Plant Life

Please join the WSU Kitsap Extension Beach Watchers and Beach Naturalists tonight on two beaches in Kitsap from 7-8:30 p.m. for a night time beach walk.

We’ll meet in Bremerton at Lions Park at the Boat Launch – start gathering from 6:45 to 7 p.m. and on Bainbridge Island we’ll gather from 6:45-7 p.m. in front of the Senior Center and will walk down to the beach next to the ferry dock.

Dress for the weather, wear shoes or boots for beach walking (and possibly getting wet) and bring a headlamp or flashlight.

The beach looks so different and magical at night. You’ll be amazed at the creatures you’ll see there.

Please join us.

Share on Facebook

Many local gardeners have been worrying about how cold it was and then now we’re worrying about how warm it’s been. Are we never happy? What about the plants? Do they even care? OK, enough questions.

When the weather warms up as it did earlier this month, we are outside more and we start noticing all the new plant life around us. In other stormier, colder years in January we’re hardly outside at all so we don’t notice all the tips of greenery popping up from the earth and peeking out on the twigs of our shrubs and trees.

Unless we were to get a hard, fast and long freeze now all these signs of new life will continue to grow and be unaffected by our fluctuating mild and soggy or wicked weather. Never fear, mother nature knows exactly what she’s doing.

Now having said that, we have 38 recorded micro-climates here in Kitsap County so I’m sure some of our Kitsap Peninsula gardeners will report stricken or annihilated plants as a result of our ever changing December and January weather. 

Here’s a tip though – sometimes plants appear quite dead and/or crisped and it’s always best to wait several months before whacking the plant down to the ground or removing it. Plants can be very resilient in spite of our kindnesses or lack thereof. Sometimes all plants need is a little cosmetic trimming off of the dead and dying portions. Remember too that some woody plants don’t even begin to leaf out until May. Gardeners learn patience through the life cycles of  their plants.

If you are concerned though about your plants please send a digital photo to ptillery@co.kitsap.wa.us along with your concern. It’s always good to put something in the photo to show the scale. A ruler works well to indicate scale.

Happy Gardening.

Share on Facebook

It’s that time of year again to order native plants from the Kitsap Conservation District. You’ll order the plants this month and then pick them up in March. Details are available at this link http://www.kitsapcd.org/pdf/Newsletter_Jan2010.pdf 

Native plants need a little TLC at the beginning of their lives, but once established are very resilient in our gardens. There are abundant choices. Check out books on native plants at local bookstores or the Kitsap Regional Library branches to help make decisions and learn more about each variety.

Get a group of friends or neighbors together and place a group order from the Conservation District. The only trick to ordering plants this way is some do not come in containers – they will be bare root. You’ll want to either get them planted in the ground within a day or two (making sure to prevent the roots from drying out) or else pot the plants into containers to grow that way for a while. Either method, you’ll want to check for kinks, tears or die back on the roots before planting. Trim off any dead, dying or damaged root sections. Use a clean, sharp tool to do this.

Once the containerized plants are all potted up, store in a sheltered area away from winds and wicked outdoor conditions. Check at least once a week and water regularly. The plants can stay in containers for a while, but not longer than a year if possible. Remember, the best time to plant in our area is from September through about April, sometimes into May and June.

Native plants are very resilient and adapted to our climate and conditions, but they need care at the beginning until their roots get established. Monitor their need for water during our often very dry summers and early falls. Remember too that soil in containers dries out faster than in a garden.

Consider going together with family, friends or neighbors for a group order. Have a planting party to get those native plants in the ground the weekend you pick them up from the Conservation District plant sale. Have a big party with lots of good food and beverages to reward yourselves for your hard work.

Happy Planting.

Share on Facebook

Hello Readers,
Today, together, we begin a blog called “Plant Life.” I’m Peg Tillery and I work for WSU Kitsap Extension as a Horticulture and Shoreline Educator. In this blog you’ll find ramblings and tips about plants and all things green. I’m also the WSU Kitsap Extension Shoreline Educator and I work with Jeff Adams, Washington Sea Grant. We coordinate the Beach Watcher Program and the Rain Garden Mentor Program. You’ll want to also check out his blog called “Sea Life.” The coolest thing about our jobs is we get to work with amazing volunteers and also help the public learn about gardening and our marine shores – including the non-human creatures that live on the land and in the sea. Such a deal! I hope you’ll send in your horticulture questions or questions about the programs we coordinate. The WSU Kitsap Extension website where you’ll find much more infomation about all the educational classes and workshops and resources we have to offer is http://kitsap.wsu.edu – check us out, you’ll be glad you did. I’ll sign off for now, but please check back regularly.

Share on Facebook