unfold in erect fronds which then take on a spreading habit, then falling. They are a beautiful shiny green and their petioles bear red hairs. At the end of summer, they reach a length of 1.50 to 2 m.
    Soil : The quality of the soil is of little importance because the tree fern has few underground roots.
    Exposure: a semi-shaded situation will be perfect. Choose a place protected from the winds by walls or hedges because the very long fronds break easily.
    Climate : placed outdoors, the tree fern supports colds of around – 15 ° C provided it is well protected.

    Origin: where does the fern come from?

    The genus Dicksonia comprises about thirty species distributed in the mountains of Malaysia, Australia, New Caledonia, New Zealand. D. antartica appeared on Earth about 350 million years ago, as can be seen from fossils dating from the Carboniferous period. The genus is dedicated to James Dickson (1738-1822), an English botanist, author of several works including one on ferns .

    What are the different species and varieties of fern?

    Only D. antartica can be grown in open ground in some areas. There are superb specimens on the west coast of Scotland and in English Cornwall, humid areas protected from the cold by the Gulf Stream. Other tree ferns, smaller, adapt to container culture, which allows them to be sheltered in winter. This is the case of D. fibrosa and D. squarrosa which reach about 6 m in nature, but hardly exceed 1.50 to 2 m in our climates.

    How to use and associate ferns in the garden?

    In the ground, a single copy of tree fern is enough to give an exotic atmosphere to the garden. accompany it with plants with remarkable foliage such as hostas, astilboides tabularis, ornamental rhubarb, chestnut leaf rodgersia.

    Culture: where to plant a tree fern?

    In the ground or in a pot, it is very simple. You have to push the base of the stipe more or less deeply (it depends on the size of the plant) so that it is quite stable. The earth serves only as an anchor point .

    How to maintain a tree fern?

    The element that the tree fern needs the most is humidity in the air , which must be very important. On the coasts of the Breton or Atlantic coast, in Normandy, she is at her ease.

    How to water the fern?

    Elsewhere, it should be regularly given water by sprinkling it in the heart of the fronds and by wetting the fibers of the trunk well. As winter approaches, it will be necessary to protect it if it stays outside.

    How to prune a tree fern?

    Start by cutting the fronds, then surround the trunk with a coarse mesh netting, all the way up to the stem. Close this “tube” with strong ties, then slide handfuls of dead leaves between the trunk and the wire frame. Firm enough to obtain good insulation. Finish by attaching a piece of transparent plastic to the head of the plant with a string. Remove this protection in April.

    How to multiply a fern?

    It is possible by sowing, but this technique is reserved for very patient gardeners! Like all ferns, D. antartica produces seeds (spores) which develop under the fronds. When they’re brown, it’s time to seed them. To do this, spread a piece of frond on the surface of a box containing potting soil. Hold the slingshot with the help of small jumpers. Place everything in a warm and especially humid greenhouse.

  • Plant bamboo in a large handmade container

    Plant bamboo in a large handmade container

    How to plant bamboo in a custom-made container on your patio.

    Material needed for the construction of the tank

    Bamboos need a lot of soil. To make a custom-made container you will need:

    • 3 joists 18 cm wide for the length of the boxes.
    • 2 identical joists to form the width. They will be cut to divide the tank in its length.
    1. Drill holes at the base to drain the water.
    2. Lay a geotextile canvas at the bottom and on the walls.
    3. Place clay balls at the bottom of the tank.
    4. Mix universal potting soil and loam and incorporate compost into it . Bamboos are greedy plants. Also combine a special grass fertilizer.
    5. An anti-rhizome barrier will be necessary to prevent the rhizomes, most of them creeping, from passing under the tubs and spinning elsewhere.

    Planting bamboo in tubs

    Then move on to setting up the bamboos. They will appreciate exposure to the sun or partial shade:

    • Plant the phyllostachys nigra  (black bamboo) after having soaked them well. The clods can be difficult to remove. In this case use a saw.
    • Place the clods on the bed of earth.
    • Fill the container with soil up to the stubble.
    • It is then possible to add a mulch with pine bark to decorate the tank and maintain the humidity on the surface.
    • Water copiously. Bamboos are greedy in water and if their needs are met their growth is rapid. 

    10 varieties of bamboo to choose from, from large to small

    • Phyllostachys aurea: pale green culms turning yellow

    Height: 6 to 9 m

    • Phyllostachys nigra: green culms when young and turning black with time and sunny exposure.

    Height: 6 to 8 m

    • Semiarundinaria fastuosa: dark green culms tinting red in autumn for older plants.

    Height: 5 to 9 m

    • Hibanobambusa tranquillans: bamboo with broad foliage.

    Height: 3 to 5 m

    • Semiarundinaria yashadake ‘Kimmei’: elegant yellow culms streaked with green. The color turns purple in the fall.

    Height: 3 to 4 m

    • Fargesia jiuzhaigou: bamboo with a drooping port. The culms are yellow on older plants and turn red in the sun. 

    Height: 2 to 4 m

    • Fargesia rufa: bushy and drooping habit. The young culms are slightly pink. 

    Height: 1.50 to 3 m

    • Hibanobambousa tranquillans ‘Shiroshima’: beautiful foliage with large variegated leaves of cream bench. 

    Height 2 to 3 m

    • Pleioblastus pumilus: a compact habit from top to bottom with very dense dark green leaves. 

    Height: 0.30 to 0.80 m

    • Pleioblastus viridistriatu ‘Auricoma’: a ray of sunshine with its bright yellow variegated foliage. It loses its foliage in winter. 

    Height: 0.30 to 1.50 m

  • Cultivate biodiversity, forget the lawn

    Cultivate biodiversity, forget the lawn

    Without wanting to recreate wild nature, it is possible to approach it by welcoming a wide variety of flora. The little animals will soon follow! Combine plants and small animals well to welcome wildlife to the garden without being invaded: follow Rustica’s advice.

    Did you know ? Plants have a social life. Some can only thrive with company! The plants bring mutual benefits: shade, support, protection against the wind, pests … The more species are numerous, the more the garden becomes welcoming for the fauna, which then finds refuge and food there (and the more the fauna is diversified). , the more pest attacks are controlled). However, many animal and plant species are now threatened. To promote biodiversity in the garden, nothing better than to introduce wild plants, ideally indigenous. You just have to “forget” to remove some alliaries and chelidoins in the beds; compose planters filled with cereals and flowers (poppy, cornflower, etc.); leave a fallow land at the foot of the hedge or at the bottom of the garden; build a pond; keep a low wall, dead trees. Ideas abound!

    ZOOM: Another lawn

    Spreading fertilizer, fighting against moss, passing the mower throughout the beautiful season, copious watering… So much effort, time spent and waste to obtain the green carpet of our dreams!
    Why not reduce the surface, this will be the opportunity to introduce a new diversity to the garden . So welcome ground covers (creeping bugle, dead knife, nummular lysimachus …) which will spread under the trees, where the lawn is struggling to grow. Create a gravel garden on which to wander: a number of plants (wallflower, saxifrage, mullein, valerian, verbena, etc.) can be dispersed there according to their spontaneous sowing.

  • How to maintain and care for a potted bamboo

    How to maintain and care for a potted bamboo

    Keep a green bamboo all year round and help it through the winter. 

    Tips for planting a potted bamboo

    To install bamboo on your terrace, prefer compact shapes to hide the opposite: squat bamboos with dense foliage such as fargesia rufa. Planting bamboo in pots allows you to take advantage of its evergreen foliage and very decorative stubble for some varieties. This is the case of phyllostachys nigra with black culms or of phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Aureocaulis’ with very original culms of bright yellow color in zigzag. 

    How to plant a bamboo in a pot:

    • Choose a pot according to the size of the bamboo, large enough for the root ball to fit in without forcing. 
    • Rehydrate the root ball by immersing it in water. 
    • Place a geotextile felt in the bottom of the pot and its edges, then pour a layer of clay balls over a few centimeters.
    • Partially fill with horticultural soil and place the root ball on this bed of soil.
    • Fill in the spaces with soil and tamp as you go. 

    Care tips for potted bamboo

    Maintain a bamboo in summer
    Water the bamboo copiously. They need water, and the rhizomes will be more easily contained if they are watered properly. In pierced tubs, it is important to regularly check to see if the rhizomes are coming out of the holes. Placed on a terrace fitted out on slabs, they can cause damage by slipping into open spaces. 
    Regularly move the tubs and cut the rhizomes that protrude. 

    Maintaining a bamboo in winter
    When it freezes heavily, the bamboo can no longer draw water and therefore feed its foliage. Observe the leaves carefully: if they are closed, the plant lacks water.
    To protect bamboo against cold and frost on the surface,wintering veil (or dead leaves ).
    Place the protection at the foot of the bamboos to prevent the frost from penetrating to the roots.
    Water out of periods that are too dry. 

  • How to clean and protect from pampas grass

    How to clean and protect from pampas grass

    The long silvery white plumes of this giant grass give it all its charm. They can reach more than 3 m in height. When winter comes, we must clean the base of the stems and the withered leaves.

    What tools to prune the pampas grass?

    Material:

    pruning shears
    gloves
    string or solid tie
    protective veil or perforated plastic film

    Advice :

    Depending on the geographical location of the garden, remove the winter protection from February so as not to interfere with the departure of the vegetation.

    Decorative pampas grass:

    Before the plumes are fully ripe, they can be cut and dried upside down. They will make sumptuous dry bouquets. Spray a little hairspray to keep them whole as long as possible.

    Maintenance: how to cut flowers from pampas grass?

    Before the first frosts, cut the floral stems and plumes with a solid secateurs. Put on gloves, because the leaves of this grass are quite sharp. Prune as close to the stump as possible otherwise, there will end up being a mound in the middle.

    Size: clean the tuft

    Clean the clump by removing the dried leaves. You can also cut some of it when the pampas grass begins to become invasive. Shred all waste and bring it to the compost, spraying it with a decomposition activator.

    Pick up and tie stems and leaves

    Then pick up the remaining leaves to form a straight tuft. Tie them together with a string or a very strong tie. Attach at several heights when the foot is old. If the winter is very cold in the area, the center of the clump can be protected by garnishing it with dead, dry leaves.

    Cover to protect

    To prevent rainwater from rotting the plant, cover it with a winter protection veil or plastic film held in place by strong ties. Use a perforated plastic so that the foliage continues to breathe and that there is no condensation inside the envelope.

    When to prune pampas grass?

    Each fall, remove the faded leaves and cut the flower stalks. Then install winter protection.

    How to dry and maintain the “feathers” of the pampas?

    The flowers of the pampas grass dry easily and will not require any special treatment except to put them upside down, to prevent the stems from bending. However, you will have to remember to shake them regularly to prevent them from becoming dust nests!

    Where is pampas grass found?

    Originally from South America, pampas grass is now cultivated almost everywhere in our latitudes. When the climatic conditions are mild and temperate, it can even quickly become invasive .

  • Redoux in winter, no rush in the garden

    Redoux in winter, no rush in the garden

    After a particularly cold and snowy late autumn and early winter, the weather gives us mild temperatures that panic the vegetation and animals. But this warmth in the middle of January should not encourage us to do anything and everything in the garden because winter is far from over. A small inventory of actions to be taken or postponed as long as the risk of severe frost is still to be feared.

    A few days with very mild temperatures were enough for the vegetation to restart. As soon as the weeds started to grow, the buds of the shrubs swelled, the hellebores, winter jasmines and sarcococcas were covered with flowers and the spring-flowering bulbs rose from the ground. I even saw bees come to forage on the few flowers in my pots.

    But this very early start to the vegetation and the length of the days, which ostensibly lengthens, should not make us forget that there are still two winter months left and that the risk of severe frost is still significant. Usually, the coldest time of the year in France is around January 20 and February.

    Gestures and gardening work to do in mild weather

    Take advantage of these pleasant periods of time to continue cleaning in the garden:

    • cut the dried leaves of sleeping perennials,
    • pull up summer or autumn vegetables left in the vegetable garden,
    • empty the pots and planters of now roasted annual flowers,
    • eliminate weeds, especially perennials such as thistles, bindweed or quackgrass.

    As long as it does not freeze, it is necessary to carry out the pruning of the trees which need it and the soft pruning of the fruit trees. Don’t forget the berry shrubs (blackcurrants, raspberries, currants, and blueberries) and fruit lianas ( kiwis , blackberries and vines ).

    When the ground is well thawed and if it is not too wet, it is necessary to continue the planting of trees and shrubs with deciduous foliage, in particular for the plants sold with bare roots. You can also install a new hedge, boxwood borders, or a new rosebush. Take advantage of the ambient mildness to transplant a tree is placed.

    There is still time to bloom your windowsills, balcony, and garden with biannual flower seedlings that will last all spring. Forget-me-nots, daisies, pansies, violas, and wallflowers will offer generous flowering in a few weeks. You can marry them with primroses which can be kept from one year to the next and bloom again easily without too much care.

    Actions and tasks to avoid and postpone at the end of winter

    Even if your roses are showing obvious signs of recovery, they should not be pruned in the heart of winter. Pruning in January could prompt them to immediately re-shoot new tender shoots that would be toasted by another episode of severe cold. And for once, flowering would be seriously compromised or delayed.

    The same is true for all deciduous summer-flowering shrubs: altheas, pheasant trees, buddleias, caryopteris , hydrangeas and hydrangeas, shrub lavatera, perovskias, etc.

    Wait a few more weeks before cleaning and cutting back any dried-out leaves from the grass clumps. The best time is when new green leaves appear, sticking out through the old foliage.

    Do not replant forced bulb pots (crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, or tulips) outside right away, even if they are hardy species. After forcing under shelter and a more or less prolonged stay in the house, they are much more sensitive to cold snap, the foliage not being hardened. As long as severe frosts are possible, it is preferable to install them under a frame or in a very bright and unheated room, but frost-free.

  • How to recognize and eliminate 10 weeds in the garden

    How to recognize and eliminate 10 weeds in the garden

    Hoe or hoe in hand, roam the garden in search of these invasive plants.

    Creeping buttercup

    Latin name: Ranunculus repens
    In the buttercup family, it is the most difficult to eliminate . It multiplies by seeds and especially by powerful runners which go in all directions, especially in heavy, clayey, compacted soil.

    How to eliminate creeping buttercup

    Digging the soil to unpack and make furniture. Take advantage of the digging to eliminate the whole plant with its runners.

    Shepherd’s purse

    Latin name: Capsella bursa-pastoris

    This annual, 5 to 40 cm high, reproduces by seed, is very widespread, especially in loose , sandy and rich soil . In the vegetable garden, it can transmit cabbage hernia .

    How to eliminate the shepherd’s purse

    It must be rooted out by performing a methodical weeding . Weed as soon as possible because the shepherd’s purse forms and spreads seeds several times a year. It is eaten! It’s a delicious salad : a cousin of the arugula, with a less spicy taste , which the Chinese cultivate.closevolume_off

    Cirse des champs

    Latin name: Cirsium arvense Its leaves are prickly and its flowers – very beautiful in summer – deliver thousands of seeds to the wind. It should therefore not be allowed to reach the flowering stage ! This undesirable is also spread thanks to strong sucker roots …

    How to eliminate field cyst

    Cover the ground or cut the aerial parts as often as possible using a weeding gouge to weaken the roots .

    Quackgrass

    Latin name: Elytrigia repens

    This grass – of sad reputation – extends over large areas thanks to long rhizomes tracing to 20 cm deep, the slightest fragment of which gives a new plant .

    How to eliminate quackgrass

    Cover the soil in open spaces or dig out the roots 2 to 3 times, one month apart. In a bed, exhaust the quackgrass by pulling out any shoots as soon as they have a few leaves.

    Ciliated galinsoga

    Latin name: Galinsoga ciliata

    Little known, yet it spreads vigorously, each plant being able to produce from its eighth week up to 7,500 seeds which germinate immediately! This plague, moreover, can harbor insect pests , nematodes and viruses.

    How to eliminate ciliated galinsoga

    By hoeing very early before flowering to avoid propagation and by applying the technique of false sowing.

    Field bindweed

    Latin name: Convolvulus arvensis

    This weed plant greatly appreciates calcareous and warm soils , rather loose, in which it propagates by a main root carrying numerous ramifications which can sink to more than 2 m. Proliferative, it goes as far as colonizing 25 m2 in one season …

    How to get rid of bindweed

    Regularly cut the aerial parts to weaken the roots . Cover the ground in open ground.

    Chickweed

    Latin name: Stellaria media

    This edible annual reproduces by seed (2,000 per plant) several times a year and spreads by creeping stems that take root. It appreciates moist and rich soils in partial shade. It may indicate too much nitrogen .

    How to get rid of chickweed

    Pull up young plants by hand or with a hedgehog before they flower and do not leave them on the ground .

    Field mustard

    Latin name: Sinapis arvensis

    This annual, which flowers from June to October and reproduces by seed, serves as a host for pests (flea beetle) and a vector for cabbage diseases (hernia, mildew). Mustard appreciates calcareous, rich, clayey soils .

    How to eliminate field mustard

    Cut the stems at the start of flowering to prevent seed build-up and pull out the stems or weed. The roots of debris do not regenerate.

    Oxalis

    Latin name: Oxalis corniculata This small annual, often perennial in a mild climate, develops creeping stems which take root at the level of the leaves (green or red) and flowers from May to October. Its seeds are projected by capsules which burst suddenly and ensure wide dissemination.

    How to get rid of oxalis

    Pull up the plant as soon as possible and completely to avoid regrowth.

    White clover

    Latin name: Trifolium repens This perennial multiplies by seeds and spreads by means of creeping stems which take root at the level of the nodes. Its white flowers, rich in nectar, are abundantly pollinated.

    How to eliminate clover

    Weed on bare soil to eliminate the entire plant. In the lawn, mow short to limit the formation of seeds. Remember that clover fixes nitrogen , attracts auxiliaries and stays green in dry weather …

    What are the most common weeds in the garden?

    Annual and shallow weeds:

    Purple dead nettle, harsh sow thistle, spurge alarm clock, oxalis, lamb’s quarters, chickweed, persicaria knotweed. Cardamine, shepherd’s purse, chickweed and common groundsel produce 2 or 3 generations per year.

    Perennial and deep weeds:

    Dandelion, rumex, comfrey, wild chervil.

    Perennial and creeping weeds:

    Quackgrass, nettle, goutweed, bindweed, horsetail, polygonum, eagle fern.

    Perennial runner weeds:

    Creeping cinquefoil, bramble, bluegrass. The creeping buttercup can thus cover 3 m2 in a season and the brunelle, 10!

    How do you prevent “weeds” from growing?

    The fight against weeds is one of the essential concerns. In a natural garden, the task requires thought and astuteness since the use of herbicides is not an option.
    Luckily, there are many tricks that allow, in the form of passive resistance , if not to get rid of, at least to effectively limit the colonization of these wild plants: the cover of the ground to prevent it from being sown, their hoeing before they go up to seeds, raising hens that will delight in seeds and other snails.

  • A red pot like autumn

    A red pot like autumn

    Sporting the fiery colors that the dead leaves dress in this off-season, here is a pot both flowery and leafy, which catches the light still very present at the end of September.

    • Choose an earthenware pot about 30 cm in diameter, in a shade that matches the chosen plants.
    • After having favored drainage by placing a bed of clay balls at the bottom, fill it, up to 8 cm from the edge, with geranium soil, then add two handfuls of compost .
    • Plant side, opt for 4 buckets chrysanthemums starred in shades apricot, ocher or rust, plant beside a heuchère ‘Caramel.
    • Ruffle the composition with a sedge ( C. buchananii ), to be placed in the center, slightly behind.
    • Complete with potting soil and tamp down.
    • Place this hotpot in the soft sun, water.
    • Add water as soon as the earth dries up on the surface.
    • Cut the flowers as soon as they wilt.
    • When the feet are no longer presentable, replace them for the winter with a persistent fern , violas, primroses or white heather .
    • Perennials , heuches and sedges retain their interest.
    • In the spring, top up with compost.
  • Successful watering of parsnip: need and frequency

    Successful watering of parsnip: need and frequency

    Like most root vegetables, parsnips are capable, if well rooted, of obtaining water in most situations.

    Water requirement

    Low, except during prolonged drought.

    Signs of a lack of water

    Dehydration is seen by the yellowing and wilting of its outer parts.

    Water quality

    Rainwater , spring water or mains water are equally suitable. The water can be cold or lukewarm.

    Necessary material

    A watering can or a hose . Accurate watering is always preferable for good water use.

    Watering frequency

    It is important to keep the soil moist before and after the parsnip emerges, so that it settles properly and grows its roots deep into the soil. In this way, it is able, except in the event of prolonged drought , to fetch the water it needs.
    In all situations, it is best to water at night, late at night, or early in the morning.
    To limit the evaporation of water from sowing, hoeing , weeding and mulching are extremely useful.

  • Fight against chestnut leaf miner

    Fight against chestnut leaf miner

    Long before the arrival of autumn, the chestnut trees began to defoliate and continue to lose their leaves parasitized by the leafminer. Now is the time to act to limit its action next year.

    In Europe, white chestnut or horse chestnut ( Aesculus hippocastanum ) have been severely attacked by the leafminer ( Cameraria ohridella ) since the end of the 1980s. This parasitic butterfly of uncertain origin and observed in the east of the France in 2000 quickly progressed to the point of invading practically the whole country from 2004.

    The great availability of chestnut trees on French territory, the rapid increase in the populations of this pest (it is estimated that the leafminer has three generations per year in France and that the population is multiplied by ten with each generation) and the absence of predators specific make the struggle more difficult. Synthetic pheromone trapping only removes part of the leafminer moths. Today, the cheapest method of reducing populations remains the careful collection of dead leaves and their disposal.

    The insect overwinters in the leaf blades that have fallen to the ground. Without this protection, he cannot survive. It is therefore important to systematically collect the leaves from under the tree and nearby as soon as the fall begins. And they must be destroyed, the best being incineration. Composting is not a solution to eliminate them.

    To your rakes and vacuum blowers!