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August 2, 2000

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A Rather Blustery Night...
Whew!  We survived the storm last Wednesday but barely.  I am glad to say that the garden made it through the fury of the storm without much loss.  The biggest obstacle was our losing power.  How ironic we would lose power on a Wednesday night - publishing night!  The good news is that we had just finished sending out the latest issue of Savvygardener.com before the lights went out.  Timing is everything!

What a storm!  I hope all of you Savvygardeners escaped with little damage.  I know that there were many trees down throughout the Kansas City-area.  We were lucky to have kept all of the limbs in our trees.  Our neighbors on the other hand both lost major limbs from very large trees.  It was sad driving around the day after the storm and looking at all of the damage.  So many trees were split in half or pulled right out of the ground.  It just goes to show you that Mother Nature's wrath can be very devastating.

It is pretty easy to write about the weather these days. The occasional showers and the lower than normal temperatures are just what we gardeners order.


~ Shelly
               

Healthy Trees Will Weather Storms...
So, how did last week's storm treat you?  Driving around the metro we sure saw a lot of tree damage.  That made us think we should share some tree care facts with fellow Savvygardeners.

First of all it's interesting to note that trees are biologically engineered to adjust to wind loading - the straight wind from one direction applied evenly over the stem, branches and tree leaves.  As trees mature they learn about the regular stresses applied to them by wind loading and develop strength and flexibility in the appropriate areas.

Despite Mother Nature's keen design some trees just don't do as well in a storm as others.  Some of the most susceptible include silver maples, Siberian elms, willows, green ash, and hackberry.  A strong storm can inflict considerable damage on these and other trees possibly reducing their life expectancy and/or simply disfiguring them.

Here's some good practices to follow to protect your trees from future damage:
  • Young trees need to adjust to the wind environment.  When staking a young tree do it loosely so the stem can move and bend in the wind.  Keep the ties in place for no more than one growing season to ensure a well-established root system.  After the first growing season remove the tree support. 
  • Practice proper pruning techniques.  Proper pruning minimizes a number of structural problems that occur in association with new wood growth around a pruned branch.
  • Eliminate co-dominant branches.  Prune forked branches and branches that arise opposite each other on the stem early in the life of the tree. 
  • Keep trees as healthy as possible with timely watering and proper fertilization.  Healthy, vigorous trees adjust more quickly to changes in the environment, are more wind firm and react more effectively to storm damage.
  • Do not over-fertilize your trees with nitrogen.  Doing so can increase the crown surface making them more susceptible to storm damage.
  • Eliminate lop-sided crowns.  Prune branches to produce a reasonably symmetrical crown.
  • Keep the tree growing upright with one main stem.  Prune away branches that compete in height with the main stem.  Eliminate branches with acute or narrow crotches.

Source 


Dividing Irises cont...
Savvygardener Honey Barnekoff points out that in last week's issue we left out an important step in iris division.  Honey reminds us that the lifted rhizomes should be given about a 5 minute bath in a 10% chlorine bleach solution to rid the rhizome of any borers.  Borers hate bleach and will climb right out upon exposure. The rhizomes should be allowed to dry about one day in the sun before replanting.

Hats Off For
Bats...

Did you see that news piece on TV about the kid that knocked a rabid bat out of the air with a rock?  Rabid bats (and any rabid animal for that matter) are indeed dangerous but don't let these "newsworthy" stories mislead you about these creatures.  Consider these facts:

  • A single bat can consume several thousand insects (including mosquitoes, lacewings, cockroaches and gnats) in one night.
  • According to the University of Missouri extension service less than 0.5% of bats actually become rabid.

I'm not defending their looks (creepy).  And the one that somehow got into my bedroom last year was certainly not welcome.  But when you consider the facts they certainly hold an important place in the ecosystem.


Collecting
Cucumbers...

 

Aren't cucumbers great?  For me, a garden-grown cucumber is rivaled only by the tomato when it comes to the true taste of summer.  If you're not sure when to harvest your cukes use these tips as a guide:
  • For slicing and general eating pick them when they are about 5-8 inches long.  Leaving them on the vine will actually reduce subsequent production and flavor will be sacrificed as well. 
  • For dill pickling 3-4 inch-long fruit is ideal.
  • For sweet pickles use 2 inch-long cucumbers.

Nitrogen Nabbers...
If you are using wood chips or bark as garden mulch keep on the look-out for nitrogen deficiency in your plantings.  Yellowing or stunted growth may signal that the wood chips or bark have depleted nitrogen in the soil during the process of decomposition.  The bacteria in the soil that gradually break down the organic materials require large quantities of nitrogen.  The wood chips and bark don't have much nitrogen so the bacteria will draw available nitrogen from the soil.  The solution is pretty simple - add some balanced  5-10-5 fertilizer to the garden and things should green back nicely.

What's Hot On The Hotline...
The rapidly growing popularity of Clematis in the garden has encouraged many questions about selection and culture.  Results of intensive research have now become available, and some interesting new ideas have surfaced.  Some of the most useful concern the disease known as Clematis Wilt to which some varieties are especially susceptible.  We've got the scoop on Clematis on the Hotline...

Can You Read Your Lawn?
Did you know your lawn might be sending you signals that it is thirsty?  Before more serious symptoms arise many turf grasses in need of moisture will lie flat after being walked on.  Look behind you as you cross the yard.  Leaving footprints?  Time to water!

Remember however that you should not water your lawn after 4 pm if nighttime temperatures are expected to be above 65 degrees.  Many a Savvygardener has fallen victim to turf disease encouraged by evening watering.  Don't be one of them!


Finally...
"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces,
I would still plant my apple tree."

~ Martin Luther (1483-1546)

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