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Gardening For Geezers. OBJECTIVES: Describe the benefits of gardening Hidden hazards of gardening 6 most common gardening mistakes. Gardening For Geezers. Gardening is a healthy, stimulating physical activity that can be enjoyed by us retirees…...
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Gardening For Geezers OBJECTIVES: • Describe the benefits of gardening • Hidden hazards of gardening • 6 most common gardening mistakes
Gardening For Geezers • Gardening is a healthy, stimulating physical activity that can be enjoyed by us retirees…... • ……increases levels of physical activity, and maintains our mobility and flexibility. • The garden, equipment and tools can all be modified to suit our needs as we age.
Gardening For Geezers • …can be good for the heart -- may not be as intense as exercising, but can help our heart health by getting our heart rate up. • … has been linked to alleviating depression, decreasing anxiety, increasing a person’s sense of stability, and increasing sense of control.
Gardening For Geezers • ….cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. • ….at the end of the day, you should smell like earthworms. However: • Has health risks such as falls, skin damage due to too much sun exposure, insect bites, skin rashes, etc.
April Showers Can Bring You a Whole Lot More Than May Flowers……..
Rogues List of Gardening Injuries 1. Lawnmowers 2. Flowerpots 3. Hand pruners and saws 4. Spades 5. Electric hedge trimmers 6. Plant tubs and troughs 7. Shears 8. Garden forks 9. Hoses and sprinklers
Put safety first….. Listen to your body and monitor your level of fatigue, heart rate, and physical discomfort. Watch how much repetitive motion is involved. Be realistic about your physical limitations. Don’t put in more garden than your wife can properly maintain.
SIX MOST COMMON GARDENING MISTEAKS I. NO OVERALL LANDSCAPING OBJECTIVE Improve curb appeal; Provide screening; Provide habitat for wildlife; Reduce maintenance
Make A Plan Wish List:
Have Your Soul Analyzed….. ……takes the guesswork out of fertilization • Correct nutrition imbalances • Prevent over fertilization • Adjust pH • Test soil every 2-3 years www.plintestusa.com
SIX MOST COMMON GARDENING MISTEAKS II. WE DON’T LOOK AT PLANTS FROM THE PLANT’S POINT OF VIEW Consider the plant’s needs versus the limitations of the site: Sun; Soil; Water requirement; Drainage Air circulation; Room to grow to mature size
Exposure or Light: What kind of sunlight the plant needs to thrive. Here’s the lowdown on light needs: • Full sun– Plants need at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. • Part sun– Plants should receive between 3 and 6 hours of direct sun per day. • Part shade– Plants thrive with between 3 and 6 hours of sun per day, but definitely need shade when the sun is hottest in the afternoon. This describes conditions on the east side of a building or in a bed beneath taller trees where direct sun hits in the morning but shade bathes plantings in afternoon.
RIGHT PLANT-RIGHT SITE Shade Sun
SIX MOST COMMON GARDENING MISTEAKS III. IMPROPER PLANTING PRACTICES Digging undersized holes (2-3 times the width of the root ball); Planting at the wrong depth: too high or too low with respect to the trunk flare (only as deep as the root ball); Not folding back burlap, cutting off wire cages, and removing twine at time of planting; Not slicing or butterflying the matted root system in container grown plants. “Volcano mulching” (Death by mulch)
SIX MOST COMMON GARDENING MISTEAKS IV. INSUFFICENT POST-TRANSPLANT CARE Not caring for transplanted trees & shrubs for an appropriate period of time. Recovery for b & b plants range from 1 to 10 years! Trunk diameter + 1 equals years to recovery.
SIX MOST COMMON GARDENING MISTEAKS V. IMPROPER IRRIGATION PRACTICES Watering in the late afternoon or early evening instead of early morning; Frequent shallow watering instead of less frequent deep watering; Not adjusting watering practice according to the season.
SIX MOST COMMON GARDENING MISTEAKS • VI. We don’t scout our landscape/gardens and monitor the health of our plants; • ….and you cannot rely on service providers to do it for you! “I've never met a plant that committed suicide. There's always a reason for everything."
Scouting • What Ails The Plant? • Biotic - Living • Insect, virus, bacterium, fungus • Abiotic – Non-living • Mechanical (lawn-mower), physical (frost), chemical (herbicide), nutritional (chlorosis)
Ask Questions • When was the problem first noticed? • Was the damage sudden or gradual? • How old are the affected plants? • Percentage of plants affected? • Degree of injury?
What Is The History of he Plant? • Is this new? • Has it occurred on these plants before? • How long have you noticed it? When did you first notice it? • Have sprays and fertilizer treatments been applied to the plants? • Is there a pattern to the symptoms?
Possible Causes of Plant Problems • Cultural • Environmental • Insects & Mites • Diseases • Weeds • Nuisance wildlife
Disease Triangle Host Pathogen Environment
Insects Good Guys and Bad Guys J. Warfel D. Herms, Ohio State University Clemson Univ. - USDA Cooperative Extension www.york.ac.uk
