The Effects of Wildfires on Plants and Ecosystems

As wildfires across the United States increase in frequency and intensity, the Treasure Valley faces the impacts of smoke and ash. While much attention is given to the health risks for humans, the effects of wildfire smoke on plants and ecosystems are equally concerning.

Reduced Photosynthesis
One immediate effect of wildfire smoke is the reduction of sunlight reaching plants. Smoke creates a haze that blocks sunlight, hindering photosynthesis. However, research shows that smoke can also act as a protective cover, reducing high temperatures and burning ultraviolet rays. This diffused light allows for more efficient photosynthesis, reaching lower foliage that typically remains shaded. Still, the benefits can be mitigated by air pollutants. High concentrations can clog the stomata on leaf surfaces, severely limiting photosynthesis and potentially damaging plants.

Effects of Ash
Wildfire ash can have both positive and negative impacts as well. Composed of essential nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium, a light layer of ash can act as a fertilizer. However, excessive ash can suffocate plants by blocking light and trapping moisture, further stressing them.

Ash can also be considered toxic if not washed off of your vegetables. Smoke and ash won't absorb deep into the fruit or vegetable, so washing thoroughly will take care of residues. Consider rinsing fruits and veggies off outside and again before you eat them. You can also add a layer of protection by peeling and removing the outer leaves of leafy greens to reduce your risk.

Impact on Pollinators and Ecosystems
Wildfire smoke also affects pollinators vital to flowering plants. The haze reduces visibility, disrupting the foraging habits of bees and other pollinators, leading to decreased fruit and seed production. This can threaten local ecosystems and shift species composition, impacting wildlife habitats and water quality.

What Can We Do?
Watering: Keep plants well-watered to help them cope with stress.
Soil Health: Use organic amendments to buffer pH changes and enhance nutrient availability.
Cover Crops: Plant cover crops to protect soil health and improve biodiversity.
Monitoring: Regularly check plant health and address pest or disease issues.

Understanding the effects of wildfire smoke on plants in the Treasure Valley is crucial for protecting our gardens, crops, and ecosystems. While there are both benefits and challenges, awareness and proactive measures will be key to maintaining the health of our cherished landscapes. Ongoing research will further illuminate the long-term impacts of wildfire smoke on both plants and humans, helping us adapt to this growing threat.

Earthworms for Your Garden

Have you ever wondered what the best worms are for your garden? There are many benefits to having them, but which ones can give you the most benefits? This article will shed some light on our wriggly little garden friends and help you understand their benefits.

In North America, we have about 180 species of earthworms, and approximately 4,000 species worldwide. They play a critical role in breaking down and decomposing plants and other organic material in our yard, garden, and compost pile. In their wake, they also leave nutrient-dense waste (called “castings”) which is second to none when it comes to improving your soil.

Earthworms can be divided into three groups, each having unique characteristics. Anecic worms play an important role in soil formation and leaf decomposition by pulling leaves into their deep vertical permanent burros. These are also known as nightcrawlers. Endogeic worms build lateral burrows in the soil and have little effect on the surface as they are the only worms that prefer to eat large amounts of soil rich in organic material. They also play a role in the aeration and decomposition of dead plant roots. Epigeic worms, which include the common red wiggler, live on top of the soil eating rotting organic matter, and have a high rate of reproduction. They are also commonly used in vermicomposting systems.

As much as we love earthworms, some problems can arise in their presence. The biggest complaint that homeowners have is that they create lumpy surfaces in grass and other areas that people prefer to keep level (see photo to the left). On a worldwide level, humans can create issues when we introduce worm species to new places and create an imbalance in the local ecosystems. But, generally speaking, the benefits of native earthworms far outweigh their inconveniences.

What are the main benefits to earthworms? To start, worm castings contain concentrated humus and may contain 5 times more nitrogen, 7 times more phosphorus, and 1000 times more beneficial bacteria than the original soil that helps plants thrive. Worms aid in soil aggregation, creating pores for the movement of air, water, nutrients, and roots. Worms can also eat their body weight in food a day.

So, what are some ways to attract and keep worms? In general, it is recommended to disturb the soil as little as possible because we have learned that we can disrupt the soil food web, release precious carbon, and more. Tilling also harms our earthworms. Reducing or eliminating tilling is a great start to keeping earthworms in your yard or garden. Additionally, covering the soil with mulch and organic matter on the surface will help feed the worms as well as reduce the need for tilling and weeding.

Creating a welcoming place for earthworms in your garden, yard, and compost pile has many benefits that you can’t get anywhere else. These little creatures offer big payoffs if you attract and keep them around. Happy worm farming!

Gardening Tools for Gardeners with Limited Motion

Have you given up some of your gardening time due to arthritis, injury or mobility issues? There are adaptive tools that will allow you to continue your hobby with less pain and difficulty with grip strength and movement. Tools can be purchased or created that have longer handles, larger grips and supportive cuffs.

Long handles allow gardeners to reach further from a seated position or into a flower bed. Using a child-size rake in this case may be the better option due to lighter weight of the tool. Hand trowels can also be adapted to have long handles. Shovels can be adapted to have large, D-shape or round handles at the top to make pivoting while digging easier. 

Hand tool grips come in a variety of adaptation to help gardeners. If gripping the tool is difficult, the handle should be the same size as when you put your thumb on your fingertips creating a circle – about two inches. If current tool handles are too small, you can add tape or pipe insulation to the handle to create a larger and softer handle. Easy grip trowels and weeders are also available for purchase with a vertical handle rather than a horizontal handle. This keeps the wrist and forearm from twisting and causing pain. Ratcheting pruners allow the gardening to grip multiple times to cut through limbs rather than one hard grip to prune.

When wrist or forearms are injured or in pain, handles can be adapted or purchased with a special grip cuff. The cuff keeps the wrist in a neutral position and can also have an adapted handle on the side allowing for more strength coming from the upper arm to be used. Velcro arms straps can be added to other tools with similar results.

If the injury is temporary, tools can be adapted with options that can be removed. Permanent conditions may need to include remodeling the garden to include some structural changes such as raised beds and larger hardscape paths. Tools are available to make gardening a pleasurable hobby for all gardeners.

Spring Greenhouse Prep

How did you close down your greenhouse last fall? Perhaps you are like most gardeners and left it in a bit of disarray from the scramble of fall garden cleanup that we all experience. It's okay, we have a few tips to help you get your greenhouse ready for spring!

First, we recommend removing everything from your greenhouse (overwintered plants, removable shelving, pots, trays, tools, floor mats, etc.) These items will be sanitized in another area. Do this in an open area with a breeze and sunshine, if possible.

1. Start at the top of the greenhouse 
   Starting at the back and at the top of your greenhouse, working your way down and forward, will ensure you get every area in the greenhouse cleaned. Don’t forget to use a variety of brushes to clean the nooks and crannies where the panels connect to the frame, hinges on windows and doors, around vents, etc. Sweep the walls, clean the floor (soil or concrete) of all organic matter and weeds. 
   
   
   
   
2. Flooring
   Floors, which can be made of many substrates, must be cleaned accordingly. There are concrete floors that can be scrubbed with a bleach solution. If the floor is dirt or rock, there will be weed maintenance as well as pest and pathogen procedures for the spring cleaning. Pull and discard any weeds that have sprung up to keep the potential pests and pathogens at bay. Whatever weed barrier you choose should be removed and replaced annually as well.
   
   
3. Select cleaning agents and equipment 
   There are many choices when selecting cleaning equipment and agents: pressure washers with soap and water, Strip-it, etc. Be sure to read labels, talk to your garden center expert or a greenhouse supplier to help you decide. Rubbing alcohol can be used on knives and pruners. Although it is not recommended for the structure itself, household chlorine bleach is probably the least expensive and the easiest to obtain for a general disinfectant. Its half life is short; therefore, it should be mixed fresh, and items should be soaked for 30 minutes to be a thorough sanitizing. It Is used in a solution of 1 part bleach to 9 parts water. 
   
   
4. 
   Allow time to dry
   All items, including the structure, should be allowed to dry out completely by opening windows and leaving on fans before re-furnishing the greenhouse.

It is important that we keep our greenhouses clean to avoid pitfalls during the growing season.  

Have an amazing growing season!

Starting Seeds for your Own Garden!

 Starting seeds is a fun and inexpensive way to get your
garden started for the season. To start your seeds indoors, purchase trays or pots or make your own containers and potting soil specially designed for starting seed from your local garden center or hardware store.

Start seeds about 4-8 weeks before the last frost in your area. Read the seed packet carefully to determine how much time seeds need to germinate.  Avoid starting seeds indoors too early as this will result in crowded spindly looking plants.

Sow seeds according to package instructions and water in with a fine mist sprayer and cover with a plastic dome or bag.

Place the seeds in a warm location out of direct sunlight until seeds germinate.  About 2 weeks prior to planting out, gradually move your seedlings outside and reduce the amount of water they receive to harden them off.

More info for making your own paper pots and  newspaper square and round pots.

HAVE FUN STARTING YOUR OWN SEEDLINGS!

Victory Gardens for the 21st Century

During the difficult days of World War II, Americans rallied to support the nation’s war effort. One of the many ways they were encouraged to help out was to plant and utilize produce grown from their own efforts.  While it was a way to increase food production, it also enabled people to save money and to become more self-sufficient.  Additionally, it improved and increased the American diet with nutritious foods picked at their peak.

It is out of this effort, that the notion of a Victory Garden was introduced. Now, more than three-quarters of a century beyond the second world war, there is a resurgence in the desire to grow one’s own food. It is no surprise that, with the many impacts of the COVID pandemic, it has become quite popular to stretch the family food budget as far as possible. Many also seek to grow their own food to help the environment; to use fewer undesirable chemicals, to limit shipping produce from state to state and country to country, as well as to improve their own soil.

Victory Gardens can fit any landscape. The size of the garden can vary with the size of the lot where a person lives.  Vegetables can be tucked into a flower bed around the house. A collection of containers on a balcony or patio offers urban gardeners the chance to grow their favorite vegetables without a yard. Small garden plots can be taken out of grass. Community gardens give urban families a chance to garden with others to learn how to raise vegetables.  Many different settings and needs can be incorporated into the Victory Garden landscape.  

What do you need to start your own Victory Garden

1. Assess your property: Fruits and vegetables will need sunlight, water, soil and fertilizer. 

2. Poll your family on their likes and dislikes.  Plant what your family will eat.

3. Commit to the time needed to care for your plants.  

Supplies you may want to have for your garden.

1. Shovel
2. Hoe
3. Trowel
4. Bucket
5. Seeds
6. Compost
7. Fertilizer

To get started, check out this video from Maine County Extension.

To prepare your garden site, see these tips or check out more options here.  Advice on getting started can also be obtained from your local County Extension Office.

Plants that are easy to grow include: 

1. Beans- 50-80 days to maturity

2. Beets- 50-70 days to maturity

3. Cabbage- 45-65 days to maturity

4. Cucumbers- 45-70 days to maturity

5. Lettuce- 30-70 days to maturity

6. Peas- 65-80 days to maturity

7. Potatoes- 50-100 days to maturity

8. Squash-Summer squash 40-75 days to maturity, Winter squash 70-120 days to maturity

9. Tomatoes- 50-80 days to maturity 

Victory Gardens can fit anywhere and promote a healthy lifestyle that benefits all walks of life.

Raised Beds for Your Gardening Ease!

Wouldn’t it be nice to work in your garden on those beautiful sunny days without your back or knees giving out?

Building raised beds is a simple DIY project that could relieve your nagging pains, as well as enhance your garden experience and beauty.

In just a few hours, with a quick trip to your local home-improvement store or lumber yard, you can have elevated raise beds ready for your next planting.

Keep reading for a supply list and tips on planning and building raised beds.  You will also find information on soil selection and planting.

1. Planning: Determine where to install the raised bed(s).  Look for a place where the new bed will have at least 8 hours of summer sun.      

Also, determine the desired size of the raised bed.  For width, consider what is easiest for you to reach across and for height, consider what is easiest for you to lean over, if at all.  A typical standard size is approximately 3.5' x 8.5' x 18".

2. Supply List: For a raised bed of the above mentioned dimensions, the following is needed:
Qty 2: 2" x 12" x 12'
Qty 2: 2" x 6" x 12'Qty 1: 4" x 4" x 8' Corner Post
Large box of Deck Screws #8 x 3"
Tools: miter saw or compound saw; drill bits for pilot holes; screwdriver for drill bit

3. Assembly: 

a. Cut the 12'-length boards to 8.5'; leaving 3.5' for the end piece.
b. From the corner post, cut four 18" sections that you will attach the other boards to.
Note: If you do not want to deal with the assembly process with the 4" x 4" posts, you can try slider connectors or brackets.  With the connectors, you can just slide your board through and use deck screws to secure.

4. Placement: Once the bed is assembled, place it in the desired location in your garden.  If you are placing it in an area that still has sod/grass, a good option is to lay old cardboard boxes down first.

5. Soil Preparation: Compost mixture you’ll be putting inside.  A great place to start is a mixture of 30% compost and 70% topsoil.  To calculate the amount of mixture for the above bed dimensions:

Multiply 3.5 x 8.5 x 1.5 to get 31.25 cubic feet of total soil mixture.  As 27 cubic feet equals 1 cubic yard, it is safe to get 1 yard of topsoil along with 1/3 of yard of compost.  Allow a few days for the soil to settle.  Happy Planting!

Did someone throw up on the lawn? It may be snow mold.

Now that the #snow is melting off the #grass, you may be noticing snow mold. Here is what you need to know to manage it:

Rapid drying and warming will lessen the outbreak of disease.

Remove snow to allow better drainage and remove the mycelial crust on infected turf by raking. This will help recovery of the grass.


Lightly applying a low dose of nitrogen fertilizer in the spring will promote new growth.When applied in the fall, fungicides can be useful in controlling disease, but are not effective when applied in late winter or early spring!

Additionally, for pink snow mold it’s important to maintain low soil pH and balanced soil fertility.

Aeration of your lawn will help remove thatch and allow for oxygen to penetrate the soil and reach the roots. This will help your lawn recover more quickly. This is also a good time to reseed any areas which may need to be reseeded.

For more information, contact your local county extension office!

Lawn Tonics By T. Koski.

I get a lot of (mostly) good lawn questions. No big surprise there. More surprising (OK, annoying!) is how many gardening myth questions my Extension colleagues and I get – to include the use of magical, restorative tonics and elixirs for every part of your landscape. Is this yet another example of if “you can find it on the internet”….watch Jerry Baker promote it during PBS fundraising week….or see it on the local news, that it must work? While the list of lawn care myths and remedies is long, let me comment on a particularly annoying one – that of the lawn drought tonic. Tonic promoters claim their cocktail will fertilize the lawn and help eliminate “bugs”, disease and thatch – all while keeping the lawn green with minimal watering. Many websites attribute its origin to a golf course superintendent. Self-proclaimed gardening “expert” Jerry Baker, creator of a myriad of just plain weird landscape tonics, claims the recipes as his. Whatever the source, I assure you that no self-respecting golf super would ever attach his/her name and reputation to such a concoction. If you do an internet search, you can find dozens of sites promoting variations of the lawn tonic. 

A frequently cloned 

No "lite beer"! Would a microbrew
work better?

referenced on many sites is a Denver television station story about the tonic that ran years ago during one of Colorado's droughts. You can read and watch the news video here, However, to save you the time and spare you the aggravation of watching it, here is the lawn tonic recipe. NOTE: Including it here DOES NOT imply any endorsement. To the contrary, I recommend that you don't use it.

  

The "Lawn Tonic"

-One full can of regular pop (any brand, but no diet soda)

-One full can of beer (no light beer)

-1/2 cup of liquid dishwashing soap (do NOT use anti-bacterial dishwashing liquid)

-1/2 cup of household ammonia

-1/2 cup of mouthwash (any brand)

-Pour into 10-gallon hose-end sprayer (other sizes will work too)

-In high heat, apply every three weeks

No "anti-bacterial soap"...even
though ammonia and mouthwash
are antibacterial in nature? Hmmm....?

So…does anything here have any merit when it comes to caring for a lawn? Maybe. But even if there are potentially beneficial ingredients here, one thing I’ve noticed after reviewing many lawn tonic recipes is that the general recommendation is to “apply it to the lawn”. Rarely is there any suggestion as to how large of an area that a single recipe should cover. More importantly, none of the recipes I read gave directions for what setting to use on the hose-end sprayer when applying the tonic.

 

What rate setting to use? How much
lawn area does a "batch" cover?

Another problem with these recipes is that they recommend the use of household ammonia. First, the concentration of household ammonia varies with brand. Second, using household ammonia as a nitrogen source isn’t the best of ideas. The ammonia…the nitrogen…is in a form that is good for cleaning floors, not for fertilizing plants. I will spare you the chemistry, but take my word: it’s not a safe (for plants anyway) fertilizer source. And consider this: the amount of nitrogen (from the ammonia, since nothing else in the recipe contains nitrogen) provided by a single batch applied to ONLY 250 square feet of lawn is equivalent to around 0.1 pound of N per 1000 square feet. Clearly this is not a safe, efficient, or cost-effective way to apply nitrogen to a lawn. 

A REALLY poor nitrogen
source for plants

What about the beer? The claim is that the yeast and other beneficial microbes in it will help thatch decompose and the carbohydrates and microbes in ONE CAN OF BEER will somehow rejuvenate the soil flora of your entire lawn! In reality, the beer provides little more than some extra water and a small amount of sugar, as the yeast and any other microbes in the beer are dead…so there are no yeast or “good” microbes being addedto the lawn. It’s equally ridiculous to believe that the infinitesimally small amount of sugar applied with the soda could provide anything more than an infinitesimally small benefit to the lawn. The dishwashing soap may act as a wetting agent, perhaps relieving some water repellency in a thatchy lawn that has become too dry. Curiously, most lawn tonic recipes warn against using anti-bacterial dish soap – ignoring the fact that the next ingredient in the recipe, mouthwash, is itself anti-bacterial in nature? If the amounts of nitrogen and other potentially beneficial ingredients are present in quantities too small to have a real effect on lawn quality, why do people believe this stuff works? Perhaps it is that anyone who will go through the hassle of mixing up and applying these tonics many times throughout the growing season is someone who is likely to pay closer attention to mowing, watering, and aerating their lawn? And perhaps they are also fertilizing their lawn with other sources (many sites promoting the lawn tonic also encourage the use of natural organic fertilizers!)? Remember that devoted tonic users are also hand-watering their lawn as often as once every 2-3 weeks. This could provide enough water to mask dry spots from poor irrigation system coverage, spots that would be otherwise more apparent during times of watering restrictions. Of course, there is always the “placebo effect” – if you believe that it works…then it works! Clearly no one wants to admit that they are wasting their time (and beer!) spraying a totally ineffective mix of household cleaners, oral care product and party beverages on their lawn. Can using it hurt anything (besides your pride, perhaps, after reading this)? Yes, if basic lawn care practices are ignored under the mistaken belief that using the tonic will provide adequate fertilization and can fix any and all lawn problems. If legitimate, common sense lawn care is practiced by tonic devotees? Then applying the tonic is harmless and little more than recreational lawn care that provides the home gardener with some exercise and the lawn with insignificant amounts of nitrogen and wetting agent. One thing you can bet – anyone who applied lawn tonic before this week’s snowstorm will confidently say over the next few weeks “See…it works!”. The inch or so of slow-release water, return of spring (warmer temperatures and more hours of sun), and release of soil organic N had nothing to do with their lawn greening up…but don’t confuse me with the facts!

Interested in the science behind, and potential benefits of, common home-grown garden remedies and tonics? In his book “The Truth About Garden Remedies – What Works, What Doesn’t & Why”, Dr. Jeff Gilman, a professor and Extension horticulturist at the University of Minnesota, writes about the history and potential benefits of age-old garden remedies. In it he logically debunks any potential value of spraying your yard (or other plants) with beer and soda, and explains why using household ammonia as a fertilizer source is just damn dumb. Jeff is also a frequent contributor to another excellent hort blog that he and 3 university colleagues started a few years ago, The Garden Professors.

Frost dates in Idaho.

Because frosts kill tender plants and seedlings, knowing the average frost free date in your community is an important tool for aiding in successful gardening. 

As a rule of thumb for Idaho, the average last frost free date in the spring is around Mother’s Day. It is important to note that this is an average date. In some years, the last frost can be as early as April, or as late as June.

In the autumn, the average first frost usually occurs around the first week of October. Again this is only an average, and some frost can occur as early as mid September or late October around Halloween.

You can extend your growing season by placing a hoop house or covering your plants with a sheet of clear plastic to protect against light frosts.

For more information on gardening, contact your local University of Idaho Extension Office or visit us on Facebook!