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August 23, 2000

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Learning From My Mistakes...
As I was working in the garden yesterday I started making notes of everything we did wrong this summer.  We planted some fountain grass too close to the house so we will have to transplant it to a location that will give it more room to grow.  We also planted two new rose bushes in too shady an area so they too will have to be relocated.  We purchased five coleus plants and they have overtaken the garden.  They are beautiful, just a little overbearing.  They are annuals and I will not have to worry about them growing back next year.  So we have a lot of work ahead of us in the next couple of months redefining the garden for next spring.

I am sometimes frustrated by the extra work we have caused ourselves but I do believe that to have a garden look the way you want you have to experiment.  That means planting flowers, bushes or whatever, watching them grow for a season and then moving them to a more desirable location if necessary.  I firmly believe that some of the best gardens are created on a trial and error basis.  I like to think of it as a continual learning process.

I have one word to say about the weather - "Ugh"!  It sure would be nice to have some rain and a little heat relief.  It is becoming very difficult to keep everything alive with the temperatures so high.  It is hard to be a gardener!


~ Shelly
               

Shedding Light On Little Known Bulbs...

Last week we challenged you to plant some more interesting bulbs this fall in addition to traditional tulips and daffodils.  Savvygardeners responded by asking, "How about some suggestions?"  Fair enough.  Here are some favorites:

  • Crocus (Crocus spp and hybrids) grows well in either full sun or partial shade.  Colors include yellow, blue, lavender, and purple.  Plant crocuses in groups of a dozen or more of the same color for maximum effect. 
  • Glory-of-the-Snow (Chionodoxa luciliae) are among the earliest spring-flowering bulbs.  Flowers are star-shaped, bright blue with white centers.  Plant them in rock gardens, borders, and edgings.  They prefer sunny sites.
  • Grape Hyacinth (Muscari spp) produces urn-shaped flowers (which somewhat resemble grapes) on 6 to 9 inch spikes.  Flowers are various shades of blue or violet, but there are also white-flowered varieties.  Grape hyacinths prefer full sun and are best utilized for edging beds and in naturalized areas.
  • Lebanon Squill (Puschkinia scilloides) blooms in early spring.  Flowers are white to pale blue with dark blue stripes running down the centers of the petals.  Lebanon squill performs best when planted in large masses.  They multiply rapidly.
  • Ornamental Onions (Allium spp) - Flowers are white, yellow, or pink to purple.  They bloom from late spring to early summer. They grow best in full sun. 
  • Siberian Squill (Scilla sibirica) produces bright blue flowers in early spring on 4 to 6 inch plants.  They are easy to grow and prefer partial shade to full sun.  Siberian squill are most effective when planted in masses under trees and shrubs, but are also suited for rock gardens and the edge of woodlands.  Siberian squill also multiplies rapidly. 
  • Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) are also among the first flowers of spring.  The 6-inch plants produce white, drooping flowers about 1 inch across.  They do best in partial to full shade and are ideal for naturalizing under trees and shrubs or at the edge of woodlands.  Snowdrops will increase rapidly and soon form dense clumps.
  • Spanish Bluebell (Endymion hispanicus or Scilla hispanica ) produces 12 to 15 nodding, bell-shaped flowers on 12 to 18 inch stems.  Varieties are available in blue, pink, and white.  They do well in heavy shade.
  • Spring Snowflake (Leucojum vernum) blooms in early spring.  The drooping, bell-shaped flowers are white tipped with green and possess a sweet violet-like fragrance.  They grow best in partial shade to full sun and are generally 6 to 12 inches tall.  Plant masses of spring snowflakes in rock gardens or around trees and shrubs.

Source


Crops That Feed The Garden...
If you have a vegetable or annual garden that is normally empty in the fall and through winter you should consider planting a green manure crop there at the end of this growing season.  The name green manure is given to any crop which is grown only to be tilled back into the soil.  As it rots, the nutrients in the crop foliage and roots will be taken up by the next crop planted in the same place.  Green manures from the legume family, such as peas, beans, and clovers, have an added bonus - nitrogen-fixing bacteria living around their roots can draw nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form the plant can absorb.  This nitrogen will then be available to subsequent crops.

Green manures also act as "cover crops" protecting the soil from compaction and erosion caused by wind and rain, and also reducing the extent that weeds take over on bare soil.


Prepare Plants For Pesticides...
Be careful when applying insecticides in this hot dry weather.  Plant tissues of drought-stressed plants contain less water than normal.  Under these conditions the insecticidal chemicals absorbed by the plant will be more concentrated and may burn its foliage.  A good watering prior to insecticide applications will protect your plants from harm.

Spider Mites Get Late Start...

 

The onset of hot, dry weather means that spider mite populations can increase rapidly.  Mites are very small, nearly impossible to see without a magnifying glass, and can multiply before you realize that they are there.  The first sign of a problem is usually the development of small, pale spots on the leaves, giving the leaf a spotted appearance.

Typically you will see mites develop earlier in the season at the onset of the first hot, dry spell.  This year mites did not develop until much later.  In fact, mites have just become a serious problem within the last several weeks.  They are especially troublesome on tomatoes, marigolds, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, melons and other common garden vegetables and flowers.

Mites tend to congregate on the underside of leaves.  They injure the cells and suck juices until plants turn pale, then bronze, then fade.  A fine webbing often protects the mites and must be penetrated by sprays.  Because mites are not true insects, typical insecticides will not control them.  In fact, insecticides may actually increase populations by killing off several of their natural enemies.  The insecticide carbaryl (Sevin) is one of the worst for building up mite populations.  Malathion has also been shown to contribute to the problem.  Kelthane, a miticide, gives good control and can be used on many food crops.  Orthene and dicofol (Cygon) can be used on many ornamentals and flowers.  Insecticidal soaps or insecticidal oils are good "chemical-free" options.  Just make sure they are reapplied every three to four days.

Source


Thirsty Trees...
You're not the only one getting tired of this unbearably hot weather.  High temperatures and minimal rains are working against your trees also.  The leaves of many trees including hackberry, redbud, river birch, sycamore and walnut are beginning to turn yellow and drop prematurely.  

How can you tell if it's the heat making leaves fall as opposed to pests or disease?  By inspecting the fallen leaves.  Those dropping as a result of drought typically do not show leaf spotting or insect feeding.  Some trees like maples and red oaks may not drop leaves but will exhibit marginal leaf scorching.  

The solution of course is water.  Make sure your trees get a good deep watering.  Soaker hoses are very effective as well as the locally produced Tree I.V. which we use successfully.

Source


What's Hot On The Hotline...
Area gardeners are reporting dead grass teeming with small black worms.  Our Hotline experts have fielded a number of questions concerning these pests.  Their answers are featured in this week's Hotline...

Well Rooted
Evergreens...
Early fall is a good time to plant a balled and burlapped (B&B) evergreen tree.  The key here is "early".  Because evergreens transpire (lose moisture) throughout the winter months, fall planting of B&B evergreens should be done in September to allow time for the roots to become established before the ground freezes.  The trick is to make sure your newly planted evergreen has enough moisture in its roots to weather some dry spells when the ground may be frozen.

Another consideration - If you leave the cloth burlap around the roots do not leave any sticking above the ground as it may wick away moisture and dry out the root ball.  After planting, mulch around the plant to a depth of 2-4 inches.

source


Finally...
"Flowers are love's truest language."

~ Park Benjamin, Poet, 1809-1864

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