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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

 

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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

 

 

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