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May 24, 2000

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Savvygardeners in Training...
While pulling weeds (the never ending job) last weekend my four-year-old son Noah wandered up and asked, "Mom, what are you doing?" and I replied simply, "Pulling weeds."  He asked if he could help.  I stopped to think for a moment (Hmmm, if I let him into the garden what will he step on?)  I finally decided to let him help.  It is so funny to think that I hesitated for even a moment.  Like his older sister Morgan, Noah is always eager to help in the garden.  Morgan however is nine and she has a better understanding of what is a "keeper"  and what is a weed.  Once he stepped on sacred ground I began to explain to him how important it is to pull only the weeds and not the flowers.  He was so cute.  He would pull a plant, hold it up and say "Mom is this a weed?"  I would answer yes and he would be so proud that he had pulled a weed and not a flower.  It was so nice to have such a special little helper in the garden.  I must remember to have faith in my children, teach them about taking care of the earth and the things that are growing on it and they too will become Savvygardeners!!

We seem to have a small bug in SavvyChat.  Some of the headers are getting mixed up.  We are working diligently to try and find just the right insecticide. Please bear with us while we try to remedy the problem.

Water, water, water.  Stay on top of it because if you don't your garden will be down and out!

~ Shelly               

Timely
Tomato Trivia
It's time to plant tomatoes if you haven't already done so.  The soil has warmed nicely and the nighttime temperatures are creeping upward.  Just for fun we compiled some tomato trivia: 
  • Though we often associate them with the Mediterranean region tomatoes are native to the Americas and were initially cultivated by Aztec Indians as early as 700 A.D.
  • Regarded as poison by American colonists the tomato's reputation was saved by Robert Gibbon Johnson, who stood on the New Jersey courthouse steps in 1820 and to the amazement of the town ate a tomato with no adverse effects.  Even his physician predicted he would, "foam and froth at the mouth ... double over with appendicitis ... exposing himself to brain fever."
  • Technically a tomato is a fruit, since it is the ripened ovary of a plant.  But in 1893 the Supreme Court ruled in the case of "Nix  v. Hedden" that tomatoes were to be regarded as vegetables.
  • The Tomato Genetics Stock Center at the University of California (Davis) has more than 2,750 genetic varieties of tomatoes.

Thirsty Turf Tips...
The recent heat and dry weather are just previews of what we Kansas City gardeners face every year.  Unfortunately for many of us our lawns are near the peak of their beauty and will face some rough times as the heat and humidity descends upon us.  One of the most important ways to keep your lawn as healthy as possible is a good watering program.  Our friends at Ryan Lawn & Tree suggest the following guidelines depending on temperatures:

Average Temperature Frequency Amount per Watering
60-70 Weekly One Inch
70-80 Every 5-7 Days One Inch
80-90 Every 3-5 Days 0.5 to 0.7 inches
90+ Every 1-3 Days 0.3 to 0.5 inches

These amounts are approximate.  Zoysia and fescue need less water than bluegrass.  

Important: Do not water after 4 pm if nighttime temperatures are expected to be above 65 degrees.  Watering under such conditions may encourage disease.  This happened to us about five years ago and we basically lost our lawn.  You have been warned.


For Trees That Have Been Through Hail and Back...
Some of us got walloped by a hail storm on Sunday.  'Tis the season and every thunderstorm has the potential to bring hail with it.  Savvygardeners know that hail can cause considerable damage to trees, especially those with thin bark.  Ned Tisserat, Plant Pathologist for the Cooperative Extension Service at the K-State Research and Extension Horticulture office explains the problem.  "Hail may strip the bark off trees or provide entrance points for canker and shoot blight diseases.  Thyronectria canker of honeylocust, perennial canker of peach and Sphaeropsis tip blight of pines may increase dramatically following a hail storm. A fungicide application immediately following a hail storm is sometimes warranted.  However, the application should be made relatively soon after the injury (within a few days). Unfortunately, in most cases fungicide applications are made well beyond the point they will do any good."

Common Scents from Uncommon Plants
 

 

Don't Miss the Peony Festival ! - Click Here !

Imagine a plant whose varieties mimic the scents of Rose, Apple, Lime, Coconut, Cinnamon, and much, much more.  Well there are hundreds of varieties of scented geraniums available and each has a different fragrance.  Take full advantage of them by strategically placing the plants on your deck or patio where family and friends will casually brush against them.  Each encounter will trigger a release of fragrance, filling the area with a delightful aroma.

Vegetables to Plant and Harvest...
Here are some vegetables that you can plant now and over the next several weeks:

Bush Beans Peppers
Cucumber Squash
Eggplant Sweet Potato
Melons Tomato

Some Savvygardeners will probably be harvesting the following now and for several more weeks:

Broccoli Lettuce
Collards Peas
Endive Spinach
Green Onions Turnips

What's Hot on the Hotline...
Things are really heating up on the hotline.  A season high 91 calls were received last Monday.  Lots of callers were concerned about wilting and scorching on the new growth of otherwise healthy-looking trees.  If you have seen this at home click here for advice.

Don't Steal Food from Hungry Bulbs...
By now the foliage left over from your tulips and daffodils is looking a bit ratty.  Try to put up with it a little longer - it's still feeding the bulb for next Spring's growth.  When the foliage is yellow-brown you can proceed to remove it. Just give a gentle tug and it should break free.

Finally...
"I have never had so many good ideas day after day as when I worked in the garden." 

~ John Erskine 

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