Wild parsnip, also known as poison parsnip, is flowering now, and it is ubiquitous all over the state, cropping up on roadsides, in abandoned meadows and fields.
As it flourishes, this biennial invasive reduces the biodiversity of other plants, insects and wildlife. That is why reducing its spread is important, but it must also be done with a certain caution.
Wild parsnip sap contains a chemical that can make your skin more vulnerable to sunlight. If you get the sap on you, it can cause blistering and burning within a day or two.
It grows about 4 feet tall with yellow flowers or umbels that resemble Queen Anne's lace. When wild parsnip is in its second year, it can drop tons of seeds, spreading readily.
Aim to pull the flowers out after a good rain. When the soil is moist, it will be easier to pull it up, root and all. Cover any exposed skin — wear long sleeves, pants, boots and gloves — to avoid getting sap on your skin.
If wild parsnip is covering a large portion of your land, a scythe might be faster. Cut it all down right at the soil line.
Continue to remove wild parsnip in this manner for three to five years, as that's how long the seeds will last in the soil.
If you stay on top of it, you can eliminate it from your fields, and soon enough, you'll have a meadow with space once again for native flowers and plants to thrive.
What plants thrive in a greenway between sidewalk and street
Q: I have a greenway between the sidewalk in front of my house and the street and I'd like to plant something there. I've planted daffodil bulbs that have not done well. The space does get some salt and snow from the plows as they go through in the winter, but my neighbor across the street has success with some roses. I was thinking about some sort of hydrangea to put there but have no idea which kinds of hydrangeas would work best. The greenspace is south facing with lots of direct sunlight. - Lianna, via email
A: Choose tougher plants that can thrive in those potentially difficult conditions. The arborescens hydrangea is a tough one, and even if it dies back to the ground, it'll send up new shoots and flower again.
Also consider a number of sturdy and tougher perennials like baptisia, Russian sage, rudbeckia, asters, daylilies, ornamental grasses or bunching grasses, like bluestem.
Peony plants need saving
Q: Three years ago, I noticed a disease on my peonies following the wet spring. I thought it was due to the wet spring and that it would clear up when the weather dried out. However, it was back last year, so I treated it with copper-based fungicide. This year it has spread throughout my peony garden, infecting nearly all of the 30 peony plants. The small buds are turning black, and the stems are dying at the base. What can I do to save my plants? It is a well-established bed that has been in this same spot for 30 years. I introduced a new plant four years ago. Perhaps it brought disease with it? - Doris, via email
A: It sounds like botrytis blight or leaf blotch might be affecting your peonies. These diseases thrive in humid, wet and cool conditions, like we've had the last couple springs.
A couple of remedies could help, like this one you can try in the fall: Once the peonies have started dying back, cut them all back down to the ground, and remove foliage and any dead blossoms. The diseases' inoculum live in that plant material, so be sure to move it away from the space entirely.
And if they're really tightly packed together, consider moving some of them this fall to make a little more space and increase air circulation.
Copper-based fungicides can be used as a preventive spray. Hit them with it when the peonies first come out of the ground, then spray them again every two weeks.
Hopefully these tips will protect your peonies so they'll flower beautifully next year.
How to get a potted fig tree to produce fruits
Q: I just purchased a Chicago Hardy fig tree (rated for negative 20 degrees). I’m excited but also nervous about caring for it. I planted it in a pot for this year and not sure if I should take it in for the winter, or leave it outside. When I lived in Boston, I had a friend who had a giant fig tree that they would bend and bury in a shallow pit the winter! I don’t want to have to do that. - Liz, in Middlesex
A: Welcome to the "fig tree in a pot" club! A number of folks around the state grow figs in pots for years, and have great success.
To have your own success, keep the fig well watered in its container, and in full sun. The fig will grow and thrive and you'll be harvesting a few figs later in the season.
Continue to keep it watered well, because if the figs dry out once they've set, the plant will drop the figs prematurely.
Come September, leave the container outdoors until a frost has killed back the leaves and they've dropped off the plant. Then, move the plant in its container to a protected spot like a basement or shed that stays between 35 and 50 degrees through the winter.
In this cool and dark environment, the fig tree will go dormant. Then, come spring, bring it back out after the last frost, and get it growing again.
After a couple years, you'll likely need to take it from its container, root prune it, and add more fertilizer and compost, but you'll have a fig harvest for years to come!
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