May
23, 2001
Just
Chillin'...
The summer-like weather we experienced last week is gone and cooler weather has
returned, if only for a while. It is amazing how it seems
so chilly to me. My body's temperature was adjusting quite
nicely to those warmer days. I think I will enjoy the last
of these cooler days however because before too long the hot and
humid summer will be upon us. I believe my garden likes
this reprieve as well. The flowers seem to look happier
swaying with the cooler breeze. On the days when the
temperatures were soaring into the high 80's they seemed to take
on a lackadaisical appearance. I think my garden is a
reflection of me, our feelings tend to mirror one another.
Here's a great idea. Why not purchase a gift certificate
from The
Sweet Onion or Lost
Corner Farm for all of those teachers on your list. A
gift certificate makes a great gift especially if you know the
teacher is a gardener or loves flowers and plants. I
purchased certificates for all of my kids' teachers and they were
thrilled. What else could a mother ask for, shopping made
easy!
~
Shelly
Vine
Crop Vigilantes...
Savvygardeners need to be vigilant for the two most
destructive insect foes of vine crops - the cucumber beetle and
the squash bug. According to the good people at MU
Extension growers from across the region are reporting high
populations of cucumber beetles this season. Cucumber
beetles, like most vegetable insects must be controlled early to
prevent damage to the seedling and transmission of diseases like
bacterial wilt. Planting a trap crop, applying neem oil
soap and using row covers are effective non-chemical methods to
manage this insect pest. Squash bugs can be repelled with
insecticidal soap in addition to garlic and pepper sprays.
Source
You Say
Tomato, I Say Procrastinator...
Yikes! We still haven't planted our tomatoes!
Mostly because we keep getting busy with other projects, like
preventing our 30 foot chimney from falling into the front
yard. This week's cool weather makes us feel better about
our tardiness. Not that the lower temperatures are bad for
tomatoes but they don't promote much growth either so we really
haven't lost that much time. For those of you with tomato
planting in the near future here's a couple of things to think
about:
- If you
plan to can your tomatoes, planting determinate varieties will
ensure that they ripen all at once. If, like us, grow
them for eating fresh from the vine, plant indeterminate
varieties for staggered ripening.
- To
provide future support place stakes or cages at the same time
you plant. Installing supports later could result in
damage to plant roots.
Fields
Of Dreams, Lawns Of Webworms...
Last weekend Kevin & I had the pleasure of attending a
Royals game - the one where they actually beat the Red Sox!
Everything was perfect except for an unbelievable (and sometimes
unnerving) number of moths flitting about. Well, it's not
just a problem at Kaufman Stadium. K-State
Extension tells us that there have been numerous reports of
sod webworm moths flying over lawns recently. The moths are
small, a half-inch long or so, and whitish-gray and are usually
noticed when flushed out by people walking (or playing
baseball). They fly in a jerky zigzag manner and quickly
return to the grass to hide. Around dusk, they may be seen
flying a few feet above the grass and dropping their eggs.
In a few
days, these eggs and others laid on the lower parts of grass
stems hatch into small caterpillars. It is these
caterpillars that can damage your grass. The caterpillars
generally have dark heads and rows of light-brown spots arranged
in rings around the greenish-gray bodies. They live near
the soil surface in silken shelters covered with bits of
grass. The larvae clip off grass blades close to the ground
and pull them back into their silken 'runways'. After
several weeks of feeding, they change into pupae, soon emerging
as moths. In our area there are two generations of sod
webworms per season.
Sod
webworms can damage an area of lawn about the size of a
softball. If the infestation is severe, spots may coalesce
into much larger areas. After peak moth flights, wait 7 to
14 days and look for turf damage. Realize that an abundance
of moths does not necessarily mean damage. Also, look for
large numbers of birds, particularly starlings, pecking holes in
the lawn looking for caterpillars.
Consider
control measures when you find 2 to 4 webworms per square foot of
sod. Insecticides such as Dursban, Diazinon and Sevin may
be used for control. Read and follow all directions
carefully.
Source
Helpful
Hints For Herbs...
There are lots of good reasons to grow herbs. First on my
list is for cooking. Nothing compares to the taste of fresh
herbs added to your favorite dish. I used to buy pesto in a
jar. I thought it was good until I started making my own
from garden-fresh basil. There's no going back folks.
If cooking
is your goal make sure you do not fertilize your herbs too
much. The essential oils that provide flavor are more
concentrated when herbs are grown in moderately rich soil with
just enough fertilizer to keep them green. Too much
fertilizer encourages the plant to grow large but at the
sacrifice of less flavor. To get greater quantities without
sacrificing quality simply grow many more, albeit smaller,
plants.
Thin Is
In...
A bountiful vegetable patch requires thinning when crops are
grown from seed. Vegetables behave like weeds when they are
overabundant. Overcrowding among root crops causes poorly
formed roots. A good thinning program will:
- Reduce
the competition among seedlings for soil nutrients and water.
- Promote
better air circulation around the plants thereby reducing the
chances of disease development.
- Ultimately
make higher yields possible.
For a list
of common garden vegetables and recommendations for their spacing
click here.
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
The Hotline often receives requests for information and
suggestions on landscaping and planning. Although there is
probably no substitute for professional consultation, common
sense and good taste are indispensable guides for all of
us. This starts with careful selection of plant materials
suited for this area, agreeable arrangement of textures and
colors and interesting garden design.
Our
Extension Master Gardeners often suggest that thought be given to
enhancing the appearance of foundation plantings and borders by the
addition of vertical accents to avoid the monotony of too many horizontal
lines. There are a number of vines available to accomplish this and
to serve in a variety of roles. Read about them in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
On The
Cutting Edge...
If your lawn has a whitish cast after mowing, the blade(s)
may be dull. A dull blade does not cut cleanly but rather
shreds the ends of the leaf blades. The shredded ends dry
out, giving the lawn that whitish look. A sharp mower blade
is even more important when the turf starts putting up seed
heads. The seed head stems are much tougher than the grass
blades and, therefore, more likely to shred. Under normal
use, mower blades should be sharpened after every 10 hours of
use.
Source
Finally... "Happiness?
The color of it must be spring green, impossible to describe
until I see a just-hatched lizard sunning on a stone. That
color, the glowing green lizard skin, repeats in every new
leaf. ...The regenerative power of nature explodes in every
weed, stalk, branch. Working in the mild sun, I feel the
green fuse of my body, too. Surges of energy, kaleidoscopic
sunlight through the leaves, the soft breeze that makes me want
to say the word "zephyr" - this mindless simplicity can
be called happiness." ~
Frances Mayes, Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy,
1999 |