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A nub, or dog's ear, is the piece of a twig or branch that is left behind after a bad pruning job. Leaving a nub sticking out interferes with a plant's natural ability to heal a wound. It also creates a foundation that can catch leaves, providing the perfect shelter for problem bugs and fungi. The nubs themselves, being too far from the branch collar for proper healing, often take longer to heal or don't heal at all. This provides an easy entrance for fungi and borers.  Nubs may be great for hanging windchimes, but they are not good for your trees To properly prune a twig or small branch, it is best to cut as close to the branch collar as you can. The branch collar is the ring from which a twig emerges. Do not cut the branch collar. There is no need to paint or treat a properly trimmed branch. Plants already know how to handle that on their own.
So, off with their nubs! Patience is one of those things that tends to fall by the wayside as people rush around like headless chickens, trying to accomplish too much, too fast, without any thought to courtesy or physics.
In the garden, patience is a crucial ingredient of success. Rather than flooding your plants, food, and soil with toxic chemicals, let the plants guide your efforts. If your trees and shrubs look green and healthy, don't give them precious water resources. They have found their own. Take the time to learn about your soil and observe which plants are thriving and which are struggling. Do you really need to grow plants that are not suited to your microclimate? Look closely at your plants. You may be surprised at the complexity and symmetry that occur naturally. It can also give you an early warning of potential problems. Being patient in your garden allows you the opportunity to discover what is right and best for you and your yard. You may even be able to experience that natural calmness in other areas of your life. Drought can wreak havoc on farms and mature trees, but gray water can be used to reduce the impact on your yard. According to UC Davis, "Gray water is untreated waste water which has not come into contact with toilet waste." This includes water collected from the shower, bath, washing machine, or sink.
You should check with your local authorities to learn about specific restrictions on the use of gray water in your area. Gray water should never be considered potable (safe to drink). Personally, I avoid using it on food crops, but it does wonders on ornamentals, trees, flowers, and the lawn without wasting fresh drinking water.
A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions that results in water-related problems. According to the USGS, 2016 was the hottest on record and 2019 came in second. These are trends that can have a big impact on our gardens and landscapes.  Drought and hot summers dry up gardens and landscapes With responsible water conservation, you can reduce water stress to plants in your yard by improving soil quality with compost and mulch and watering more frequently, but with less water. Just as a dry sponge allows water to runoff, rather than being absorbed, soil works the same way.
Another way to reduce water use is to replace your lawn with drought-tolerant plants that are better suited to your local climate. Plants have evolved over millions of years to survive and thrive in very specific environments. By growing native plants, you can take advantage of all that evolution! Contact your local Native Plant Society today to learn how. |
Welcome!You can grow a surprising amount of food in your own yard. Ask me how! To help The Daily Garden grow, you may see affiliate ads sprouting up in various places.
You can also get my books, Stop Wasting Your Yard! and What's Growing Wrong?  Index
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