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August 30, 2000

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Click Here for Great Soil and Compost!

Small Victories...
Last week I spoke about everything we did wrong in the garden this summer.  This week I'd like to touch on a couple of things we did right.  One in particular is the drip irrigation system we installed in the new garden.  Without it the garden would probably be dead by now.  This highly efficient and effective means of watering has made a sometimes difficult chore virtually hassle free.  I highly recommend one - in fact we will probably install one in the front garden next spring.

Something else that has been particularly nice is the birdbath.  Our dining room window has a view of our "side garden" so while dining we are often treated to a bird splashing around happily or several birds chatting amongst themselves and taking an occasional drink.  The whole family finds this very entertaining.  

Another area of attraction has been the butterfly bush.  Numerous butterflies and a hummingbird or two have found their way to the sweet nectar.  Their only nemesis are the boys retrieving their nets from the garage in hopes of catching one.  So far they have been unsuccessful but they continue to try.

The heat is here to stay!  I have decided to try reverse psychology!  Maybe if we keep talking about it, "it" will go away!  Things could be worse.  We could all live in Texas!  I am going to think positive!  Stay cool!


~ Shelly
               

You Say
Cicada, I Say...
If you're brave enough to venture out in the evening heat these days your ears will no doubt be overwhelmed by the din of cicadas.  Cicadas leave lots of people puzzled so we dug up some dirt on these noisy critters:
  • The dog-day cicada is what we hear this year and virtually every year.  
  • It is related to the 17-year cicada (last seen in K.C. in 1998) and is usually found on oaks, maples, and other mature, well-established trees. 
  • Dog-day cicadas appear during the long, summer days of July and August hence their nick-name. 
  • They have two to five-year life cycles but their broods overlap and therefore seemingly appear every summer. 
  • Dog-day cicadas are larger than 17-year cicadas and have brown-black bodies with whitish highlights and green wing margins. 
  • Dog-day cicadas do not ordinarily cause much damage though they are a bit unattractive.
  • The 17-year cicada will not be back in our area until 2015 but dog-day cicadas are likely every summer.

Mums The Word...
Mums are a gardener's best friend in the fall.  As the latest blooming flowers they provide color and beauty to a garden that has otherwise been worn out for the season. 

When choosing mums from your local retailer buy healthy looking plants that have been taken care of - no broken stems, wilted leaves, etc...  Plants with existing blooms will be limited in their ability to provide much more flowering.  Those with buds about to bloom will provide you with flowers into the fall.  We usually buy several plants in bloom for immediate gratification and quite a few more that we expect to bloom over the coming weeks.  What a great exclamation point at the end of the season!


A Truly Clean Cut Job...
When your plants fall victim to disease one of the first courses of action is the removal of the diseased portions.  Careful!  The same pruners that you use to cut away diseased foliage can then transfer the disease to otherwise healthy plants.  It is generally recommended that a one in ten solution of bleach and water be used to disinfect pruners.  Rather than keep a bucket of solution nearby try mixing the solution in a small spray bottle.  Carry it with you and spray your pruners after each cut.  

Rose Tips by Al Karsten

 

The recent weather has been a real challenge for rose gardeners.  September should offer lower temperatures and more agreeable weather but the transition from summer to fall calls for special rose care.  Al Karsten shares his September tips here...

Coming Soon To A
Garden Near You...
Just about the time this heat wave subsides Savvygardeners will have to be on the lookout for another problem - powdery mildew.  Powdery mildew generally coincides with cool nights followed by warm days - a lot like a Kansas City September.  The presence of a white, dusty mildew on infected plant parts makes powdery mildew easy to diagnose.  Plants that commonly show signs of powdery mildew include lilac, viburnum, crabapple, phlox, rose, zinnia, begonia, and turf.  It can occur on leaves, stems, buds, and flowers.  It tends to be most common in shaded areas and in sites where plants are crowded and air circulation is poor.

A number of measures can be taken to control powdery mildew:

  • Plant mildew resistant cultivars when available.
  • Keep plants properly spaced and pruned to promote good air circulation.
  • Plant where sunlight will be adequate.
  • Remove and discard diseased plant tissue at the end of the season to prevent overwintering of the fungus. 

Fungicides may be applied at the first signs of disease.  Read the fungicide label to be sure the product is labeled for the plant in question.  The use of fungicides is generally not warranted for woody plants that show powdery mildew late in the season.   By that time the leaves have served their purpose for the season and will soon be dropping.

Source


What's Hot On The Hotline...
Having survived the onslaught of assorted fungi, insects and tree squirrels, many tomatoes seem reluctant to bear fruit or ripen.  Callers are asking, "What's going on?"  Answers in this week's Hotline...

Give The Lawn A Breather...
Whether you're seeding, overseeding, or leaving well enough alone you should consider core aerating your lawn in the coming weeks.  Core aerating is an effective way to provide a channel through which air, fertilizer and water can enter the soil.  This channel, cut through the thatch layer and into the soil, helps reduce soil compaction, increase root growth and redistribute soil on the upper surface of the thatch.  

Make sure your soil is prepared for the aeration process.  It should be sufficiently moist so that the coring machine can penetrate.  Rule of thumb - If a screwdriver can be pushed by hand 3 inches into the ground, the soil is about right.  Don't soak it though.  Soils that are too wet will clog the hollow tines of the aerator and prevent core removal.

Once finished you will have a lawn covered with somewhat strange looking soil cores.  Leave them on the lawn to create a more favorable environment for breakdown of the thatch layer by naturally occurring soil microbes.

Source


Finally...
"To pick a flower is so much more satisfying than just observing it, or photographing it... So in later years, I have grown in my garden as many flowers as possible for children to pick."

- Anne Scott-James - British Author

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