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April 26, 2000

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Rain, Rain Come Our Way...
It sounds as if Kansas City might just set a record for the driest April ever. Hmmm, not a good thing. Every time I watch the weather I am hoping that a good soaking is headed our way. Disappointment abounds.  The few drops that we have been lucky enough to receive are certainly not sufficient to give our lawns and plants the amount of moisture they need.  Kevin and I have been watering diligently and wisely. In fact, we just installed a drip irrigation system in our new flower garden. What is nice about this system is that it slowly releases water at ground level near our plantings. This ensures that it soaks the ground around the plants while losing very little water to evaporation.

When watering make sure that the roots are getting the water they need to become strong. If you are watering often and for short periods of time the roots will be forced to stay near the surface to get their moisture. Deep roots are the goal so when watering think less frequency but longer periods of time.

Don't forget the grand opening of Earl May's beautiful new Garden Center in Shawnee this Saturday!  Please also remember to tell our sponsors when you are talking to them that you have heard and read about them from Savvygardener.com. Our sponsors need to know that their advertising dollars are well spent. After all, without happy sponsors Savvygardener.com would not exist.

~ Shelly               

Putting the Right Spin on Crop Rotation...
A popular and effective way to prevent disease in the vegetable garden is called crop rotation.  By rotating the location of vegetable plantings within the garden each season you can greatly reduce the likelihood of soil-borne disease.  This method works best when you rotate crop families from place to place and the rotation includes at least three families.  The effectiveness of crop rotation is diminished when the total gardening area is quite small.  Just do your best!  Here's a list of the most common home garden vegetables and their associated families:
Family Family Members
Alliaceae Chive, garlic, leek, onion, shallot
Apiaceae Carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip
Asteraceae Endive, lettuce
Brassicaceae Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, radish, rutabaga, turnip
Chenopodiaceae Beet, Swiss chard, spinach
Convolvulaceae Sweet potato
Curcurbitaceae Cucumber, gourd, melons, pumpkin, squash
Fabaceae Lima bean, pea, snap bean, soy bean
Malvaceae Okra
Poaceae Corn
Solanaceae Eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato

Berry Timely Advice...
Your strawberries are probably well on their way and signs of their growth obvious.  Resist the temptation to fertilize them!  Fertilizing now will foster lush and prolific leaves and vines but will also result in a weak crop of berries.  That's no fun!  Wait until blossoms appear before fertilizing and restrain yourself from overdoing it. 

If this is the first year for your strawberry garden remember to pluck all blossoms of everbearing varieties until July and all blossoms of June-bearers all season (sorry, no fruit for June-bearers in the first year).   This will ensure robust berry growth later this season for everbearing and next year for June-bearers.


Get More From Your Easter Lily...
I hope some thoughtful friends brought you an Easter Lily last weekend.  Unfortunately the lily doesn't survive as a houseplant, but it can be transplanted outdoors where it may bloom again this year.

Find a sunny spot in the garden to plant the bulb. Remove the plant from its container and loosen the roots.  Plant the bulb a few inches deeper than it was in the container and cover it with soil. Water thoroughly and fertilize with an all-purpose garden fertilizer.   For the remainder of the season water and fertilize as you would your other garden plantings. Don't be alarmed when the top withers and dies.  New shoots will emerge and may flower in July or August.

Understand that lilies are not normally winter-hardy in the greater Kansas City area (though they would have thrived this past winter).  To improve your chances for success, mulch them with 4 inches of straw or leaves in the fall.  With luck you will have new flowers again next June.


Drop the Bag, Improve the Shag
Did you know that up to 25% of your lawn's fertilizer needs can be supplied by clippings left on the lawn?  Pretty amazing stuff!  Most Americans are in the habit of bagging their grass clippings and shipping them off to a landfill.  Savvygardeners know that leaving the clippings behind is just plain good for the lawn.  However, when necessity forces you to cut wet grass or your grass has grown so tall that it just falls in large clumps onto your lawn you will have to resort to bagging.

Trimming the Tree...
  It is best to prune evergreens during their period of active growth and that time is now and for the next several weeks. As mentioned in previous issues, pruning and subsequent plant shape are a matter of personal taste.  If you like your evergreens wild and wooly simply skip this tip.  Prefer topiaries?  Consult an expert.  Otherwise here's some quick advice:
  • Large Evergreen Trees - Only remove the lower branches.  Topping the tree makes it look funny and does not stop growth.
  • Smaller Evergreen Trees - Cut back about half of the "candle" or new growth that has emerged.
  • Shrubs - Arborvitae, Junipers, etc... will maintain a nice natural shape if you selectively cut a few of the overgrown branches back to the branch or trunk.

Be careful not to overdo it.   Scalped evergreens not only look silly, they may not survive such a severe haircut.


What's Hot on the Hotline...
The Extension Master Gardener Hotline has received over 700 telephone calls and visits so far in April! The current crop of questions concerns starting a home vegetable garden.   Click here to get started on your own bumper crop.
Finally...

"Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders."  

Henry David Thoreau, 1817-1862

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