INTO THE GARDEN: ; Surviving the Wheezing and Sneezing Season

Oct 08, 11:51 PM

Current Headlines: By Sara Busse

Ahhhhh-Choo! Followed by "honk, honk." Is this chorus and verse a familiar tune at your house? Around here, that song is accompanied by the dance to the Puffs box.

I'm not a doctor, and I don't even play one here in the newspaper, but I do have a few tips that will help my gardening friends survive the sneezin' season.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's Fall Allergy Guide, fall pollen season has begun, much to the dismay of the more than 36 million Americans who suffer from seasonal allergies.

"Ragweed, the most common outdoor allergen during the fall, is the most prevalent throughout the Northeast, South and Midwest from mid-August through October. It is commonly found in fields and around roadsides, but this stubborn plant can grow practically anywhere," the experts at the academy explain.

"Allergy sufferers in urban areas also can feel the impact because ragweed grows in abundance in vacant lots. Each ragweed plant produces one billion pollen grains per average season and due to their lightweight texture, the grains can travel up to 400 miles."

The higher the pollen count, the worse the allergic reaction. The pollen count will be at its highest on a perfect summer day, clear sky, no rain and gentle breezes. Higher counts are found on sunny days as pollen spreads and transfers from one flower to another, while the lower counts are associated with overcast and cloudy days. Some days are worse than others. So go to www.pollen.com and check the pollen counts before you go out.

Fall is when the molds, fungal spores and other allergens kick in. Because it's time for leaf raking, remember that when you rake, you stir up leaf mold. Ask your doctor if you can take an antihistamine before you rake, and be sure to take a shower and wash your raking clothes to get rid of all of those irritants.

(I went nuts recently when my daughter worked in the yard and then had the nerve to lounge all over my bed. I was sure she had put all of that pollen and leaf mold on my pillow on purpose!)

Remember that the dogs carry those same pollens and molds on their coats, so if your pet pals are allowed on the furniture, they are putting that sneeze-producing stuff right where you live.

Wearing gloves, goggles or a mask when mowing or raking helps - just a simple bandana around your nose and mouth works, as well. Avoid rubbing your eyes and nose.

A few other tips from Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, a fellow with the academy.

* Avoid allergy-producing plants such as amaranthus, coneflower, crocus, elderberry, juniper, peony, poppy and privet.

* Better choices for allergy sufferers include azalea, begonia, bougainvillea, cacti daffodil, daisy, dahlia, gladiola, Irish moss, iris, lily, marigold, narcissus, orchid, pansy, petunia, snapdragon, sunflower, tulip, violet and zinnia.

* Keep high pollen-producing plants away from the doors of your home as well as bedroom windows.

* The trend in "smart" gardening is to attempt to avoid large areas of lawn grass as well as using more natural native plants or even substituting a rock garden in place of turf.

To find other plants that will make your life more bearable, look for the book "Allergy Plants That Cause Sneezing and Wheezing" by Dr. Mary Jelks. This small paperback has some great suggestions for gardeners everywhere.

Tom Ogren has written many books that discuss human/plant allergic reactions. "Allergy-Free Gardening, What the Experts May Not Tell You About," "Growing the Perfect Lawn," and "Safe Sex in the Garden" (we're talking about plants here, not humans!) are all available through Amazon.com and other booksellers.

Ogren says many public plantings include the male versions of trees and shrubs as they are less "messy," with no seeds and pods to drop. But these same plants produce copious amounts of pollen. The female plants will trap the incoming airborne pollen from the pollen- producing male plants, as well. A relatively new numerical scale can help to predict the likelihood of each plant's potential to cause allergy. This scale is called OPALS, or Ogren Plant Allergy Scale. The scale uses a ranking system to provide guidance on plant selection.

Habitat for Humanity

Tomorrow, I will be honored to be a judge in the "Best Looking House" event at Jubilee Heights, the wonderful community created by the good folks at Habitat for Humanity. They are celebrating the completion of the subdivision with a dedication at 11 a.m. Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing pretty flowers and nice plantings, all done by the homeowners who live in these beautiful homes. My son and I have been fortunate enough to work on two of the homes in that area with our church, and it's one of the most fulfilling volunteer experiences I've ever had. Thanks, Habitat!

Put it to bed

Greg and Verena Sava, certified organic gardeners who have farmed and gardened organically for more than 30 years, offered their advice to a question a few weeks ago about putting the garden to bed for the winter. Greg said the information comes from his favorite reference, "Rodale's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening."

"In short, cover crops are used on bare soil for several reasons. The plants keep soil from eroding by merely being there, setting down roots and physically holding the soil in place. Other benefits include the "mining" of deep soil minerals by deep roots of rye bringing these up into the plant, which then will be incorporated in the upper regions of the soil in spring. If vetch is used, nitrogen will also be added to the soil. In either case organic matter, the building block of healthy soil will be added. Any cover crop will have to be either mowed before being tilled in spring or tilled in alive. Unless one has a tiny plot and strong back and can turn the soil over by hand, a good rear end tiller is a must for this task. Winter rye, wheat can be used. We always use rye. It is supposed to have some weed suppressing qualities- but this is another story.

Manure. If applied raw, much of the nutrients will be lost either to the air (ammonia smell) or leached out in the water system. Manure should be well composted before use as the bacterial action fixes the nitrogen in the bodies of the bacteria, which then is broken down and released slowly. This is the same with other nutrients. Compost's nutrients are released about 50 percent the first year and 50 percent of what's left the next, etc., so there is a gradual buildup of organic matter, and nutrients and a diminishing need for quantity over time. Newspapers by themselves should never be used. In the summer, newspapers under compost or mulch of some sort are an excellent way to suppress weeds. Over the summer, the newspapers will breakdown and be incorporated in the soil. Over the winter, the soil will be too cold for bacterial action to be effective.

So, bare ground should be covered in the winter to prevent erosion. Cover crops are effective. It must be done soon to establish cover.

* Pluses: brings up deep soil minerals, adds organic matter and stops erosion.

* Minuses: must be cut in spring, soil can be harder to till, but in the end will benefit. Also, green cover crops must be tilled in a few weeks before planting to allow for bacterial breakdown otherwise, this action will actually lower, temporarily, available nitrogen in the soil.

* Mulch will protect the soil, and leave the protected soil very soft and tillable in spring. However, it must be removed, at least where one is to plant, to allow the soil to warm up in spring. Once plants are established, it can be replaced as summer mulch."

Thanks, Greg and Verena!

Sara Busse is a Charleston resident and master gardener. She may be contacted at sjbosse@gmail.com.

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