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June 7, 2000

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Click Here for Great Soil and Compost!

A Palette of Pots...
I took advantage of the terrific weather this past weekend and started planting pots.  I have to admit that I really enjoy doing this.  It allows me to delve into my creative side.  Kevin likens it to my buying furniture for the house and then moving it around one hundred times or more trying to find the right place for it.  Of course there is really no such thing as the right place because the right place one day could be the wrong place tomorrow.

We have a deck in the backyard that I use as a focal point. We use it for dining and entertaining so I always feel it is a great showplace for pots, baskets and hanging plants.  I use a wide variety of plants - herbs, annuals, a small fruit plant and ferns are all on the slate for this season.  It sure is fun to mix different textures and colors.  It makes me feel like a true artist.

I encourage you to let your creativity take over and remember that sometimes it takes time to find the right pieces and places but once you do you are sure to know.

Last Thursday some Savvygardeners got rain, others (like us) got squat.  Either way we're still not getting enough precipitation and watering is as important as ever.  As the temperatures rise try to do your watering in the morning.  It saves water and keeps you out of the hot sun.

~ Shelly               

Mulch It And They Will Grow...
As the summer sneaks up on Kansas City gardeners we must prepare our gardens for the heat and drought-like conditions that are inevitable.  Mulching your garden is one of the best things you can do to help retain soil moisture and keep weeds at bay.  Here are some common mulching materials and a few thoughts on each:

Bark Mulches are very common and effective.  They are available as chips, chunks, nuggets or shredded.  In addition to being generally attractive bark mulches resist compaction quite well.
Wood Chips are also common, effective and economical.  That's what we're using this year (supplied by Missouri Organic Recycling).
Pine Needles are especially good around acid loving plants like azaleas and blueberries.
Straw is inexpensive and is often used in large vegetable gardens.  Make sure it is free of crop and weed seeds or you're just making more work for yourself.
Grass Clippings should only be used after they have dried out thoroughly.  If the source lawn has weeds your mulched garden will likely get them too.
Rocks can be attractive and effective but they don't provide any of the decomposition benefits of organic mulches.  Rock mulch in direct sun can get quite hot causing problems for some tender plants.
Black Plastic and Fabric aren't much to look at but they do keep the weeds down.

As a general rule mulching with anything is better than not mulching at all.  It's that effective.


Be A Deadheader...
So your perennials have bloomed and they are starting to look as if they are finished, oh but wait a minute...  If you trim the dead blooms off I bet you anything they will bloom again!  I'm talking about roses, bachelor buttons, coreopsis and dianthus just to name a few.  I know that it is extra work (especially dianthus; it's wickedly time-consuming to trim all of those back) but the reward is well worth it once you see them re-blooming.  If you are not sure whether your perennial will bloom again cut it back anyway to keep a neat appearance in the garden.

You should also deadhead petunias, snapdragons, geraniums, marigolds and zinnias.  This will prevent seed formation and promote continued flowering.


Controlling Critters On Your Cukes...
The striped cucumber beetle is a serious threat to cucurbits, such as squash, cucumber, melon and pumpkin.  The larvae will cause severe damage to roots and beetles can do a real number on an emerging plant by feeding on the lower surface of its leaves.  These menaces also spread bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic, and squash mosaic virus.

Although there are several insecticides that control the cucumber beetle only a few chemicals can be used on cucurbit plants because of their sensitivity to chemical injury.  Application of an insecticide is usually recommended as soon as the plants begin to emerge through the soil.  For prevention of bacterial wilt it is often advisable to spray at five day intervals beginning when seedlings emerge or after transplanting and continuing until the vines run.

Hand-picking is an organic approach and should be done in the early morning when most feeding occurs.  These beetles are easy to kill but reinforcements arriving on the plants make this a very time consuming job.

Insecticides labeled for vegetables containing pyrethrum, rotenone, methoxychlor, or carbaryl (Sevin) should control the beetles.  As always, follow directions and warnings carefully when using chemicals.


Give 'Em Room To Breathe...

Click Here for Amazing Peonies!

Just because your plant is wilting don't assume it's due to lack of water.  Plants can wilt from lack of oxygen too!  Soil can become over-compacted and cause root systems to suffocate.  The problem is often made worse by assuming the plant is thirsty and adding water unnecessarily.

Improving the soil for better air and water circulation is easy.  Simply add peat moss or other loose organic material in and around the root area of your plants. Everyone will breathe easier!


Timing Is Everything...
Sometimes the hardest part of growing great vegetables is knowing when they're ready for harvest.  Timing is everything as they say and that's certainly true for your garden's bounty.  To make your job a little easier we've compiled a list of common garden vegetables and the guidelines you should follow to determine if they are ready for harvest.  You will find "When to Harvest Vegetables" in the Features section of our website.

What's Hot on the Hotline?
Our recent summer-like temperatures have sparked lots of summer-like questions on the hotline.  Browning of foliage, aphids, scale...it's all here.  Find the questions and answers by following this link.

A Hose By Any Other Name...
Hoses are among the most widely used lawn and garden implements.  Most gardeners give little thought to their hoses until it's time to replace them.  If you are replacing a hose or just interested in a new one take a little time and choose one that's best for you.  Like most tools, hoses are available in varying quality levels with prices that usually follow.  Hoses come in different diameters but 5/8-inch is the most popular.  Different diameters deliver different flow rates and this may be an important factor in your choice.  Use this table to assist in sizing.  

Flow Rates from Different Hose Sizes and Water Pressures
Pressure 1/2 inch 5/8 inch 3/4 inch 1 inch
20 psi 4 gpm 8 gpm 12 gpm 26 gpm
30 psi 5 gpm 9 gpm 15 gpm 32 gpm
40 psi 6 gpm 11 gpm 18 gpm 38 gpm
50 psi 7 gpm 12 gpm 20 gpm 43 gpm
60 psi  8 gpm 14 gpm 22 gpm 47 gpm
Flow rates are in gallons per minute (gpm).  40 psi is typical water pressure for most homes.

Finally...
"June reared that bunch of flowers you carry,
From seeds of April's sowing."

Robert Browning, Poet, 1812-1889

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