Brought to you in cooperation with the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.   Each week we feature the most popular questions received on their "Hotline".

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Week of 3/1/04

With today’s column, we say goodbye to Winter Wisdom for Gardeners for another year, and mark the return of the column entitled, What’s Hot on the Hotline?” This coincides with the opening on March 1, 2004, of the K-State Johnson County Research and Extension Hotline, a public information service staffed by Extension Master Gardeners. The Hotline fields horticultural and gardening questions weekdays from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm through October 31. and may be accessed by calling (913) 764-6306 during business hours. Outside these hours, calls are recorded on a voice mail system, and the calls are answered as soon as possible during the following shift. When you call, be sure to leave your name, telephone number and address where you may be reached.

During the 2003 Hotline season, the Hotline was contacted on nearly 10,000 occasions, either by telephone, walk-in visitors or by those who chose to access us on our web site. Our EMG volunteers who staff the Hotline are looking forward to another busy season!

Although we are saying farewell to Winter Wisdom, winter itself can still hold some frigid surprises, so, as we warned last week, don’t be too eager and rush the growing season. Many of us remember past years when snow and ice have brought unexpected devastation especially to trees and branches. Hopefully, this will pass us by this year, but remember, we are still prepared to offer suggestions on storm recovery should the need arise.

Perhaps the best general advice for damage control and also for routine pruning and care of large trees we can offer is to select a reputable tree service, get a written estimate in advance of any work, and be sure they use certified arborists.

Certification of arborists has two levels: state and national/international. The International Society of Arboriculture has a certification program, and maintains a list of currently certified arborists. It may be accessed on their web page, www.isa-arbor.com. The Kansas Arborists Association also has a certification program, and a similar one is in place in Missouri. Information on Kansas certified arborists is available from the secretary\treasurer of the Association at (785) 499-6670. Certification programs include classroom instruction and on-the-job training and testing, as well as a requirement for Worker Compensation and liability insurance.
It may also be helpful to recall that wounds left by branch removal are best left open to light and air rather than using a pruning sealer which may delay and complicate the healing process.

In the assurance that spring will eventually return again this year, this is an excellent time to finish fruit tree pruning, prepare garden soil, and select plant materials for spring planting.

If you have done some dormant seeding of cool season grasses, keep in mind that seed germination won’t begin until the ground and ambient temperatures warm, but you’ll get an early start on the renovation process. Let us pass on another reminder about pre-emergents if you have seeded. Most of them will inhibit new grass germination. It is usually suggested that new grass be mowed twice before treatment with a pre-emergent. There is often a temptation to use a combination fertilizer and pre-emergent without considering the affect on newly seeded areas.

Speaking of fertilizing cool-season turf grasses, it can be done now if no fall application was made. Early spring fertilization of lawns is not normally recommended because it causes an early rush of top growth that withstands summer heat with difficulty and requires frequent mowing to maintain its appearance.

Another timely reminder relates to pruning of Clematis. If you are not sure of the variety or its normal period of flowering, don’t prune until flowering is over. Many casual gardeners make Clematis pruning unnecessarily complicated. Clematis bloom on old or on new wood. Old wood normally produces larger, early flowers and should be pruned lightly just to remove dead or broken growth. New wood typically produces smaller, late summer or early fall blooms. These plants may be cut down to within 15 inches of the ground. Start from the bottom up and leave two or three pairs of buds in the axils. These plants grow 10 to 15 feet in one season, and proper pruning is essential to avoid unproductive tangles of old growth.

We want to thank you for your continued patronage of the services offered to the gardening public by Johnson County K-State Extension Master Gardeners and for reading the Winter Wisdom for Gardeners, and What’s Hot on the Hotline columns. Happy gardening to all of you!

Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.

Previous Weeks' Hotline Tips

* The "Hotline" is an information service of the Kansas State Johnson County Research and Extension Master Gardeners.  Research-based responses are provided by Extension Master Gardener volunteers weekdays from March 1 through October 31, from 9:00 am to 4:30pm .  To telephone, call (913) 764-6306 or visit the Extension Office at 13480 South Arapaho Drive, Olathe, Kansas.  Visit their website at www.oznet.ksu.edu/Johnson 

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