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October 31, 2001

Trick Or Treat...
Since the weather has been perfect for working outside that is where I have been.  It brings me great joy to clean up the garden and after last week's hard frost it certainly needed it.  I did not bother covering my annuals to protect them from freezing.  After all, they had done their job as fill-ins and it was time for them to go.  

There is something to be said about a garden that is cleaned up and ready for its long winters nap.  A very clean and yet lonely surrounding.  Your perennials for the most part are dormant and tired from blooming all summer long.  They long for a warm blanket to get them through our cold midwest winter.  Kevin and I always use leaves as our winter mulch of choice.  First of all there are so many of them in our neighborhood.  Secondly they decompose so nicely giving the soil some badly needed nutrients.  A winning combination for our garden.  For those of you who live "out south" and have few trees bark mulch does a nice job as well.  Warning, with this warmer weather at hand be careful to not cover your gardens too soon! You could possibly kill the perennials underneath due to extreme heat (see our tip below).  

The Sweet Onion is offering pre-chilled bulbs for those of you who want to give bulb forcing a try.  It's a lot of fun and will bring you colorful spring-like blooms during the gray winter months.

I hope that all of you ghosts and goblins have a safe and Happy Halloween!!!!

~ Shelly  

Watering Wisdom...
Before you do anything else try to remember the last time you watered the lawn.  Your perennial garden?  What about those trees?  If it's been a week or more I want you to slowly back away from the computer, head outside and start the sprinkler.  It's been really dry lately and watering is still the single most important thing you can do to keep your lawn and garden healthy.  We've said it here before and it bears repeating, "One of the major reasons why some plants do not make it through winter's cold weather is because the soil is too dry."  This is your last warning!  Maybe.

Perfect (Pungent) Paperwhites...
Before I get too far I want to make it clear that while I love the look of paper-white narcissi I really don't care for their smell.  Yuck.  That being said paper-whites are certainly popular and if you want a pretty display of them in time for Christmas you should get started now. 

They will take about six weeks to bloom so plan your start time according to when you need a floral display.  When ready to plant, put a layer of peat moss in the bottom of a pot or bowl.  Try to be creative about the container you choose.  Add pebbles, gravel or crushed marble to within about 1 inch of the top of the container.  Position the bulbs (pointy side up) in the gravel so that they are just touching each other.  Water thoroughly.  Place them in a well lighted spot like a sunny window and keep them watered.  When the flower shoots are about six inches tall water the bulbs several times a week.  The blooms aren't far behind.  Neither is their breathtaking scent.

Thwarting Insect Invaders...
When cool night temperatures signal that it’s time to bring houseplants indoors a host of insects and their relatives may try to come indoors with them.  Once inside they can undergo a population explosion and spread from the plant they came in on to others in your home.  Other pests such as millipedes, centipedes, sowbugs and pillbugs, spiders, and earwigs may not harm plants or other materials, but their presence indoors makes them household nuisances.  

Repotting your plants in fresh soil will eliminate many of these invaders.  The others can be controlled mechanically - by broom and dustpan, vacuum cleaner, flyswatter or sole of shoe applied firmly to floor with the pest sandwiched between the flat surfaces.  The best approach is to inspect plant pots closely before bringing them inside.  Shake or tap pots vigorously to disturb beetles, millipedes, spiders and other creatures and encourage them to leave their hiding places.  If you find scale insects, mealybugs, aphids or other plant-destructive pests, use a hard stream of water or insecticidal soap to remove them.  Quarantine these plants from other uninfested indoor plants and observe them closely.  Treat any new outbreaks as they occur and discard any plants that are severely infested.

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Early Mulchers Beware...
Did you know that mulches applied too early can do more harm than good?   Think about it.  The primary function of mulch is to keep soil temperatures constant and prevent frost heaving, not to keep it warm.  It is best not to mulch until the soil temperature has reached about 35 degrees - hopefully at least a month from now!

Making The Bed...
Is there a spot on your property that is begging to be turned into a garden?  Well, the time to dig a new garden bed is now.  You want to do it before the ground freezes but also make sure the soil is dry before you begin to work it.  Incorporate plenty of organic matter (leaves are great) and leave the soil rough to allow water penetration.  You might also consider tilling in a good compost/topsoil blend like the one we buy from sponsor Missouri Organic Recycling.  For even better results top it all off with a cover crop to further increase the soil's organic matter content.  Next spring's plantings will thrive!

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
This is the last issue of "What's Hot" until next spring.  Hotline callers have had many questions on two very different problems - gnats and pine wilt.  Get the low down on both in this week's What's Hot on the Hotline... 

Leveling The Lawn...
Uneven lawns can really wreak havoc when you're mowing.  These "pot holes" make level mowing nearly impossible and even walking through the yard less than ideal.  You can fix small low spots in the lawn by carefully removing the turf and filling in the low spot with good topsoil.  

Remove the turf by cutting 2 inches deep into the lawn with a flat-bladed spade, then angle the blade under the sod to cut it free, keeping at least 2 inches deep to get most of the roots.  If you do it really well you will remove a single piece of sod.  After filling the low spot, replace the sod, and keep it well watered until it is reestablished.

Finally...
"I am now going to make you a gift that will stay with you the rest of your life. For the rest of your life, every time you say "we've always done it that way," my ghost will appear and haunt you for twenty-four hours."

~ Grace Murray Hopper

 

 

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