October
24, 2001
Pumpkin
Heads...
The Marsh family loaded up the mini-van this past weekend for
our annual autumn trip to Weston Missouri to the Red Barn Farm
and Vaughn's Apple Orchard (photos).
A trip the entire family looks forward to. Our adventure
always starts out at Red Barn Farm where we visit with the farm
animals, ride on a horse drawn hay rack, play at Fort Hay and
meander around to look at all of the different shaped
pumpkins. In years past we have always taken a ride out to
the pumpkin patch to choose our own pumpkins right off the vine
but this year we were lucky enough to receive pumpkins from my
Dad that he grew in his own garden. What a special treat
for us all to be able to carve a pumpkin grown from someone so
dear to us. After enjoying all of the activities at Red
Barn Farm we head across the street to Vaughn's Apple Orchard to
satisfy our hunger pains with crown's of apples smothered with
caramel sauce (my favorite) or gobbling up a couple of hot apple
fritters sprinkled with powdered sugar. This year Morgan,
her friend Kelly and I bravely took on the haunted house at
Vaughn's Apple Orchard. I am one who is faint of heart so I
was being very brave to enter with these younger girls.
Actually it wasn't that bad and we came away without screaming
too many times. To top things off the weather was
perfect. What a great way to spend a day with the
family. A tradition that will be around the Marsh house for
years to come.
It sounds
like it might be time to get the woollies out. The extended
forecast is calling for very cold temperatures this
weekend. One particular forecast that Kevin and I receive
mentioned something about snow flakes. Yikes! I am
not quite sure I am ready for that. If you still have some
fall cleanup to do now is the time before the extreme cold heads
our way. I fear our fall is on its way out. A
beautiful one at that. Although winter is still a couple of
months away the change will be upon us soon and we will sit
inside where it is warm and cozy to simply dream of spring.
~
Shelly
Time To
Transplant Trees?
There are many reasons you may be considering transplanting a
tree. Maybe you're changing your landscape and an existing
tree no longer fits your new plans. Other reasons include
relieving a tree from an overcrowded placement, adopting one from
a friend that may otherwise cut it down, etc...
Regardless
of the reasons you should transplant deciduous (non-evergreen)
trees once all their leaves have dropped in Fall. Make sure
you dig a hole that's at least 2-3 times the size of the root ball
for the transplant. After filling in the hole water
thoroughly, mulch, and make sure the tree gets a good soaking
every ten to fourteen days.
Keep It
Interesting...
As you clean up the garden and prepare it for bed try to
leave some plants in place to maintain some winter interest.
Ornamental grasses in particular look great in wintertime.
Seedpods on spent flower stems, especially in bunches, give the
wintertime garden a very special dimension also.
Don't
Leave Those Leaves...
Those leaves that are falling all over the region are pretty
but leaving lots of them on your lawn can mean trouble. When they
are dry they shade your grass from much needed fall sun.
When wet they can smother grass
turning it yellow and possibly killing it. Just keep the
leaves raked up a few times per week and you should be fine.
Better yet, mow and bag them in your lawnmower and use the
shredded leaves in your garden or compost pile.
Gardening
Magazines Get You Through Winter!
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Subscription Rates For Savvygardeners!
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What's
Up Doc?
During the winter months, rabbits often gnaw on the bark of
many woody plants. Heavy browsing can result in the complete
girdling of small trees and small branches clipped off at snow
level. Apple, pear, crabapple, and serviceberry are frequent
targets of these furry critters. Smaller trees with smooth, thin bark
tend to be the
most vulnerable. Other frequently damaged plants include the
winged euonymus or burning bush, Japanese barberry, dogwood,
roses, and raspberries.
The best
way to prevent rabbit damage to young trees is to place a
cylinder of hardware cloth (1/4 inch mesh wire fencing) around
the tree trunk. The hardware cloth cylinder should stand about 1
to 2 inches from the tree trunk and 20 inches above the ground.
The bottom 2 to 3 inches should be buried beneath the soil.
Source
Press
The Squash...
When you harvest your winter squash (Acorn or Butternut)
check for maturity with your thumbnail. When pressed with
your nail the rind of a ripe
squash will not be punctured. To harvest the squash, cut
the stem, don’t break it off. The cut stems will dry and
seal the squash so it will last for months in storage. It
is no exaggeration to say the squash you harvest in October and
store in a dry place at around 50° to 55° F. can still be good
to eat in April of next year.
Source
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What's
Hot On The Hotline...
The Hotline will be closing for the season soon. In
fact next week will be the last issue until next spring.
Our Hotline pros are using this time to give us all some tips on
readying our gardens for the winter. Getting ready for
winter in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Don't Go
With A Low Mow...
Contrary to some old-time recommendations and habits you
should not reduce lawn mowing height in the weeks before winter
sets in. This is because
photosynthesis will continue until the plant is dormant, even in
spite of cool temperatures. Photosynthesis at this time of
the year allows the plant to store energy for winter and next
spring, which is crucial for its survival. Scalping off
grass leaves now reduces the photosynthetic capacity of the
plant, reducing energy storage, and decreasing turf survival this
winter and performance next summer.
Source
Finally... "An
addiction to gardening is not all bad when you consider all the
other choices in life . . ." ~
Cora Lea Bell |