Q: I have suddenly noticed a crop of mushrooms growing in one of my larger potted plants. The plant was outside all summer and then brought in in September. Two questions: Can I eat them? And will the fact that they are growing in the pot hurt the plant?
A: No, we don't ever advise eating mushrooms that haven't been properly identified by an expert. And since you don't know what they are, treat them as dangerous to toddlers and pets; remove and discard them.
Mushrooms grow on bark mulch and other organic matter, but the spores — just like seeds — have to be there. They could have come in during the summer or in any new potting soil or mulch you might have added to the pot. If the plant was new, you may never know the source of the mushrooms.
Mushrooms won't hurt the plant, but take them as a sign that you may be over-watering. To prevent further mushroom growth, try gently cultivating the top half-inch of soil in the pot and add a layer of sand. And in the future, don't over-water.
Q: What can I put in my empty pots on my front steps? They look so sad! And while you're at it, how about the empty window boxes? I want nothing leftover that's Christmas-like. I want something that will remind me that spring really is coming! I had mums in the containers until Halloween. And please make the cure cheap!
A: Is free cheap enough? For all containers during the winter, the longest-lasting greens you can use are pine and evergreens stuck right into the leftover dirt. If you've already emptied out the soil from last year's plantings, fill with cheap builder's sand, not salty beach sand. You can always reuse the sand later in the garden to promote drainage. Lightly dampen soil or sand and fill with clippings from your trees or a friend's. Colder weather and freezing nights will hold your branches in place, even in a windstorm. Add waterproof decorations like pinecones and dried seedpods or colored leaves or berries. Or you could make the containers "theme window boxes" and trim them with children's tiny plastic action figures or animals, or small kitchen tools, or hobby tools. Theme boxes could be very appropriate for boxes used outside a place of business, such as a restaurant or hair cutter or a dentist!
Want some free color? Add branches of forsythia that you have forced indoors. Just insert in the damp dirt or sand and think spring.
Q: Last year, I bought a spiky plant to use in my planter called a dragon plant. It was tall and sort of grassy, spiky, sword-leafed with a reddish edge. It was sold to me to give some additional height so everything wouldn't look so flat and one-dimensional in the pot, the salesperson said. At the end of the summer, everything else in the pot had croaked except the dragon plant, so I dug it out and put it in a pot — what a nice houseplant it was! It grew and grew all winter. This year, I kept it in the same pot and placed it outdoors, where the center has started to rot away. I've been able to pull out some of the rotting leaves, but I'm afraid I'm going to lose the plant. Can it be helped?
A: Your "dragon plant" is a Dracaena, probably a Dracaena marginata. There are two reasons for the rot: One is a fungus causing the leaves to rot at the center of the plant, and the other, more serious problem is root rot. If it's a fungus, sometimes the plant can be saved by cutting the top and rooting the stem in sand or vermiculite. If it's root rot, try repotting in fresh soil and a clean pot, and water sparingly.
Q: I haven't had to use much salt on walks this year, but I fear the worst is yet to come. I want to use something safer for the garden area near the front walk. Don't tell me to use cat litter or sand because it just plain doesn't work.
A: This winter certainly has been a blessing in disguise for the garden, but there will still be those icy days to come. We don't want you to fall — you certainly don't want a fall to mar your mobility with another year of gardening just around the corner.
The reason no gardener likes to use rock salt (sodium chloride) to melt ice near the garden is because every time it melts, it drains into nearby soil and can harm the water, plants and trees we all cherish. The next time it turns cold, you reapply the chemical, and over a few short years it will discolor and erode hard surfaces like concrete and brick and stone, as well as make the soil unplantable.
Ice-melt products made of potassium chloride, magnesium chloride or calcium chloride are slightly less harmful. They are slightly less corrosive, and they may contain some nutrients that plants can use. With any product used, read the label and apply the minimum amount suggested — more is not better. Apply, and then give it time to work its melting power. If you can, apply before the snow appears and temperatures drop. Don't bother applying ice melt when temperatures are extremely cold. Rock salt will be effective down to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Calcium chloride will be effective down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit. There's no product that will work below 5 degrees Fahrenheit unless you apply it very, very heavily. It would be better to stay safe at home and wait for the temperature to warm up.
Some other tips for keeping you and your plants ice-free the rest of the winter:
Don't put ice-melt products on top of snow. Shovel or snow-blow the snow away first.
If you can remove ice without a melting product, that would be safest for plants. Thin layers of ice can sometimes be chipped or scraped away, particularly if the sun is melting the ice, too.
Don't shovel or blow snow directly on top of plants and shrubs. Get out early and shovel or blow snow as soon as possible after the storm, so ice has less of a chance to form.
Work in a way that lets you avoid stepping on the snow before you remove it. Ice often forms where people have compacted the snow on the pavement by stomping on it.
And yes — please try using a product like cat litter or sand. It will at least give you traction on the ice rather than melting and will be safe for the vegetation.
This week's dirt
Keep your big feet out of the garden! I know it's tempting. After the mild and relatively snowless weather we had, it's a temptation to explore on a mild day and see just what's happening — have bulbs emerged early? Have the hydrangea buds managed to get by the few cold nights, and will they bloom beautifully this spring? Was all that winter mulching and burlap wrapping really necessary this year?
But every time you walk through the soft soil in the garden, you are compressing the soil, making it harder for tiny roots to begin growth and feed the plant. Don't make it harder for them. Plants that have heaved with temperature swings can be gently pressed back into place.
Keep your big feet out of the garden, or at least stay on the paths. If there is a wet area you must access, lay a board down over the mushy soil and step on the board to avoid compacting the soil. Remove the board when you are finished to prevent smothering another plant.
And the groundhog has spoken: Spring will be here in about six weeks.
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North Shore Gardener by Barbara Barger of Beverly is a feature of Friday's Lifestyles section. Reach Barbara by email at nsgardener@comcast.net or write to her c/o The Salem News, 32 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915. Previous North Shore Gardener columns can be found at www.nsgardener.com.
