Visit
Our Website
Previous
Issues
Buyer's
Guide
Tell A
Friend
Bookstore
Magazines
Gardening
Catalogs
Site
Search
Contact
Us
Submit
A Tip
Feature
Articles
Rose
Tips
What's
Hot...
Turf
Tips...
Winter
Wisdom
Gardener's
Glossary
Books
We Love
Great
Products
Web
Resources Event Calendar
Local
Sponsors
Subscribe
Unsubscribe
Address
Change
Tell
A Friend
Privacy
Pledge
|
January
30, 2002
Viva Las
Vegas...
Kevin and I just spent two days in Las Vegas and did we hit it big!
Unfortunately it wasn't playing slots or the tables, it was better than that.
We were in a gardener's paradise. We stayed at the Bellagio
Hotel which is renown for it's Conservatory and
Gardens. We were
lucky enough to receive two special tours. One of the Conservatory itself and the other
through the 30,000 square foot greenhouse and floral department.
Wow! What a production! Kevin and I were totally captivated by the
immense beauty and scent of the arrangements strategically placed throughout the casino.
We were able to spend time with the Conservatory Supervisor, Leah Moore and staff
gardener Lysenda Kirkberg.
Both incredibly nice women with an enormous amount of talent and knowledge.
Read more about our tours (complete with photos) here...
We only spent two days in Vegas but while we were there it snowed!
It was the craziest thing I have ever seen. It only lasted
about ten minutes and certainly didn't accumulate. Unfortunately
that wasn't the case at home. We landed in the middle of
the ice storm that hit K.C. Tuesday night. I wish I could
say that driving on slick roads was the worst of it. As I
right this on Wednesday night tree limbs of all sizes are
dropping from our trees. Power is out and it looks like we
have a smashed picket fence. Looks like a lot of clean-up
ahead.
The Metropolitan Lawn & Garden Show is just over a week away
(remember the ice storm that hit during the first day of the show
last year?).
Kevin and I are busily preparing for the show. We hope that you have time to drop by and introduce yourself.
When you do please bring
a friend who may not be familiar with us so that they too can receive Savvygardener.com. Our booth number is 559.
Can't wait to see you!
~
Shelly
Savvy
Storm Damage Repair...
As mentioned above our trees are getting hit hard by the
ice. Chances are yours are too. Here's some good tips
to get you started on cleaning up and fixing up those damaged
trees:
- Clean-up:
Remove all the debris so you don't trip over it.
- Decide
whether it is feasible to save a tree. If the bark has
been split so the cambium is exposed or the main trunk split,
the tree will probably not survive and should be
removed. If there are so many broken limbs that the form
of the tree is destroyed, replacement will be the best
option. Topping, where all the main branches are cut
back so that there are only stubs left, is not a recommended
pruning procedure. Though new branches will normally
arise from the stubs, they are not as firmly attached as the
original branches and will likely break in subsequent
storms. Also, the tree must use a lot of energy to make
these new branches, leaving less to fight off diseases and
insect attacks. Often, the topped tree's life is
shortened.
- Broken
branches should be pruned back to the next larger branch or
back to the trunk. If cutting back to the trunk, do not
cut flush to the trunk, but make the cut at the collar
area. The collar area is the transition area between the
branch and the trunk. Cutting flush with the trunk will
leave a much larger wound than cutting at the collar and will
take longer to heal.
Large limbs
should be taken off in stages. If you try to take off a
large limb in one cut, it will often break before the cut is
finished and strip bark from the tree.
- First
make a cut about 15 inches from the trunk. Start from
the bottom and cut one-third of the way up through the
limb.
- The
second should be made from the top down but started 2 inches
further away from the trunk than the first cut. The
branch will break away as you make the second cut.
- The third
cut is made to remove the stub that is left and is made at the
collar area.
- Note:
This can be dangerous! Consider hiring a trained
arborist to do major work such as this.
Also, a
good arborist knows how to prune trees so that storm breakage is
less likely to occur. Preventing damage is better than
trying to fix it once it has happened.
Source
Savvy
Citrus Crop?
Here's a mid-winter project that is sure to be fun for
Savvygardeners of all ages - grow plants from citrus fruit seeds.
Store-bought oranges, grapefruits, lemons and tangerines, may
have viable seeds. Try germinating them in a light,
potting-soil mixture containing half peat moss. Keep the
seeds well watered and in a warm location. If seedlings
fail to appear in six weeks, try again with new seeds.
Citrus plants grown from seeds generally will not produce flowers
or fruit, but they do have attractive shiny-leaved foliage.
Bug Off!
Mealy bugs on your house plants are a real nuisance.
They are fairly easy to eradicate however. Just touch them
with the tip of a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.
Seed Starting?
Of Course You
Are!
EVERYTHING
You Need is at
Gardener's Supply!
Just
Click Here!
|
Viability
Verification...
So, you're getting ready to start some seeds indoors and don't know if
last year's leftovers are still good. Well, you can start by checking the
viability of 20 popular vegetable seeds in the table below:
Vegetable |
Viability
(Years) |
Vegetable |
Viability
(Years) |
Beans |
3 |
Muskmelons |
4-5 |
Broccoli |
3-5 |
Peas |
3 |
Brussels
Sprouts |
3-5 |
Peppers |
2-3 |
Cabbage |
3-4 |
Pumpkin |
4-5 |
Carrots |
3 |
Radish |
5 |
Cauliflower |
3-5 |
Spinach |
5 |
Corn,
Sweet |
2 |
Squash,
Summer |
3-4 |
Cucumbers |
5 |
Squash,
Winter |
4 |
Lettuce |
5-6 |
Tomato |
3-4 |
Lima
Beans |
3 |
Turnip |
4-5 |
To be
absolutely sure here's a trick we use to determine if seeds are
still good:
- Take
ten seeds from the package and place them on a paper towel
that you have moistened with warm water.
- Fold
the paper towel over to cover the seeds.
- Keep
the towel moist and warm (on top of the fridge usually works
for warmth) until they start to germinate.
- If
less than six seeds (60%) germinate you might as well throw
the rest away.
- If
six or more germinate it will be worthwhile to plant the rest.
- Don't
waste your test seeds! The ones that germinate should be
carefully moved to your preferred seedling container and cared
for until ready for transplanting outdoors.
Source
Winter
Wisdom...
As people are planning for additions to their landscapes, we
often receive requests for the names of trees and shrubs that do
well here, and which encourage visits by songbirds and
wildlife. Our Winter Wisdom staffers have narrowed down a
choice few and described them in this
week's Winter
Wisdom...
Seed
Scarification...
The coat of certain seed is extremely tough and must be
penetrated by special means. Particularly hard seed may be
scarified. Scarification involves breaking, scratching or
softening the seed coat to allow moisture penetration. Two
methods of scarification commonly used by the home gardener are
mechanical and hot water.
- Mechanical
scarification involves breaking or weakening the seed coat
with a file, sandpaper or hammer.
- Hot
water scarification involves placing seeds in water that
is 170 to 210 degrees F. After the water cools, seeds should
continue to soak for 12 to 24 hours.
Then they
are planted. Specific instructions for scarification are usually
mentioned on the seed packet or in the seed catalog.
Source
Finally... "One
of the healthiest ways to gamble is with a spade and a package of
garden seeds." ~
Dan Bennett, American Journalist |
|