Thursday, October 30, 2008
Lily of the Valley trees and testing pH in soil
John Arbogast
Landscape consultant John Arbogast answers your questions every Thursday. Send questions about your lawn, garden, plants, or insects to:
Dear John
5102 Greenfield St. SW
Roanoke, Va. 24018
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Q: I have read about an attractive tree that does well in Virginia. It is called the Lily of the Valley tree. The name sounds wonderful, but I’d like to know what makes this tree so special. What do you know about the Lily of the Valley tree? Should I look for one of these next spring? I have a rather small yard, so I hope this tree doesn’t get too big, if you recommend it.
A: I was given two of these flowering trees, both young, here in Roanoke,and I love them. One of the tree's common names, Lily of the Valley, was given to praise its long clusters of white flowers, which can emerge after the tree becomes well established. Other common names of this outstanding tree are sourwood, which I guess means that people and wildlife find the taste of its wood to be sour, or the common name, sorrel tree. Its botanical name is Oxydendrum arboreum.
Yes, I would suggest that you look for a Lily of the Valley tree this fall or winter, and plant it in a sunny spot next spring where you and visitors can enjoy its year-round beauty. This tree should be in scale with your small yard, as I would put the tree in the small- to medium-sized category. Lily of the Valley trees mature to about 25 to 30 feet in height, with a spread of approximately 20 feet, but I know they can grow a little bigger. As a comparison, the Lily of the Valley tree gets a little bigger than a flowering dogwood.
Your note doesn’t say what part of Virginia you live in, but the Lily of the Valley tree should be suitable for all parts of the Commonwealth.
I’ve already talked about the gorgeous flowers. The four- to 10-inch-long drooping clusters of flowers appear in very late spring to early summer. And they smell good, too.
Summer interest in a Lily of the Valley tree comes from its lustrous dark green leaf color.
The tree’s fall interest comes from its leaf colors, too, which can range from pinkish-red to brilliant red to purple.
During the winter, you and visitors can enjoy a sourwood’s attractive bark, which, according to Dr. Michael A. Dirr’s book, "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants," is grayish brown to black with thick, deep furrows, and scaly ridges that are often cut horizontally.
I would most assuredly recommend planting a sourwood tree. To maximize the tree's beautiful attributes, though, this tree should be planted as a young specimen into an acidic, organic, moist but well-drained soil -- the type of soil that azaleas would like. However, unlike azaleas, the site for a sourwood tree should be in full sun or only partial shade with flowering and fall color maximized in sun. According to Dr. Dirr, this tree does reasonably well in dry soils but it is not good for polluted, urban areas.
Q: I fertilized my bluegrass-and-fescue lawn using a crisscross directions with my spreader earlier this fall here in western Virginia. But in spite of a dark green grass color in most of the lawn, there is a yellowy-green area that does not have that dark green color. What should I do?
A: The first thing I’d recommend is this: Take soil tests from the differently colored areas. You can even take more soil tests to separate the front-yard grass from the backyard grass. However, keep in mind that, for each test area, you’ll have resulting recommendations that you don’t want to make too difficult for yourself to carry out.
Soil testing is available through your local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices and certain turf suppliers and lawn services. I believe that there is a charge for each soil test area.
Your purpose in soil testing will be to see if there is a difference in the soil pH in each of the differently colored spots: You ought to find a pH of around 6.2 to 6.5 for bluegrass and fescues, but might find that nutrients are unavailable in spots in which the pH is above or below that range. Soil pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. PH readings below that are classified as acidic, but pH readings above neutral are classified as alkaline.
Be sure to follow directions for collecting soil from scattered spots for testing so that the results and recommendations that follow will be accurate.
A: I was given two of these flowering trees, both young, here in Roanoke,and I love them. One of the tree's common names, Lily of the Valley, was given to praise its long clusters of white flowers, which can emerge after the tree becomes well established. Other common names of this outstanding tree are sourwood, which I guess means that people and wildlife find the taste of its wood to be sour, or the common name, sorrel tree. Its botanical name is Oxydendrum arboreum.
Yes, I would suggest that you look for a Lily of the Valley tree this fall or winter, and plant it in a sunny spot next spring where you and visitors can enjoy its year-round beauty. This tree should be in scale with your small yard, as I would put the tree in the small- to medium-sized category. Lily of the Valley trees mature to about 25 to 30 feet in height, with a spread of approximately 20 feet, but I know they can grow a little bigger. As a comparison, the Lily of the Valley tree gets a little bigger than a flowering dogwood.
Your note doesn’t say what part of Virginia you live in, but the Lily of the Valley tree should be suitable for all parts of the Commonwealth.
I’ve already talked about the gorgeous flowers. The four- to 10-inch-long drooping clusters of flowers appear in very late spring to early summer. And they smell good, too.
Summer interest in a Lily of the Valley tree comes from its lustrous dark green leaf color.
The tree’s fall interest comes from its leaf colors, too, which can range from pinkish-red to brilliant red to purple.
During the winter, you and visitors can enjoy a sourwood’s attractive bark, which, according to Dr. Michael A. Dirr’s book, "Manual of Woody Landscape Plants," is grayish brown to black with thick, deep furrows, and scaly ridges that are often cut horizontally.
I would most assuredly recommend planting a sourwood tree. To maximize the tree's beautiful attributes, though, this tree should be planted as a young specimen into an acidic, organic, moist but well-drained soil -- the type of soil that azaleas would like. However, unlike azaleas, the site for a sourwood tree should be in full sun or only partial shade with flowering and fall color maximized in sun. According to Dr. Dirr, this tree does reasonably well in dry soils but it is not good for polluted, urban areas.
Q: I fertilized my bluegrass-and-fescue lawn using a crisscross directions with my spreader earlier this fall here in western Virginia. But in spite of a dark green grass color in most of the lawn, there is a yellowy-green area that does not have that dark green color. What should I do?
A: The first thing I’d recommend is this: Take soil tests from the differently colored areas. You can even take more soil tests to separate the front-yard grass from the backyard grass. However, keep in mind that, for each test area, you’ll have resulting recommendations that you don’t want to make too difficult for yourself to carry out.
Soil testing is available through your local Virginia Cooperative Extension offices and certain turf suppliers and lawn services. I believe that there is a charge for each soil test area.
Your purpose in soil testing will be to see if there is a difference in the soil pH in each of the differently colored spots: You ought to find a pH of around 6.2 to 6.5 for bluegrass and fescues, but might find that nutrients are unavailable in spots in which the pH is above or below that range. Soil pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14. A pH of 7 is neutral. PH readings below that are classified as acidic, but pH readings above neutral are classified as alkaline.
Be sure to follow directions for collecting soil from scattered spots for testing so that the results and recommendations that follow will be accurate.
