January
23, 2002
What's
With This Weather?
It was just four days ago that the ground was covered with
snow. Today the temperature is hovering near 50 and there
is very little snow to be found. We seem to be riding a
weather roller coaster. It is tough to keep up and I can't
imagine what some of my plants are thinking. These sporadic
warm-ups are not what we need right now. It is important
that our plants get their full winter's nap. If these
warm-ups continue, some of our plants will start believing that
Spring is arriving early and will start to bloom prematurely.
Make sure that you have plenty of mulch on your garden beds.
This will help enable the ground to stay at a stable temperature.
If the temperatures continue to rise, I fear that we will all be
in serious trouble. The magnolia tree in our front yard
started to bloom in November when the temperatures were so mild.
With warmer temperatures it may start to bloom again risking
serious frost damage to new blooms limiting it's blooming period
either slightly or altogether come Spring. That Mother
Nature is a tricky gal. It is almost impossible to outsmart
her so we need to be patient to see what she will deliver us
next. Patience is not one of my strongest virtues but as I
grow older it does become a little easier.
Speaking of
patience... There's only a couple of weeks before the Metropolitan
Lawn & Garden Show at the American Royal. We will
be exhibiting of course and hope to meet many of our 3,000+
readers. Please drop by to say
"Hi"!
Don't be fooled into thinking that last week's snowfall (a mere 4
inches) satisfied the ground's need for moisture. The rain
equivalent moisture from that 4 inches was a about ½
inch. So the ground still needs moisture. Make
sure you are still watering! Is anyone getting tired of
me saying that?
~
Shelly
Pruning
Primer...
If you take advantage of winter to get some pruning done
remember that when pruning large limbs, always undercut
first. This means cut from the bottom up, one-third of the
way through the limb, then finish by cutting from the top.
The undercut keeps the limb from splitting and breaking off,
which could damage the trunk and become an entryway for insects
and diseases. Also, don't cut flush to the trunk. The
collar or enlarged base of a branch produces hormones that help
heal wounds.
Heave,
Ho...
We've seen some interesting swings in temperatures lately.
While most of us appreciate the days above freezing, our plants
may be less than thrilled. The freezing and thawing of the
ground can force shallow-rooted plants out of the soil.
This is called "heaving" and should not be a problem if
you mulched well at the onset of winter. If you see any
signs of heaving among your plantings simply replant any that
have heaved and mulch with 2 inches of organic material.
Those leaves that seem to linger all season are perfect!
Jade In
The Shade?
Many Savvygardeners grow Jade plants because of their
tolerance for low light conditions. However, while jade
will survive in low light, it needs as much direct
sunlight as possible to look its best. Insufficient light
will cause your jade plant to lose most of its old, thick leaves
and grow thin, new ones on spindly stems. Not a good
trade-off if you ask me.
All-America
Selection Winners
Each year the All-America Selection organization selects the
best new flowers and vegetables based on carefully controlled
trials across North America. This year there were a total
of 13 winners - five vegetables and eight flower cultivars.
Our friends at K-State
Extension have posted this year's All-America Selections
complete with photos. Use the links below to see them:
Melting
Snow Yields Clues...
It's funny how important the winter can be to gardening.
Last week's snow is long gone but did you notice where it melted
away fastest? Those are the sunniest and warmest spots of
your garden. After our next snow take note of these microclimates
as they may be important for future plantings. These warmer
areas might be good choices for your more tender plantings or
even a perennial that is only marginally suited to our zone.
Winter
Wisdom...
In the middle of this bleak season we call winter it's always
nice to see Savvygardeners that have planted trees and shrubs to
add interest to the winter landscape. You'll find good
advice on those that do well in our area in this
week's Winter
Wisdom...
Pelleted
Perfection...
You may find yourself perusing a seed catalog and come across
something called pelleted seed. Some mail order seed
companies offer pelleted seed of lettuce, carrot, and a few other
small-seeded crops. Pelleted seed is like any other seed
except that it has a special coating that makes it larger.
While almost anyone will appreciate the convenience of larger
seeds it is especially valuable for children and gardeners with
arthritic hands, weak eyesight, or poor coordination. When
using pelleted seed, plant in moist soil and keep it moist as the
coating has to dissolve before the seed can germinate.
Finally... "The
cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty.
It fell and fell, lacing day and night together
in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell,
so that winter seemed to partake of religion
in a way no other season did, hushed, solemn." ~
Patricia Hampl, Author |