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July 26, 2000

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Unseasonable And Loving It!
As I look at the calendar I find it hard to believe that it is the latter part of July.  If my memory serves me correctly late July is suppose to be extremely hot and miserable.  Now you might ask yourself, "Is she complaining?" and the answer to that is "No - Just puzzled".  When we had those two weeks of hot humid days I thought we were really in for it!  It looks as if Mother Nature has cast a mild weather spell upon us and I am wanting it to last for the rest of summer.

Isn't it amazing how the garden responds so nicely to this weather?  The flowers looks so lovely.  I've noticed that everything seems to be blooming more profusely.  I think plants are a lot like humans; they tend to perform better in ideal conditions.  So, how long will it last?  One, two days or maybe we'll get really lucky and these ideal conditions will be around for the rest of the summer!  I am keeping my fingers crossed!

~ Shelly
               

Pick 'Em When They're Pink?
Depending on when you planted them, how much sun they receive, and how darn lucky you are it may be close to tomato harvest time.  Most of us wait 'til the tomatoes are ruby red and easy to pluck off the vine.  This year try something a little different.  Harvest the fruit when it has a healthy pink color and let it ripen the rest of the way indoors.  You see tomatoes really don't need the exposure to sun to reach their fully ripened stage.  In fact they will actually do better ripening at temperatures between 70 and 75 degrees.  Don't believe it?  Then try it with just one of your tomato plants this year.  Bet you do a few more next summer...

Dog Days For Dogwoods...
Many local gardeners are the proud owners of one or more flowering dogwoods.  Unfortunately these beautiful and popular trees are commonly affected by a number of diseases.  Protecting your dogwoods from drought stress can go a long way toward keeping them healthy.  They should be mulched at least three-inches deep in a wide ring with organic material.  Avoid using dogwood chips or leaves as mulch as they may harbor disease organisms.  When the weather is really hot and dry make sure you water them thoroughly.  Healthier trees will follow.

Aster Yellows For Unlucky Fellows...
Apparently a number of Savvygardeners have fallen victim to a somewhat unusual disease - Aster Yellows.  (Actually the plants were the victims but gardeners have been known to feel the pain of their flora.)  While its name correctly suggests its effect on asters there are a wide variety of other plants that succumb to this disease.  They include petunia, marigold, daisy, phlox, gladiolus, coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and perennial statice.  Susceptible vegetables may include carrot, potato, and tomato.

The disease is mainly dispersed by the aster leafhopper.  These critters migrate or are carried by wind to Kansas from southern states in the spring.  They are light green in color, about 1/8" long, and feed on the underside of leaves.  Symptoms of aster yellows differ depending on the plant infected but common symptoms include stunting, yellowing, spindly stems, and distorted flowers with green, leaf-like petals.  For vegetables yields are reduced and may taste bitter.

Interestingly, marigolds are something of a "canary in the coalmine" for aster yellows.  They are highly susceptible and serve as a good indicator that the disease is present.  Unfortunately once symptoms are visible it's too late to do much but remove and destroy the infected plant.  Sadness.


Our
Pythium Blight Plight...

 

Remember that lush green lawn we bragged about earlier this year?  How quickly our fortunes change.  We got hit hard by Pythium blight about two weeks ago.  Pythium blight is caused by several species of Pythium fungi that thrive and spread in prolonged hot and humid weather.  Some people use a rule of thumb that when night-time temperature plus relative humidity equals 150 or more the conditions are right for an outbreak of Pythium blight.  It can do a real number on your lawn.  Much of ours looks like dry straw right now.

What to do?  Ryan Lawn & Tree just put down an application of the fungicide Heritage to help prevent further spread when the hot, humid weather returns.  Getting a professional to do the job is essential.  The right chemicals just aren't available to most consumers.  Also the proper application rate can make the difference between success and an even worse problem.  Chances are that our lawn will recover when cooler temperatures return.

Next year we'll have to consider a Heritage application as a preventive measure but it's a tough call considering you only get about two week's protection per application.  Who said this was easy?


It's Time For Iris To Split...
There's some very rewarding summer work to be done right now.  It's time to divide your irises.  After 3 to 5 years of growth irises will become crowded and should be divided so they don't starve each other for soil nutrients.  Here's a few simple steps to get the job done:
  1. Cut the leaves back to one-third their length. 
  2. Dig the rhizome clump with a fork or spade and wash the soil off with a hose. 
  3. Cut the rhizomes apart so that each section has at least one healthy fan of leaves and firm, white roots. 
  4. Discard soft rhizomes and any older leafless rhizomes toward the center of the clump.
  5. Plant the divisions 12 - 18 inches apart in shallow holes in a sunny location.
  6. Water immediately and again in ten days if rain is scarce.

Following these steps now allows adequate time for the divisions to get established before winter and also reduces the chance of frost heaving in late winter.


What's Hot On The Hotline...
Recent hard rains, high humidity and heat produced problems with trees and other plant materials that are of concern to gardeners and homeowners.  Ahh, summer.  See what the experts say on the Hotline...

Rose Tips by Al Karsten
Hot weather, cool weather.  Fungi, mites, lotsa bad stuff out there!  What's a rose lover to do in August?  Find out in Al Karsten's monthly contribution to Kansas City rose gardeners.  August tips are here...

Finally...
"A home without a flower is like a face without a smile!"

~ Eddie Seamands,  Savvygardener

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