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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 4/5/05 As you may have noticed, spring, or at least its first visitation, seems to have arrived and departed again in a period of a few short days. We were left with many questions about dealing with a drop of 40 degrees, in a 24-hour time frame. The fact is, this is not a particularly rare phenomenon in our part of the country that prides itself upon its variety of weather offerings. My family lived for a number of years in the monotonous sub-tropical bliss of the Hawaiian Islands before the tourist onslaught, and we really came to miss the change of seasons so typical of mid-America. The recent precipitous temperature drop caught a number of local gardeners and their plants with their guard down. You may recall that April 15 is the average frost date here. This means that as late as April 15, there is a 50-50 chance of freezing temperatures. By the end of April, the chance has declined to less than 5%. For this reason, it is wise to be patient with your planting of bedding plants, etc., and to keep some kind of portable cloth sheeting on hand for emergencies, especially those involving low-growing plants that are ready to bloom. There is little to be done for the largest shrubs and trees. In the case of Magnolia soulangeana that is heavy with pink flowers one day, and with frost-blackened ones the next, you may want to try one of the new varieties, like ‘Galaxy’, introduced by the US Department of Agriculture, which blooms later and misses most late spring frosts. Take comfort from the fact that damage caused by late frosts, except in the case of bearing fruit trees, is often cosmetic, and the plant will recover, particularly when the freezing temperature lasts a comparatively short time. Recovery from this type of damage may require only light pruning and trimming to restore the plant’s appearance. Ultimately, it may take a sudden frost to remind us that nature retains the upper hand, and that we will achieve the greatest success in gardening by applying patience and common sense to all we do, from the selection of area-appropriate plant materials, proper planting, mulching, soil preparation and cultural practices. Our area is blessed with a great and growing number of locations and events that appeal to gardeners and the plant-loving public. What better time to get outside and enjoy a traditional Mecca like Powell Gardens, Loose Park, the new Kaufman Gardens, and such varied attractions as the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead and the Arboretum in Overland Park, and the Old Shawnee Town Gardens in Shawnee. All of these feature demonstration gardens and displays that are good sources for gardening ideas and plant information, and are close enough to make an enjoyable spring outing! Next week’s article will focus on one of the newer area gardens, the Monet Garden at the Overland Park Arboretum. Keep your eyes open for information about area garden tours like the informational Public Garden Tour presented by the Johnson County K-State Extension Master Gardeners on May 21 and 22, 2004. Call your County Extension office for tours and events scheduled throughout the area this spring and summer. Don’t forget a trip to our area’s many fine garden centers and nurseries that offer new varieties of annuals and perennials, shrubs and trees, along with a wealth of growing suggestions and recommendations.
Articles submitted by Bill Latimer, Johnson County Extension
Horticulture Assistant and Dennis Patton, Johnson County Extension Horticulture Agent.
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