Peonies and horseradish

Peonies and horseradish

There was landscaping around the deck that I demolished this summer. Summer is not the best time to move plants. Yesterday was a great day to move plants. We had about an inch-and-a-half of rain Saturday and Sunday with more on the way Tuesday and Wednesday.

Peonies are a durable plant that can be used to identify the sites of abandoned farm-houses. Daffodils and lilacs are other such markers.

One of those plants is a peony that the previous owners had planted UNDER the deck. It was never a happy plant. Yesterday, I dug up the peony roots and divided them. I ended up with about eight "starts".

Because my goal was to plant them in the Upper Orchard, and because planting eight divisions is not very much work, I also dug up about 10 horseradish crowns to make the trip worthwhile.

I am trying to stay in the good-graces of the neighbor whose property shares a property line with the Upper Orchard. I think he is pretty happy to have the brush removed. I think his wife will be happy to be able to look through their sliding glass door and see mowed grass and peonies blooming in the spring time.

It isn't pure altruism.  Good neighbors cannot be bought with money. A good neighbor will call you (or 911) if a shady crew shows up and starts timbering-off the Black Walnuts or removing equipment from a barn. A good neighbor will give you permission to track a deer across their land. A good neighbor is likely to agree to your putting a deer stand close to the property line as long as you demonstrate that you will be shooting AWAY from their property.

Besides, peonies have extra-floral nectary glands. That is, they exude nectar even before the flower opens. That would be pretty much the entire month of May in Michigan.

Why is that important?

Adult parasitoid wasps (which might be a swarm of over a hundred different species) that prey on orchard pests eat nectar. They live three times longer and, presumably, can lay eggs on three times as many pests when there are suitable sources of nectar.

The lazy, semi-organic orchardist who puts a little bit of thought and sweat into ensuring a steady succession or "shingling" of nectar sources from May 10 (in Michigan) until the end of June can avoid most spraying if his customers can tolerate some cosmetic damage to the fruit.

Horseradish is good for May 20-through June 10, which is an exceptionally long period for this application. Raspberries and Rugosa Rose follow. Turnip/rape/canola is in the mix during and after raspberries.

Rhubarb, when it flowers, is an incredible magnet for tiny wasps (back when we were kids we erroneously called them "flying ants"). Unfortunately, that flower stalk lasts for about three days before the flowers dry up and fall off. They cannot hold a candle to the three weeks that horseradish flowers feed the parasitoid wasps.