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October 4, 2000

 

Look What I Found...
I am such a lucky person.  I have a great husband, three terrific kids and in my spare time I get to venture out to meet and talk with people who share the same passion - gardening.

Kevin and I ventured out together this past weekend to a place called Lost Corner Farm.  Cindy and Tom Murry are the proud owners of this charming place in Tonganoxie.  "Now what makes Lost Corner Farm so great," you may ask?  It is Cindy Murry!  Cindy is a Master Gardener but more importantly she is a warm, easy to talk to gardener with a passion like the rest of us.  Her personal charm and creativeness are obvious as you stroll along the aisles of her greenhouse.  Lost Corner Farm is one of those places that you visit and you can't wait to return.  They are open through October, when they will close for the winter before re-opening again next spring.  I encourage all of you Savvygardeners to find Lost Corner Farm.

Great weather means Kevin and I accomplished so much this past weekend.  The garden looks great after an extensive clean up. We've added some mums and pansies for fall color and we are finalizing a list of bulbs to be planted soon.  

Much needed rain appears to be on the way.  And it's going to get chilly!

~ Shelly          

Bulb Basics...
As temperatures continue to fall Savvygardeners will want to start planting their spring-flowering bulbs.  Bulbs can be planted right up until the ground freezes but we like to get started in mid-October.  That way there's still time to buy more and get them planted if the mood strikes us.

If you buy your bulbs locally make sure they are firm and solid.  Avoid any that are shriveled, discolored by mold or contain soft spots.  Bargain bulbs are often smaller than others.  They may not be a true bargain since bigger bulbs produce better displays.

When choosing a planting location make sure the soil is fertile and well drained.  While most prefer a sunny spot the shade cast by deciduous trees should not be a concern.  In early spring they will still be leafless and plenty of sunlight will reach your bulbs.

Bulbs look best when planted in large groups.  Planted alone or in rows like soldiers they look lonely and uninteresting at best.  For a natural look, scatter a bunch of them in the garden and plant them where they land.  Another way to choose a planting location is to place them among ornamental grasses, hostas and other perennials.  As they grow, these plants will help hide the yellowing foliage that remains after the bulbs are done blooming. 

To ensure proper planting depth the rule-of-thumb is to plant at a depth of 2 1/2 to 3 times the height of the bulb.  An inordinate amount of worry is given to planting bulbs "right-side-up".  Generally bulbs should be planted with their pointed ends up but if you're not sure just lay the bulb on its side.  Mother Nature will ensure that the flower blooms up.

Bulb Booster or bone meal can be incorporated into the soil at the time of planting but these fertilizers are more important for the development of next year's bulb than they are for the upcoming flowers of this year's bulb.

After planting water thoroughly to provide plenty of moisture for root growth. Additional watering during a dry winter will also help.

 

Feeling Frosty...
Looks like this weekend might bring us an early frost.  Yikes!  We will send a short e-mail alert to all Savvygardeners when frost appears likely.  It will include tips for preparing your plantings for the extreme cold.  Start planning now!  Frost tips, complete with a list of specific plants and their frost-resistance, are here...

 

Only 80 Shopping Days Until Christmas...
Christmas is still a way off but if you are planning on displaying home-grown poinsettias it's time to start planning.  Poinsettias are short-day plants and must be tricked into blooming for Christmas.  Follow these steps:
  • Find a dark, cool (around 55 degrees) place where the plant will be kept at "night".  It must be absolutely dark as even short exposure to a light bulb will throw the process out of kilter.
  • Place the poinsettia in this dark place at 5 Pm and leave it there until 8 AM the following day.
  • Between 8 AM and 5 PM place it in a sunny window where temperatures will remain near 70 degrees.  
  • Do this for 11 weeks, watering and fertilizing as usual.

With care and patience you should have healthy, blooming poinsettias for the holidays.

 

Time For Lime?
If the results of a soil test suggest that your lawn or garden needs an application of lime now is the time to do it.  Never had a soil test before?  Shame on you!  Resolve to get one done this month.  We've posted easy to follow instructions on our website. 

 

Tidy Up Around Trees...
No one likes worms and other pests in their fruit trees.  A simple clean up now can dramatically reduce the number of pests that return next year.  Just pick up and destroy any fallen fruit, branches, and leaves.  Worms and other pests feed on this fruit and debris, overwinter in the soil, and emerge in the spring to lay eggs and start the cycle all over again.

 

What's Hot On the Hotline...
A season of semi-drought, Armyworms and a variety of diseases conspired to wreak havoc with many area lawns planted with cool-season grasses like bluegrass and fescue.  Even some Zoysia lawns showed environmental stress.  The Armyworm plague caused the season's highest number of Hotline contacts on one day - more than 109!  Tips for restoring your lawn to it's pre-summer splendor are in this week's Hotline...

 

Watering...
Just because your plants have slowed down their growth doesn't mean your work with them is done for the season.  One of the most common reasons for otherwise healthy plants not surviving winter is lack of moisture.  Good watering practices now will encourage healthy root growth that will protect many plants when cold weather arrives.  Much needed rain appears to be on the way but if Mother Nature may deprive us later this fall.  If so make sure you water!

 

Finally...
"Listen! the wind is rising,
and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings,
now for October eves!"

~ Humbert Wolfe, Poet, 1885-1940

 
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