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Writer's pictureJudith Cox

Eleven

Updated: May 14, 2021


Keeping on top of your garden chores. Plants on the Dark Side: Wild Parsnip.

Greetings fellow gardeners,


It has been a busy week with lots of watering and making sure all of the seedlings are in the ground. Every time I think I have finished planting; I find one more. I have started more marigolds to add to my netted pots and have added some pots directly into the garden to add interest. While it is nice to take a break from planting, the weeding chores have increased. Burdock babies are showing up everywhere along with the usual culprits. Be very careful if you are weeding near your new seedlings. While we don’t want the weeds, if the weed is close to your young vegetables, they might disturb the area and you will find that you are pulling your vegetables along with the weeds. Leave those weeds alone until your vegetables become more established.


Water is the number one chore you need to do each day in your garden. If it has rained in the night, then check the soil to be sure enough rain has come down to water your plants. Try to water close to the soil and pay attention to your plants in pots.


If your lilac bushes have finished blooming you can prune off the old blooms and any spindly growth to a stronger pair of buds. Mine is near my vegetables so I had the benefit of early pollinators and I saw a lot of butterflies this spring.


Every day as I water, I am checking for whatever might be eating my garden. There are squirrels and chipmunks digging in pots and around the garden, all sorts of creatures are laying eggs that turn into worms that eat a variety of foliage. I pick off the worms and keep a close eye out for damage. So far, the rabbits have not turned up, I can thank the fox for that, and the groundhog seems to have moved on. There have been a few slugs and snails about but I have also found toads so that is a good balance.


This week I have started my weekly feedings of a weak solution of fish emulsion fertilizer. As I do this each Friday, I call it Friday Feedings. I suppose if I chose Mondays, I could call it Monday Munchies. So many possibilities. When it comes to fertilizing you will find that less is more. You want a good crop of vegetables not just lots of leaves so be careful of the nitrogen levels. As my comfrey continues to grow, I will soon pick the leaves to make comfrey tea. You make comfrey tea with chopped comfrey leaves that sit in a pot and are covered with water. It needs to sit at least 48 hours. This is a great organic treat for my garden, but it does have an odour that will curl your toes. Sometimes I just chop the leaves and spread them around to add nutrients.


Enjoy your week and now that we can wander a bit more you may find me in a nursery checking out the stock and looking for interesting vegetables; something fun and colourful.


Judith (email lapisdragonarts@gmail.com)



Plants from the Dark Side


Wild Parsnip


I remember the first time I went to the doctor with a weird rash that would not go away. That was my introduction to wild parsnip. At the time they did not know what it was, and many outdoor workers were coming in with it, so it was named the landscaper’s rash.


Wild parsnip is a biennial and starts out with a low rosette of leaves in its first year as the roots form and in the second year it flowers with yellow umbel flowers that look like Queen Anne’s lace flowers. The plant grows to over a meter in height and the seeds can spread easily. If the sap from any part of the plant gets on your skin and the sun shines on it then rashes will occur. These rashes start out looking like poison ivy, but they do not dry up like poison ivy. The serum in the blisters gets thicker and yellow and when it finally passes a scar remains. Of course, some people are immune to these plants just as some are immune to poison ivy.

  • The plant can form dense stands that outcompete native plants, reducing biodiversity.

  • Stem, leaves, and flowers contain chemicals that can increase skin sensitivity to sunlight and cause severe dermatitis.

  • Wild parsnip reduces the quality and saleability of agricultural forage crops such as hay, oats, and alfalfa.

  • Chemical compounds in the plant are known to reduce weight gain and fertility in livestock that eat it. https://www.ontario.ca/page/wild-parsnip


You need to exercise caution when dealing with wild parsnip. If you are working on it try to do so on a cloudy day. When you finish wash your hands with sunlight soap as you do when you are in contact with poison ivy. I make sure to wash myself and my clothes after dealing with it. Do not let the wild parsnip in your area go to flower. Cut all the flowers off then try to destroy the plants themselves. The city will not take wild parsnip in the green bin and you do not want it in your compost so put it in a garbage bag to sit in the sun. Because I have an organic garden, I do not use chemicals to destroy the plant but if you have a large infestation it is recommended to call a professional to get rid of it. Again, err on the side of caution with this plant.






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