• Home
  • Meet Mary Schier
  • Speaking
  • Writing
  • Contact
  • Northern Gardener Book

My Northern Garden

August 31, 2011 · 3 Comments

When Is It Time to Remove Plant Thugs?

Plants

This past weekend, I dug up some of the plant thugs from my garden. It was an odd group, including cucumber plants, daylilies and giant ragweed. They have little in common except that I was sick of them.  Each plant earned its spot in the compost pile and garbage for different reasons.

young ragweed plant

This is a young ragweed plant. This is the time to get them — do not wait until they are 6 feet tall!

Because it is a weed

The ragweed came out of the meadow behind our house. It is indeed giant ragweed – growing 7 or 8 feet tall and sending pollen all over the place. This is a major plant thug. It took over one corner of the meadow a couple of years ago, and showed signs of moving outward from there. I’m planning to plant some grasses and other forbs in that spot in order to hold off the ragweed next year.

Because it acts like a weed

I planted my cucumbers as seed rather late this year due to the cold spring. Not expecting them to grow that well, I let about six cucumber plants survive. Big mistake! With the rain and heat this summer, the cucumbers went crazy, covering their designated trellis and bed and crawling into beds with green beans, tomatoes, even twining their foliage around raspberry plants. It had to stop. We could not eat all the cucumbers the plants were producing and they were interfering with their plant neighbors. So Sunday I harvested the mature fruit for pickles and then cut the plants at the base. It took a bit of gentle tugging, but I got most of the foliage out of the bed. I still have time to seed spinach or lettuce in that bed, which will make for some tasty fall salads.

yellow stella d oro daylily blooms

Stella, it’s over between us.

Because it was time

Finally, the daylilies. A lot of garden writers and bloggers like to hate on ‘Stella d’Oro’ daylilies because they are ubiquitous, planted in every mall parking lot in the U.S. I’m not among them.  These prolific re-bloomers are the perfect plant for areas you do not want to have to think about much. (And, we’ve all got those spots.)  Stella is not a garden thug in the sense that she spreads. Stellas  have been hanging out on the north side of my house, blooming despite the shade and not asking for anything but an annual hair cut, for 12 years. I have some hostas that need to be moved due to a different project, so out went Stella and in went the hostas.

Fall is a good time for garden rejuvenation, and with these three spots now empty, it almost feels like the spring.

Related posts:

  1. Stella!! That’s my garden blogger’s imitation of Stanley Kowalski. Stella is...
  2. Why Soil Matters to Plant Growth For a visual reminder of why soil matters so much...
  3. Right Plant, Right Place One of the most repeated mantras in gardening is “right...
« The Joy of Good Tools
Sunflower at Sunset »

Comments

  1. Karen says

    September 1, 2011 at 12:13 am

    Ragweed can be such a nuisance, good riddance, and I wish I’d planted cucumbers this year, but I know how they can spread all over. Stella D’oro is dependable as the day is long, though some people hate it, I do like her, too.

  2. commonweeder says

    September 1, 2011 at 9:13 am

    I have a volunteer squash plant a neighbor gave me and it is taking over, but I have to wait it out, because it does have squash ripening. I look forward to September and a clean out, though.

  3. Deborah Lippitt says

    January 5, 2022 at 10:36 am

    Day lilies do have nice blooms.So? Even with a huge yard ..you leave these plants for a few years and you need a backhoe to get them out!!
    I’ve lived 2 places where Day Lilies were well established but I wanted something else there…get the backhoe! I had to get my husband to help get them out. He hates them. (And I am strong)
    The root system forms a HUGE mass. I’m still trying to get all the tubers removed from different areas. You miss 1 small bit and it will start re-establishing.
    Looks like I am one of the detractors!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • RSS Feed for Posts

Grow it, Minnesota Podcast

Now Available!

My Northern Garden book

Follow on Instagram

mynortherngarden_mary

Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a g Are you trying winter sowing this year? Now is a good time to sow perennials. Winter sowing is a way to get more plants at less cost by sowing seeds outdoors in mini-greenhouses in winter. The best greenhouse is a one-gallon milk jug. (Edit: leave the caps off! This was my first attempt at winter sowing and I did it wrong. The podcast episode explains why.) 

For advice on how to do it from an expert, check out a podcast episode from 2021 where Michelle Mero Riedel explains her process. Great info! Link in bio and in stories. #wintersowing #mnpodcast #mngardening
#gardenpodcast
#growyourownflowers
What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida c What’s new in 2023? My winter break in Florida coincided with the Tropical Plant International Expo so I had to attend. Research! So many cool houseplants. And pots! And roses with scent. And new ideas about everything from pest control to house plants as decor and gifts. Enjoy! 
.
.
.
#tpie #tpie2023 #houseplants #gardentrends
When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s When you’re up to your knees in new snow, it’s time to dig out your lists of favorite plants and start planning ✍️ this year’s garden.

My January newsletter includes lists of best annuals for pollinators (of course zinnias are on the list), best herbs for beginners and a link to a slightly older blog post about best trees for urban gardens in our current and future climate. Check it out and start making your own list of go-to plants! 

Link to the newsletter is in bio and stories. Please subscribe for occasional tips for Northern gardeners. 
.
.
.
#gardeningtips #annualflowers #pollinatorfriendly #urbantrees
2022 — uff-da — what a year! A few photos al 2022 — uff-da — what a year! 

A few photos all reeled together that mostly weren’t on instagram. Wishing you all a Happy New Year and a bloom-filled, homegrown 2023. 

Highlights include: Garden shots from Florida, England, my home garden, St. Cloud and Washington County, Minnesota, plus the Minnesota State Fair dahlia garden. Steve and I at Hadrian’s wall, then being escorted off the cruise ship after we got Covid (do NOT recommend!), harvest dinner at my brother’s farm in Wisconsin, my friend, Julie’s, indoor ripening set up for the Aleppo peppers she helped me trial, a bit of garden philosophy and @resawithoutherspoon’s amazing Christmas cookies. 
.
.
.
#gardenforlife #gardenyear #mynortherngarden #zone4gardening #happynewyear
Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep goi Poinsettias are nice but kind of tough to keep going with the heat running 24/7. So how about some holiday plants that are not poinsettias. Norfolk Island pine, rosemary, paperwhites, amaryllis or any houseplant with red veining add that holiday cheer and are easier to keep alive or are not meant to last, so no need for guilt when they are gone. 

I have a post over on the @mnhort website with info about great holiday plant gifts that are NOT poinsettias. Link in bio and stories. 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #holidayhouseplants #amaryllis #norfolkislandpine #paperwhites
My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Co My new favorite holiday plant is lemon cypress. Cool color. Interesting form. Not too hard to take care of. Put this on your houseplant must-have list! 
.
.
.
#lemoncypress #holidayhouseplants #houseplantslover #coldclimategardening #mngardener
Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climat Extra! Extra! My latest newsletter for cold-climate gardeners is out. About every six weeks, I send seasonal info on plants and garden tasks plus lots of links to gardening resources, books to read and more. 

The current issue includes a cute idea for a hostess gift for the holidays (pictured), a free download on recommended tomato varieties for northern gardeners and some musings on talking about gardening with folks suffering from dementia (lots of memories grow in the garden!) It's free, not too long and only comes out once in a while. 

Link to the current issue in bio plus stories. 
Pix: the hostess gift, my mom's amazing blue hydrangeas, one of the recommended tomato varieties (can you guess which one?) 
.
.
.
#holidaydecor #coldclimategardening #mngardening #besttomatoesever #gardeninspo
Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago t Happy Birthday to my book! It was five years ago today that the Minnesota Historical Society Press published The Northern Gardener: From Apples to Zinnias. 

The book is about 85 percent how-to for gardeners in USDA Zones 3 and 4 and 15 percent history of organized horticulture in Minnesota. It's still available and selling. It's always a thrill when gardeners tell me that they read the book and it helped them. That's why garden writers write garden books (believe me, it isn't the money!). 

If you are looking for a gift for a northern gardener in your life, this might be an option. It's widely available and because it's been around awhile, it's frequently discounted. 

Photos include two of my favorite sections of the book -- one on martagon lilies (more gardeners should grow them) and one on buckthorn, which gardeners used to love (hence they photographed their families near the shrub) and is now a terror in the woods here. We're always learning.
.
.
.
#mnhspress #mybook #gardenreading #thenortherngardener #mngardening #mnhort
So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium h So much growth in 5 weeks! This scented geranium has put on a lot of foliage and the reason must be the light in my new sunroom. It gets east, south and north light. Even in November when we are pretty dark in Minnesota, it’s doing fine. Great plant that I picked up for $1 at the @hennepin.extension.gardeners sale in October. #happyhouseplants #scentedgeranium #attarofroses #sunroom #houseplantsofinstagram #northerngarden
Is it too early to think about decorating for the Is it too early to think about decorating for the holidays? Nah! I checked out the ideas at @shopbachmans Holiday Inspiration nights this week. Looks like sparkles and an updated Mad Men vibe is trending this holiday season. Love it!  #holidayporchdecor #holidayideas #notanad #sparkle #bachmansideahouse #christmasdecor
Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA, October 20 Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island, WA,
October 2021.

I've been meaning to share this image for over a year. Enjoy! And, if you get a chance, visit the Bloedel Reserve, an expansive, calming garden in the Pacific Northwest. 

#gardentravel #japanesegarden #bloedelreserve #bainbridgeisland #gardenwriter #fallinthegarden
#nofilterneeded
I've been looking out my bedroom window recently o I've been looking out my bedroom window recently on this stunning dogwood. It's called Arctic Fire and is a more compact dogwood, though this one is more than 5 feet tall. What's not to love about those purple/red/yellow leaves and the creamy berries. The branches are a deep red and I will totally be harvesting some of them for a holiday container come November. 

Arctic Fire grows well in lots of sun conditions. This one is between two townhomes and faces east, so it gets decent light in the morning but is in shade in the afternoon. It also tolerates a lot of different soil conditions, which is good because this baby is planted in clay, clay, clay. My understanding is it's only been in the ground a couple of years, but it's growing really well. 

This is a cultivar of Cornus stolonifera, which is native to a lot of North America, including Minnesota. A great choice for smaller gardens and landscapes, especially if you are looking for four season interest. I can't wait to see the flowers in spring. 

#fallshrubs #fallcolor #bestmnplants #arcticfiredogwood #fallcolor #winterinterest #mngardens #nofilterneeded
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Top Posts & Pages

  • How to Pollinate a Meyer Lemon Tree
  • Growing Lilies in Containers
  • How to Grow Lemons in the North (Plus a Recipe)
  • Winter Sowing for Flowers and Vegetables
  • How to Use the Winter Sowing Method to Start Seeds Outdoors
  • Snow's Insulation Power in Winter
  • Winter Sowing Native Plants, Two Ways
  • Out-Smarting Japanese Beetles (And Some Good News)
  • What to Do with Not-Quite-Ripe Winter Squash? Recipes Included
  • 7 Easy Annuals to Grow from Seed

Post Categories

  • Books/Writing
  • Climate
  • How to
  • Plants
  • Recipes
  • Uncategorized
  • Why We Garden

Copyright © 2023 · captivating theme by Restored 316