Why Jayme Matkozich Leaves Her Garden “Messy”

National Pollinator Week was June 22 to 28, the annual celebration started by the Pollinator Partnership to spotlight bees, butterflies, birds, and the other small creatures that keep our food and gardens going. It’s the perfect week to talk about something our own native plant specialist, Jayme Matkozich, has been preaching to J.A. Rutter customers for years: the best thing you can do for pollinators isn’t what you plant. It’s what you leave alone.

A Western PA Garden That Works All Year

Most of us were raised to think a good gardener cleans up in the fall. Cut everything back, bag the leaves, rake it bare, and call it tidy. Jayme does the opposite, and she has the birds and bugs to prove it works.

“I leave the seed heads up all fall, winter, and into early spring so I can enjoy the birds all year long,” Jayme said. “It’s basically bird seed on a stick. Why would I buy a bag of seed at the store when my coneflowers and cup plant are already growing it for free?”

That’s not just a nice sentiment. It’s backed by research. Penn State Extension’s Master Gardener program notes that birds will feast on the mature, nutritious seeds of flower heads like sunflowers, asters, black-eyed Susans, coneflowers, and goldenrod if gardeners leave them standing through winter instead of cutting them down in the fall cleanup rush.

It’s not only birds benefiting from the mess. Many native bees spend the winter tucked inside the same plants. Penn State Extension explains that several types of bees, including small carpenter bees, mason bees, and leaf cutter bees, carve out nests inside dry, hollow plant stems and spend the winter there, and the mason bees in particular are among the first pollinators active in fruit orchards each spring. Cut the stems down to the ground in October, and you’ve thrown out next year’s pollinators with the yard waste.

The Xerces Society, one of the leading invertebrate conservation groups in the country, puts it simply: providing winter cover is one of the single most valuable things a gardener can do for pollinators and other invertebrates.

July in the Garden: A Feast for the Senses

Pollinator Week falls right in the thick of peak garden season, and Jayme says that’s no accident.

“In July, the garden isn’t just visually buzzing with activity, it’s audibly buzzing,” she said. “You can hear the humming as you walk through it. It’s a feast for the senses, not just a feast for the eyes.”

That hum is the sound of a healthy native plant garden doing its job. Pennsylvania is home to roughly 450 species of native bees, most of them solitary, quiet, and easy to overlook because they don’t swarm or behave aggressively like honeybees can. When a garden is planted right, with native perennials blooming in succession through the season, you don’t just see pollinators. You hear them.

“Every time I go out there, I’m amazed at the variety,” Jayme added. “It’s not just bees. It’s wasps, cool spiders, flies, beetles and moths. The number of new insect friends keeps growing every year as the garden matures. That’s the real sign it’s working.”

Why This Matters Beyond One Backyard

Butterfly Weed
Blunt Mt Mint Wingstem Late Boneset
Big Bluestem
Swamp Milkweed
Prairie Blazing Star Smooth Penstemon Butterfly Weed
Button Bush
Pearly Everlasting
Shrubby St Johns Wort
Allegheny Monkey Flower Big Bluestem
Shrubby St Johns Wort Close Up
Shrubby St Johns Wort

Pollinators aren’t a side interest for gardeners. Three-fourths of the world’s flowering plants and about a third of human food crops depend on pollination to produce. And the populations doing that work are under real pressure. Congressional resolutions marking Pollinator Week this year point to the difficulties many pollinator species face, including the iconic Western Monarch butterfly, as a reason the week exists at all.

A home garden won’t reverse that trend on its own. But multiplied across a neighborhood, a township, a county, native plantings add up to real habitat. That’s the case Jayme has been making to J.A. Rutter customers all along: native plants aren’t just lower maintenance and better suited to our western PA soil and climate. They’re infrastructure for the insects and birds that the rest of the ecosystem depends on.

Three Things You Can Do For Pollinator Week

Jayme’s advice for anyone looking to get started, or looking to do a little less this fall:

Skip the fall cleanup, at least partway. Leave seed heads on coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, asters, and goldenrod through winter. The birds will use them, and so will overwintering insects.
Leave some stems standing. If you need to cut back, leave 8 to 24 inches of stalk above the ground on hollow-stemmed natives like bee balm, Joe Pye weed, and milkweed. That’s exactly the kind of housing cavity-nesting bees need.
Plant in succession. A garden with something blooming from spring through fall keeps pollinators fed the whole season, not just in June.

Want help figuring out which native plants will give you that audible, buzzing garden Jayme talks about? Stop by J.A. Rutter and ask for her. She’ll walk the aisles with you and point you toward what actually works in this region’s soil and climate, not just what looks good on a tag.

Sources: Penn State Extension Master Gardener Program (Lackawanna County); Penn State Extension “Fall Garden Care for Pollinators”; U.S. Senate Pollinator Week resolution, 2026; Pollinator Partnership, Pollinator Week 2026.

Native Garden Native plants

A Native Garden Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Pennsylvania Yard

Why a Native Garden Is the Best Thing You Can Do for Your Pennsylvania Yard

If you have ever fought with Pennsylvania’s heavy clay soil, you already know the frustration. You amend a bed, plant something beautiful from the garden center, and watch it struggle through the season anyway. The good news is that the problem usually is not your effort. It is the plant. Native plants evolved alongside our region’s clay rich soil, our rainfall patterns, and our pollinators, which means they are built to thrive here instead of merely survive.

At J.A. Rutter Co., we have been working with Western Pennsylvania soil since 1972, and we have put this idea into practice ourselves. Our team built a native plant pollinator garden on our own property, in a very challenging area where fill and heavy clay soil were dumped. We couldn’t dig to remove the fill material and replace it with good soil due to underground utilities. So, instead of fighting the conditions, we chose plants suited to them. Here is why we think more homeowners and landscapers should do the same.

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa), Compass Plant (Silphium laciniatum), Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) and Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) which is a host plant for the American Lady butterfly.

Native plants are made for Pennsylvania clay

Clay soil gets a bad reputation, but it is not actually a flaw in your yard. It holds nutrients well and retains moisture, conditions that suit a number of native trees and perennials well, even if not every native plant prefers them. Penn State Extension notes that common witch-hazel enjoys moist, rich, well-drained soil but can also tolerate clay soil and some drought once established, and that northern hackberry can tolerate a wide range of soil types and can withstand drought, soil compaction, heat, salt, wind, ice, air pollution, and short-term flooding, making it a strong choice for tougher residential sites.

Not every native plant is suited to clay, but many of the species commonly recommended for Pennsylvania landscapes, including the trees and perennials covered later in this post, evolved in regions where dense or compacted soils are common. That history gives them an advantage over many ornamental varieties bred for looser, well-drained conditions. The practical result is less time spent battling drainage issues and more time enjoying a garden that works with the soil you already have.

This is also why “right plant, right place” is the first rule we follow when we design a bed. Choosing species that are adapted to the site’s existing light, moisture, and soil conditions takes most of the guesswork out of long term plant health.

has common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) and 2 kinds of mountain mint: Blunt Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum muticum) and Slender Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium).

Less upkeep, more payoff

Once established, native plants ask less of the homeowner over time. Penn State Extension explains that native species are generally easier to care for once established, needing little or no pruning, deadheading, watering, or fertilizing, while exotic plants and large lawns require high levels of fossil fuel use, fertilizers, pesticides, and supplemental water. For homeowners, that means fewer hours spent trimming and feeding the bed once it has had a season or two to establish.

That lower long-term upkeep is exactly why getting the bed right at installation matters so much. A native garden’s low maintenance reputation depends on what goes into the ground at the start: properly prepared soil, the right compost mixed in for clay-heavy sites, and a solid layer of mulch to regulate moisture and suppress weeds while plants establish their root systems. Skipping that step is the most common reason a “low maintenance” native bed ends up needing far more attention than expected. For landscapers, that makes the installation phase, not the years of upkeep that follow, the highest value part of a native planting project.

A garden that actually feeds your pollinators

Native plants are not just easier on you. They are essential for the insects and birds in your yard. The Xerces Society, a leading invertebrate conservation nonprofit, points out that pollinators are necessary for the reproduction of over 85% of the world’s flowering plants, including more than two-thirds of the world’s crop species, and that fruits and seeds derived from insect pollination are a major part of the diet of approximately 25% of all birds. When you plant native species, you are restoring the specific food sources that local bees, butterflies, and birds depend on, many of which cannot use ornamental, non-native plants the same way.

This is precisely what motivated our own pollinator garden project. As our team wrote when the project began, the goal was simple: with the plants we chose, we hope to see lots of bees, wasps, moths, flies, and butterflies. If we’re lucky, maybe some hummingbirds. We picked species suited to the soil we had to work with, which varied throughout the planting area, then let the plants do the work from there.

Getting started in your own yard

You do not need a perfectly designed landscape plan to begin. Mixing trees, perennials, and a flowering vine gives a bed structure year-round while maintaining high pollinator value.

A few clay-tolerant trees to consider:

Common witch-hazel enjoys moist, rich, well-drained soil but can also tolerate clay soil and some drought once established, and adds winter interest when little else is blooming.
Northern hackberry can tolerate a wide range of soil types and can withstand drought, soil compaction, heat, salt, wind, ice, air pollution, and short-term flooding, making it a dependable shade tree for tougher residential sites.
Eastern redbud handles dense, poorly draining ground well and offers one of the first pollen and nectar sources for bees emerging in spring.

A few clay-tolerant perennials to pair with them:

Black-eyed Susan prefers average, well-drained soils but can adapt to clay, alkaline or acid pH, and gravelly soils, blooming from July into October once established. Penn State Extension research has also found that planting several together in a drift attracts more pollinating insects.
Bee balm (wild bergamot) generally does well in clay and is known as a magnet for bees and hummingbirds, with aromatic foliage that also tends to be deer resistant.
Purple coneflower is a long blooming, deep rooted perennial that holds up well in clay and is one of the most reliable pollinator plants for a Pennsylvania bed.
Ironweed has powerful roots that can cut through clay soil, and its late summer purple blooms are a great pollinator plant for the season when many other flowers have finished, drawing in butterflies, bees, and even songbirds that feed on its seeds.
Swamp milkweed, unlike the more commonly seen common milkweed, prefers neutral to slightly acidic soil but will tolerate heavy clay, and is a host plant for monarch caterpillars while its showy flower clusters attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis)

A vine worth growing on a trellis or fence:

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), sometimes called trumpet or red honeysuckle, prefers organically rich soil but adapts to a wide range of soils including clay, and is frequently visited by hummingbirds throughout its long spring to fall bloom period. It is also deer resistant and tolerant of black walnut, so it works well even in mixed plantings near established trees.

Bee balm in vibrant red bloom next to spiderwort in the native garden bed — Bee balm in bloom next to spiderwort, a favorite combination for attracting bees and hummingbirds.

A few practical steps to put these together:

Start with a soil test. Knowing your clay soil’s actual pH and nutrient levels, rather than guessing, helps you choose plants that will truly thrive instead of merely tolerate the spot.
Layer trees, perennials, and a vine. Trees provide long term structure and shade, perennials fill in lower layers with season long color, and a flowering vine on a trellis or fence adds vertical interest and extra nectar.
Build your beds with quality materials. A solid foundation of topsoil, compost, and mulch makes a real difference when you are establishing new plantings, even tough, low maintenance natives.
Be patient the first season. Most natives spend their first year establishing roots before putting on visible top growth. Many gardeners find that early patience leads to a lower maintenance bed in the years that follow.

We can help you build it

Whether you are starting a single native bed or reworking a larger landscape, having the right soil and mulch underneath your plants matters just as much as the plants themselves. Visit our products page to see the soil, organics, and mulch options we manufacture on site, or stop by J.A. Rutter Co. to talk through what will work best for your yard’s conditions.

You can also follow the ongoing progress of our own native pollinator garden on our blog, where we share what is working, what we would do differently, and what to plant next.

Sources:

Penn State Extension, Native Plant Spotlights for Wildlife-Friendly Landscaping
Penn State Extension, Why Use Native Plants?
Penn State Extension, Black-Eyed Susan: Beautiful and Beneficial
Xerces Society, Pollinator Conservation Program
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Vernonia noveboracensis (Ironweed)
North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed)
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Lonicera sempervirens (Coral Honeysuckle)

Mold: What’s This Gross Stuff On My Mulch?

an Image of Artillery fungus growing in chipped mulch

JA Rutter Co. · Landscape Supply and Wood Recycling · Monroeville, Pennsylvania

You step outside on a damp morning, coffee in hand, ready to admire your tidy garden beds. And there it is. A neon-yellow blob of something foamy is squatting on your freshly laid mulch. Or maybe it’s a cluster of tiny brown cups with little “eggs” inside, or a patch of white fuzzy threads creeping between the wood chips. Whatever it is, it’s definitely gross, and you want it gone.

Before you reach for the bleach, take a breath. That strange stuff on your mulch is almost certainly harmless, and understanding what it is can save you a lot of unnecessary panic (and unnecessary scrubbing). Here’s your complete guide to the weird world of mulch, mold, and fungi.

Apr–Oct When mulch fungi are most likely to appear, especially after rainy weather Source: University of Massachusetts Amherst Extension

95% Reduction in artillery fungus sporulation when 40% mushroom compost is blended into mulch Source: Penn State Extension / ChromaScape research

18 ft How high artillery fungus can launch its sticky tar-like spore packets toward your siding or car Source: Iowa State University Extension

Why Does Mold Grow on Mulch in the First Place?

Mulch is organic matter (shredded wood, bark, or other plant material), and organic matter decomposes. That’s not a flaw; it’s the entire point. As the Pennsylvania State University Extension explains, “the primary organisms involved with their decomposition are bacteria and fungi, which derive their energy for growth from the carbon-based compounds found in wood and bark. These compounds include cellulose, lignin, and simple sugars.”¹

In short, your mulch is a buffet, and fungi are the guests. They’re not invaders; they’re natural components of the mulch ecosystem. The University of Massachusetts Amherst notes that these organisms “are not harmful to landscape plants, and no known health hazards are associated with them unless they are eaten.”² You can generally expect to see fungal growth from April through October, especially following rainy weather.²

The specific conditions that trigger a visible outbreak are warmth, moisture, and compaction. When mulch is applied too thickly, the bottom layers stay permanently moist and poorly aerated, creating a perfect incubator for fungal growth.³

Penn State Mulch Fungi Guide UMass Fungi in Mulches

The Usual Suspects: A Field Guide to Mulch Mold

1. Slime Mold (“Dog Vomit Fungus”)

What it looks like: A bright yellow, orange, or white foamy mass, sometimes several inches to over a foot across, with a texture that has been memorably compared to dog vomit. It seems to appear overnight.

What it actually is: Despite the name, slime mold isn’t really a fungus at all. According to Rutgers Cooperative Extension, slime molds (genus Physarum) “are, in fact, not a fungus, but are soil-dwelling amoeba, a single-celled organism that contains multiple nuclei when they clump together to form a single mass.”⁴ The Iowa State University Extension describes them as “primitive fungal-like organisms” that feed on bacteria and other microorganisms living in the mulch.⁵

Is it dangerous? No. Slime molds do not harm landscape plants. Left alone, they dry up within a few days and turn into a white, powdery mass.² If you find it offensive (and who could blame you?), simply scoop it up and discard it in your household trash or compost pile.

Fun fact: The Ohio State University Extension notes that if a slime mold persists on plant foliage for a long time, it could potentially inhibit photosynthesis, though this is unusual. In the mulch itself, it’s purely cosmetic.⁶

2. Mushrooms

What they look like: Classic toadstool shapes in various colors and sizes, from less than an inch to several inches tall. Some disappear within a day or two; others can persist for a full growing season.

What they actually are: The fruiting bodies of fungi that have colonized your mulch’s wood and bark material. Penn State Extension notes that “many different fungi produce mushrooms,” and they come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes.¹

Are they dangerous? The fungi themselves are not harmful to your plants. However, some mushroom species are toxic to people and pets if eaten. Never eat a mushroom growing in your landscape unless you are an experienced mycologist who can positively identify the species.

What to do: You can knock them over, pull them up, or just let them decompose on their own. Once the food source below is consumed, they’ll stop appearing.³

3. Bird’s Nest Fungus

What it looks like: Tiny cups (usually brown, gray, or white) about one-quarter inch in diameter, each containing small round “eggs.” They grow in clusters and really do look like miniature bird’s nests, which makes them one of the more charming fungal inhabitants of your garden.

What they actually are: A true fungus (genera Crucibulum and Cyathus). The “eggs” are structures called peridioles, which are spore-containing masses. According to the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, “spore bodies (eggs) are splashed out of cups during rains, or moved around by animals or man, spreading spores of the fungus.”⁷

Are they dangerous? Generally no. Penn State Extension notes they “may grow in large areas of mulch, but they are not a problem.”¹ The spores can occasionally stick to surfaces, but unlike artillery fungus (see below), they’re easily removed and don’t leave a stain.

4. Stinkhorn Fungus

What it looks like: A slimy, foul-smelling stalk topped with a dark, gooey cap. Stinkhorns start as an egg-like structure in the soil and emerge during cool, wet conditions in late summer and fall. Multiple species exist; some have an unmistakably phallic shape.

What they actually are: Fungi in the genus Mutinus and related genera. The Iowa State University Extension explains that stinkhorns are “aptly named as they are horn-shaped and foul-smelling.”⁵ The odor is intentional, as it attracts flies that carry the spores away on their bodies.

Are they dangerous? No. Rutgers Extension notes that “despite the odor and sometimes distinctive coloration, these fungi are not considered toxic to plants or poisonous to people.”⁴ They’ll shrink and dry out on their own within a few days after the weather dries.

5. White Mycelium

What it looks like: A cotton-like white film or network of threads running through and across the surface of your mulch. It may look alarming, but it’s actually just the vegetative body of a fungus: the underground “root system” made visible.

What it actually is: Mycelium is the main body of a fungus, and all the other fungi listed here have it. When you see white mycelium at the surface, it’s a sign of active decomposition. It typically disappears on its own as the mulch dries out.¹¹

Is it dangerous? No. Raking the mulch and exposing the threads to sunlight will usually dissolve them.³

Rutgers Nuisance Fungi Iowa State Fungi in Mulch U of Delaware Artillery Fungus

The One You Actually Need to Worry About: Artillery Fungus

Most mulch fungi are harmless curiosities. Artillery fungus (Sphaerobolus spp.) is the exception, and it deserves its own section.

What it looks like: Tiny cream-colored or orange-brown cups, roughly 1/10 of an inch in diameter, each containing a dark round spore mass. Areas of mulch with artillery fungi may appear matted and lighter in color than the surrounding mulch.¹

What it actually is: A wood-decay fungus. Its genus name, Sphaerobolus, literally translates from Greek as “sphere thrower,” because that’s exactly what it does.¹⁰ The University of Delaware explains the mechanism: “Accumulation of water and nutrients in the fruiting body eventually leads to a pressure release of the spore which is shot toward any light source up to a distance of several feet.”⁷

Those tiny spore packets (sticky, black, and tar-like) orient themselves toward light, which means they head straight for your light-colored house siding, your car, your fence, or anything pale and reflective nearby. The spores can be propelled as high as the second story of a house.¹ Iowa State University notes they “can be launched up to 18 feet into the air.”²

Are they dangerous? Not to people or plants. To your property, however, the answer is yes. Once the spore mass hardens on a surface (which happens quickly), it becomes extremely difficult to remove without damaging the surface beneath. Penn State Extension describes the spots as resembling “a small speck of tar.” Fresh spots within 24 to 48 hours can sometimes be removed with vegetable oil, but hardened spots often require professional cleaning and may leave a permanent stain.³

What to do:

Rake mulch regularly to disturb fungal growth and help the surface dry out.
Replace hardwood mulch near your home’s foundation with large pine bark nuggets or natural bark mulch, which are less hospitable to Sphaerobolus.⁸
Penn State research found that blending at least 40% mushroom compost (the byproduct of edible mushroom production) into landscape mulch can suppress artillery fungus sporulation by up to 95%, and it also boosts plant growth.⁹

How to Reduce Mold in Your Mulch (Without Giving Up Mulch Entirely)

You don’t have to swear off mulch. You just need to be smarter about it. Here are evidence-backed strategies for keeping fungal growth to a minimum.

Depth matters Keep mulch at 2 to 3 inches deep. At 4 inches or deeper, the bottom layer stays permanently moist and low in oxygen, creating ideal conditions for fungal mats, slime mold, and water mold.³ Penn State recommends never exceeding 2 to 3 inches, both for mold prevention and for healthy root growth.¹
Rake regularly Turning the mulch improves airflow, exposes fungal growth to sunlight, and helps the surface dry out. This is one of the simplest and most effective preventive measures.¹⁴
Choose your mulch wisely Cedar and cypress mulches contain natural oils that resist fungal growth.¹¹ Large pine bark nuggets are also more resistant than shredded hardwood because their larger size allows rain to drain through rather than being absorbed.¹⁶ Penn State tested 27 different mulch types and found that large pine bark nuggets were among the most resistant to artillery fungus.⁸ Browse J.A. Rutter’s mulch options to find the right fit for your beds.
Water less frequently If you water your plants every day, your mulch stays perpetually damp, which is the perfect environment for mold. Try watering once or twice per week to allow drying between waterings.¹⁴
Keep mulch away from plant bases and building foundations Piling mulch against tree trunks, plant stems, or house siding creates moisture traps that invite rot, disease, and (in the case of artillery fungus) the perfect launching pad for sticky spores. Keep mulch pulled back 2 to 3 inches from any plant base, and consider using non-organic ground cover within 10 to 20 feet of your home’s exterior.¹²
Mix in compost Research from Penn State Extension found that replacing or mixing at least one-third of wood chip mulch with well-finished mushroom compost significantly reduces artillery fungus populations, because the compost introduces competing microorganisms that crowd out Sphaerobolus.³ This strategy works for other nuisance fungi as well.

The Bottom Line

That gross stuff on your mulch is, in almost every case, a sign that your mulch is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do: decomposing, cycling nutrients, and supporting a complex microbial ecosystem. Slime mold, bird’s nest fungus, stinkhorns, mushrooms, and white mycelium are all natural, harmless parts of the decomposition process.

The one genuine problem child is artillery fungus, which is worth taking seriously if you have light-colored siding or a car parked nearby. Switch to pine bark nuggets or cedar mulch in those areas, mix in mushroom compost, keep the depth at 2 to 3 inches, and rake it regularly.

Your mulch bed isn’t broken. It’s alive. And that’s a good thing.

References

Penn State Extension. What Is Growing in My Landscape Mulch? Mushrooms, Slime Molds, and Fungus.
University of Massachusetts Amherst. Fungi in Mulches and Composts.
GetHandyOutdoors.com. Mulch Mold & Fungus: How to Treat It and Stop It Coming Back.
Rutgers Cooperative Extension. Control of Nuisance Fungi in Landscape Mulch.
Iowa State University Extension. Managing Strange-Looking Fungi in Landscape Mulch.
Ohio State University Extension (as cited in AskMaryStone.com).
University of Delaware Cooperative Extension. Artillery Fungus and Other Things That Grow in Mulch.
AskMaryStone.com. Slime Mold & Artillery Fungus.
ChromaScape/Amerimulch. How to Protect Your Mulch Supply from Artillery Fungus.
ChromaScape/Amerimulch. Artillery Fungus: Species Overview.
Devonian Landscape. How to Prevent Mold in Mulch.
SS Landscape Supply. Mulch Types Compared.
Topsoil.com. Pine Mulch vs Cedar Mulch.
Cal Blend Soils. How to Deal with Mulch Fungus.
Ask Extension / Oregon State University. Mulch Without Artillery Fungus?
Ask Extension. Cited source on bark nugget drainage and fungal resistance. ask.extension.org

Garden Molds & Fungus Mulch Organic Gardening

Happy Arbor Day!

A love letter to the mightiest tree in the neighborhood

It’s Arbor Day! the one day a year we’re all supposed to feel guilty about not having planted a tree yet. But before you grab just any sapling from the garden center and call it a day, we need to talk about the oak tree. Because planting an oak isn’t just gardening. It’s an act of ecological heroism, basically wearing a cape, except the cape is shade, and it lasts three hundred years.

Here’s the thing most people don’t know: a single oak tree can support over 500 species of caterpillars and other moth and butterfly larvae. Five hundred. That’s not a tree that’s an all-inclusive resort for insects, and every guest is doing important work. Compare that to a Bradford pear (a tragically popular landscaping choice), which supports a whopping zero to five species. Planting a Bradford pear is essentially putting up a “No Vacancy” sign for wildlife, while the oak rolls out the red carpet.

500+

caterpillar species supported by one oak

6,000+

caterpillars needed to raise one clutch of chickadees

300+

years an oak tree can live and give

“But why caterpillars?” you ask, reasonably. Excellent question. It turns out baby songbirds are extremely picky eaters and not in an annoying toddler way, but in a biological survival way. Soft, juicy caterpillars are the perfect baby bird food: high in protein, easy to digest, and conveniently wriggly. Research by entomologist Doug Tallamy found that a pair of Carolina chickadees needs to bring between 6,000 and 9,000 caterpillars to the nest just to raise a single clutch of chicks to fledging. That is an absolutely staggering number of caterpillars – a full-time job, a second job, or even a third job with no benefits.

And here’s where the oak swoops in like a leafy superhero. Without trees like oaks nearby ones that actually host caterpillars parent birds simply cannot find enough food. Neighborhoods full of exotic ornamental plants might look lovely to us, but to a chickadee parent desperately hunting for the 4,372nd caterpillar of the day, they’re basically a desert. Birds in these areas often fail to successfully raise their chicks. The forests go quiet. And nobody wants that.

“The oak is, in many ways, the most generous tree in North America feeding insects that feed birds that fill our mornings with song. It’s a whole ecosystem hiding in plain sight, wearing a disguise of handsome bark and autumn leaves.”

So this Arbor Day, skip the trendy ornamentals. Plant an oak. Yes, it grows slowly, and you might not sit in its full shade for a decade. However, you’ll be planting something that will outlive you, outlive your children, and possibly outlive your grandchildren’s children all while quietly running the most efficient wildlife bed-and-breakfast imaginable. Hundreds of species of caterpillars, thousands of birds fed, and one very satisfied squirrel who will absolutely bury acorns all over your lawn without a thank-you note.

Plant an oak. The birds are counting on you. Literally counting up to 9,000.

#ArborDay #PlantOaks #NativeTreesMatter #ForTheBirds

Native Garden Native plants

Put Down the Rake This Spring

Spring Cleanup in Western PA: A Smarter (and Lazier) Approach

Why waiting a few extra weeks can fill your yard with fireflies, native bees, and butterflies — and give you a great excuse to relax a little longer.

Every March, the urge hits like a Pittsburgh pothole. The snow melts, one suspiciously warm afternoon shows up, and suddenly you’re outside in your mud boots eyeing all those dead stems and matted leaves like they personally offended you.

Rake in hand, ambition high, you’re ready to clean everything up.

Here’s the plot twist: your yard isn’t as dormant as it looks.

Tucked inside hollow stems, buried under leaf litter, and nestled just below the soil surface, hundreds of beneficial insects are still waiting out winter. These include pollinators, pest controllers, and the fireflies you’ll enjoy on summer evenings.

A too-early spring cleanup can wipe them out before they ever emerge.

The good news? A better approach is actually easier — and a little lazier.

Why You Should Delay Spring Yard Cleanup

Western Pennsylvania yards are full of life, even in early spring. Cleaning too early disrupts important insect life cycles and reduces pollinators later in the season.

Waiting just a few extra weeks helps support:

Pollinators like native bees
Natural pest control insects
Fireflies and butterflies

Beneficial Insects Hiding in Your Yard

Native Bees in Pennsylvania

Unlike honeybees, most of Pennsylvania’s 400+ native bee species are solitary. Many overwinter in leaf litter or just below the soil surface.

Bumblebee queens, for example, emerge in early spring and need time to warm up before starting a colony. Disturbing their habitat too early can be harmful.

Firefly Larvae in Western PA

Fireflies spend the winter as larvae in soil and leaf litter — exactly where spring cleanup usually happens.

If disturbed too soon, they may never emerge to light up your yard in June.

Early Spring Butterflie

Species like the eastern comma and mourning cloak overwinter as adults in:

Bark crevices
Log piles
Leaf litter

They are often the first butterflies seen in Western PA and rely on this shelter to survive.

The One Rule for Spring Cleanup Timing

Wait until nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50°F before cutting back plants or removing leaf litter.

In Western Pennsylvania, this usually means:

Late April to early May (not March)

This temperature signals that most insects have emerged and can relocate safely.

Cleaning earlier risks destroying cocoons and overwintering habitats.

Wildlife-Friendly Spring Cleanup Tips

Leave Plant Stems Standing

Many native plants like:

Goldenrod
Joe-Pye weed
Coneflower

…host bee larvae inside their stems.

When you cut them:

Trim to 12–18 inches
Leave clippings on the ground for a few weeks

Use Leaf Litter as Natural Mulch

Leaf litter is not yard waste — it’s essential habitat.

Benefits include:

Insulating plant roots
Feeding soil organisms
Protecting insects like beetles and bees

Rake lawns if needed, but leave garden beds alone.

Create a Backyard Brush Pile

A simple pile of sticks and stems provides habitat for:

Butterflies
Toads
Beneficial insects

Call it a “wildlife brush pile” if you want it to sound intentional.

Clean Up in Sections

Instead of clearing everything at once:

Work in stages over several weeks
Leave undisturbed areas as safe zones

This gives insects time to move naturally.

What You Can Do Early in Spring

You don’t have to wait on everything. These tasks are safe to start early:

Pruning shrubs and trees (roses, fruit trees, butterfly bush)
Removing invasive plants like garlic mustard
Edging garden beds
Repairing fences and hardscaping
Preparing vegetable beds that were already clear

A Better Approach to Spring Yard Care

You don’t need to abandon a tidy yard — just adjust your timing.

By waiting a few weeks and leaving natural materials in place, you’ll support:

Healthier pollinator populations
More fireflies in summer
A stronger, more balanced ecosystem

And honestly, after a Western PA winter, everything — including you — deserves a little extra time.

Final Thought: Let Nature Do the Work

A small delay in spring cleanup leads to a big payoff all season long.

More bees, More butterflies, More fireflies.

Less work for you.

Not a bad trade.

Beautiful Bees and Pollinators Flower Garden

JA Rutter’s Rain Garden: Part 3, Plant Choices

Sweet Joey PyeWeed at JA Rutter Pollinator Garden

We’re in the home stretch of the development of our native plant pollinator rain garden. In the third installment of our series, Jayme will discuss the plants she chose and why she chose them.

In order to set my garden up for success, I try to be thoughtful about the plants I choose. I try to pick the right plant for the right place. In this case, it’s an area that gets mostly sun and there’s lots of moisture in the area. We need to use plants that thrive in those conditions. In addition, we have tons of deer pressure on the property so we need to choose plants that are known to be deer resistant then hope that the deer read the manual!

I mentioned above the concept of “right plant, right place”. This fundamental concept is choosing plant species that are adapted to the location and situation in which they are placed. Plants that are well suited to their site will establish quickly, will have a healthy root system and be healthier plants. For lazy gardeners like me, they will perform well with limited additional input and work. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you’re deciding on plants:

What is the climate in the area? Is it hot or cold, humid or dry? Plants need to be able to tolerate the local climate.
What is the soil type? Is it sandy, loamy, or clayey? Different plants thrive in different soil types.
How much sun does the area get? Is it full sun, partial sun, or full shade? Plants need varying amounts of sunlight to grow properly.
What is the moisture level in the area? Is it wet, moist, or dry? Different plants have different moisture requirements.
What is the size of the area? Is it a small space or a large landscape? Plants should be chosen based on the available space.
What is the purpose of the plant? Is it for aesthetics, privacy, or food production? Different plants serve different purposes.
What is the growth rate of the plant? Does it grow slowly or quickly? This is important to consider when planning for long-term growth and maintenance.
What is the maintenance level required? Will the plant require regular pruning, fertilizing, or watering? It is important to choose plants that fit within the available time and resources for maintenance.

By asking these questions, you can select plants that are best suited for the specific conditions of your garden or landscape, and ensure they will thrive and provide the desired benefits.

I purchased these plants at an online native resource called Prairie Nursery (www.prairienursery.com). They arrived in great condition and were carefully packed. I will create a post in the future that lists other sources for native plants.

Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) https://www.prairienursery.com/buttonbush-cephalanthus-occidentalis.html

I’ve admired this unique plant for a while and am so excited to find the right spot for it. I will admit, I tried the dwarf variety in another garden last year and it did not fare well because I didn’t follow my own advice about right plant, right place. The area just didn’t get enough moisture and I tried planting it in July, when moisture levels are at their lowest. Live & learn!

Buttonbush is a native shrub with golf ball sized flower clusters that resemble pin cushions. The fragrant, nectar-loaded clusters are attractive to pollinators like bees, flies, moths, butterflies and even hummingbirds. Waterfowl eat the seeds and Wood ducks like to use the plant structure for protection of brooding nests. We get lots of Mallards on site and the occasional Wood duck so fingers crossed they like it! Buttonbush is adaptable to a wide range of soils but it is not suitable for dry sites.

When planting for pollinators, not only is it important to provide nectar sources, but it is also important to provide host plants. Buttonbush is a host plant for several silkmoths, the Beautiful Wood-Nymph, and other Lepidoptera.

This shrub can grow up to 6-15 feet tall with a spread of 4-8 feet so be sure to place it in a spot where it has room to grow.

Sweet Joe Pye Weed (Eupatorium purpureum) https://www.prairienursery.com/sweet-joe-pye-weed-eupatorium-purpureum.html

Sweet Joe thrives in semi-shade as well as in full sun. It grows 3-6 feet tall and has beautiful pinkish-purple vanilla-scented blooms that attract a wide variety of pollinators like skippers, Swallowtails and Monarchs. It will also attract friends like bumblebees and bee flies. Besides pollinators, you may find tree hoppers, leaf beetles and gnats which are food sources for other insects and birds. Some smaller birds also eat the seeds of Joe Pye Weed. Insects may overwinter in the stalks of this plant so it’s a great excuse to minimize your fall cleanup work! This hardy perennial can tolerate constantly moist soil with occasional flooding so I feel confident it will love the spot I chose.

Swamp Milkweed or Red Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) https://www.prairienursery.com/red-milkweed-asclepias-incarnata.html

This is another exceptional plant for pollinators and is easily grown in moist to wet soil, even thriving in average soil to mucky clay soil. Hawk moths, Swallowtails, Fritillaries, Monarchs, skippers, bumble bees and even hummingbirds will spend time visiting the fragrant blooms. It is also a host plant for the Monarch butterfly, Queen butterfly, Dogbane Tiger moth and the Milkweed Tussock moth. This plant is similar in height to Sweet Joe Pye Weed so I think they’ll complement each other well.

While these 3 foundation plants get established, I will supplement the empty space in between with annual zinnias. They are native to North America, easy to grow from seed, are favorites of pollinators, bloom all summer long and are just plain beautiful with their wide variety of bright colors. They also make a great cut flower if you enjoy fresh flowers in the house like I do!

Garden

Ja Rutter’s Rain Garden: Time for Soil!

Time to mix the soil for the Pollinator Rain Garden at JA Rutter

This afternoon, Jayme had the production team mix up a special soil mix for the native pollinator rain garden. The mix contains 1 cubic yard of our standard screened topsoil which is screened through a ¾” screen. Our standard topsoil is already amended with our O38 organic soil amendment but Jayme wanted even more so she asked them to add a full cubic yard of the O38 to the mix. Finally, they added 75 cubic feet of PittMoss.

Why is our O38 so great as a soil amendment?

Contains lots of organic matter, which our typical clay-cased PA soils are lacking
- The organic matter is a food source for beneficial microorganisms that live in the soil.
Assists with water retention
Improves nutrient exchange between the soil and the plant

Soil conditioners are soil amendments that improve the soil structure by increasing aeration, water holding capacity, and nutrients. They loosen up compacted, hard pan and clay soils and release locked up nutrients. Soil conditioners can also raise or lower pH levels depending on what they are made of.

Organic matter causes soil to clump and form soil aggregates, which improves soil structure. With better soil structure, permeability (infiltration of water through the soil) improves, in turn improving the soil’s ability to take up and hold water.

Why is PittMoss a great component to this mix?

PittMoss is made from organic, recycled paper that is locally sourced. This paper is engineered to provide the perfect environment for root development.
PittMoss has the best possible balance of aeration and water absorption with a vast carbon source for mycorrhizae.
The air space created, water retention and available carbon makes for exceptional root development and the best environment for those roots to obtain water and nutrients while the microbes thrive to further support the plants.
PittMoss grows healthier plants & reduces root shock of transplanted plants.
The high porosity of PittMoss saves water and improves drainage. The cellulosic fibers of PittMoss allow for applied water to be evenly distributed throughout the media.
PittMoss requires 2/3 less water than peat-based blends.

Garden Native plants Organic Soil

JA Rutter Creates More Than Mulch – Our Native Plant Pollinator Garden: Step 1

Join Jayme & JA Rutter Co for Step 1 in this series about the creating a native plant pollinator garden on site. With the plants we chose, we hope to see lots of bees, wasps, moths, flies, & butterflies. If we’re lucky, maybe some hummingbirds & ducks too!

We have an area on the property where there used to be a very small spring-fed pond. Last year, the area began to dry out. While we often see a few inches of water sitting in the area for several days at a time, the spring is no longer supporting the area as a pond. So Jayme decided to turn the depression, an area about 18’ by 18’, into a pollinator garden that contains native plants that like moist conditions. As the area develops, we’ll walk you through its progress. But for now, let’s start with the prep work….

Let me start by saying that I’m a lazy gardener. I don’t have a particularly green thumb and with my work schedule, I don’t have the time or the energy to devote to fancy gardening. Keeping that in mind, I have to keep it simple. It ain’t always pretty but I hope I’m able to see successful results and provide little pockets of sustainable gardening areas.

The first job for this project is to prepare the area and get some weed suppression in place. I’m not a fan of landscape fabric. Fabric does not allow effective moisture exchange and over time rips into small pieces without ever breaking down or providing benefit to the soil. Instead, I like the sheet mulching approach. Sheet mulching is a gardening technique that involves layering organic materials, such as cardboard, newspaper, and straw, on top of the soil to create a barrier that suppresses weed growth. This technique has several benefits for weed suppression in a native pollinator rain garden, including:

Smothering weeds: Sheet mulching effectively smothers weeds by preventing light from reaching the soil surface, which inhibits the germination of weed seeds. As a result, the rain garden will have fewer weeds, allowing native pollinators to thrive.
Building soil health: Sheet mulching also helps to improve soil health by increasing the amount of organic matter in the soil. As the organic materials break down, they release nutrients into the soil, which promotes healthy plant growth and attracts beneficial microorganisms that aid in the decomposition process.
Conserving water: The layer of organic materials in sheet mulching helps to retain moisture in the soil, reducing the need for watering. This is particularly beneficial in a rain garden, where water conservation is a key consideration.
Reducing erosion: Sheet mulching helps to reduce soil erosion by protecting the soil surface from the impact of heavy rain. This is important in a rain garden, where the soil must be able to absorb and retain water.
Providing habitat: The organic materials used in sheet mulching provide a habitat for beneficial insects and other wildlife, including native pollinators. This enhances the ecological diversity of the rain garden and promotes a healthy ecosystem.

I saved up newspaper for a few months to do the sheet mulching for this project. I didn’t have quite enough newspaper to cover the entire area so I supplemented with an OMRI listed paper product we sell that’s made by DeWitt called Garden Weed Barrier . After putting the newspaper and Weed Barrier in place, I wet them slightly and put some small stones around the edges to keep them in place. You can also secure either material with landscape pins.

When I’m ready to plant, I’ll just cut an X in the paper so the roots can make their way through. Sheet mulching is a sustainable, long term, easy weed suppression technique that I highly recommend!

Stay tuned for the next step, filling in the area with a soil/O38/PittMoss mix!