Often, we are presented with advice that sounds like a fact. “Bone meal is good for plants” or “Native plants are always the best choice”. You would think that experience has taught us that there are few facts in life, but things are not always so clear – especially in the world of horticulture.
A website based at the University of Washington State attempts to bust a lot of popular notions that we have about how to be successful gardeners.
Here are some of the more common “myths” addressed and what they say about them.
Myth of xeriscaping.
We have written about the use of plants that manage high and low amounts of water. You might say that once a sedum plant is established, it requires no water from us. According to the website article on the subject, “Xerophytes (plants commonly used in xeriscaping) are particularly adept at taking up and storing water when it’s available.”
Plants that do not require a lot of water often go dormant when dry, dropping leaves and flowers. Ironically, a study in Arizona found that homeowners understood the ecological benefits of xeriscaping but often ended up irrigating more to maintain aesthetics throughout the dry season.
The lesson? Resist the temptation to water a xeriscape garden in times of drought no matter what they look like while dry. The important thing about xerophytic plants is that they will come back when the drought subsides. Just be patient.
Myth of native plant superiority.
We are advocates for native plants and gardens. Mark is President of Trees For Life, a not for profit organization dedicated to planting native trees in the urban environment. But there is a caveat, according to the University of Washington website, native plants can suffer from “Significant compaction and other physical disturbances because of animal, pedestrian, and vehicular traffic. Alkaline pH due to leaching of lime from concrete. Lack of mulch or other soil protection, lack of adequate water in summer months, increased heat load from asphalt reflectance and air pollution.” We find it hard to argue that the urban environment can be very hostile to plants, native or otherwise.
The bottom line is to choose plants that are suited to their growing conditions. Sun and shade are easy to determine but also consider soil (clay requires a thoughtful plant selection), compaction from human traffic, and only plant woodland plants in a woodland.
Myth of Landscape Fabric: the use of it provides permanent control of weeds.
Our experience tells us that the reverse is true. We don’t need this website to tell us that once the geotextile (synthetic) landscape fabric is laid down, it harbours weed seeds, becomes entangled with existing plant roots, and begins to degrade but never completely goes away. The claims of weed control are indeed a myth. Mark recently bought a house where the previous owner used copious quantities of landscape fabric for whatever purpose. He tries to imagine what went through the homeowner’s mind, as Mark pulls the stuff out by the handful.
Bottom line: there is no substitute for regular weeding and mulching with a natural material like cedar bark.
You may have some fun enjoying the contrarian views at “https://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/” https://puyallup.wsu.edu/lcs/, or consider joining Canada’s own Garden Myth-Buster Robert Pavlis at his website “http://www.gardenmyths.com” www.gardenmyths.com and his very active Facebook group by the same name.
No need to feel you must agree with the views offered here, but they will stir your mind on a cold winter’s day.
Mark Cullen is an expert gardener, author, broadcaster, tree advocate and Member of the Order of Canada. His son Ben is a fourth-generation urban gardener and graduate of University of Guelph and Dalhousie University in Halifax. Follow them at markcullen.com, @markcullengardening, and on Facebook.
