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February 6, 2002

The Good, The Bad, The Ugly...
The good, the worst ice storm in Kansas City's history is behind us. The bad, as I type this editorial there are still close to 40,000 people in the metropolitan area without power. The ugly, it saddens me to drive down Nall or Mission Road to see all of those big beautiful trees lying on the side of the street ready to be picked up like the weekly trash.  What a tragedy.  I am having difficulty coping with all of this loss.  As of February 6th, the Marsh house is still without full power and we have moved into a nearby hotel.  Our best friends, Larry, Tracy, and daughter Nicole were kind enough to allow us to invade the privacy of their home for the first five days.  We hope to be back home in a couple of days.  Kevin and I are busily preparing for the Metropolitan Lawn & Garden Show and the last thing the two of us need to worry about at this point is if my parents, who are kind enough to be staying with the children while we are working the show, will have full power.  Timing is everything.  I remember last year when we had a bad ice storm the first day of the show and we didn't have power then either.  I am still looking for the irony in all of this.

There is a rumor that another storm is moving in for the weekend.  Keep your fingers crossed.  I would like for us to get the debris picked up from this storm before another one hits.  Not only that, we need a good showing at The Metropolitan Lawn & Garden Show.  Come out to meet us.  We are always eager to meet our readers.  Our booth number is 559 so look us up and say "Hello!"

~ Shelly  

Tips For Troubled Trees...
Let's face it.  Last week's storm was a doozy.  Long-time readers of this newsletter know that we live in Westwood - a city that prides itself on it's grand old trees.  Many of those trees are now piled high in front of our homes waiting for the big orange trucks to chip them up and haul them away.  But what about the remains of trees still standing?  Glad you asked.  We've scoured the Internet for the best advice on repairing storm-damaged trees.  We've decided that these three articles should be of interest to anyone with tree damage.  Your feedback is always appreciated...

  • Repairing Storm Damage to Trees
    Published by Michigan State University Extension this is a very comprehensive article complete with simple but effective diagrams detailing proper cutting techniques and tree wound treatments.  
  • Managing Storm Damaged Trees
    Published by Iowa State University Extension this document is also quite comprehensive and includes color photos.  It is in PDF format and is best printed first and read on paper.
  • How to Select an Arborist or Tree Service
    Frankly, this article published by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension is a must-read.  Many of our trees have gone through such major damage that a professional should be called in.  This article is a good primer for the questions you should ask when selecting that professional. 

Thank Heaven For Houseplants...
This time of year many Savvygardeners turn their attention to houseplants.  It's not the same as gardening outside during the other three seasons but it's gardening nonetheless.  Repeated requests for information on houseplant care (cleaning, fertilizing, containers, and light requirements) have prompted us to post an informative article on Houseplant Care.  Find it in our Features section...

 


We're Dying to Meet You!

Come See Us This Weekend at

The Metropolitan Lawn & Garden Show

Click Here for Details... 

 

 

Welcoming Wet Feet...
From the "Let's Make the Best Of It" department:  As all this ice melts you may notice lingering puddles where the soil doesn't drain very well.  Think of these spots as good locations to place plants that like "wet feet".  Some good choices include bee balm, cardinal flower, globe flower, Japanese iris and purple loosestrife.

Ooh, Ooh, Onions...
Next to garlic, onions are probably the most common garden-grown plant that we cook with in the Marsh household.  (We keep a lot of breath mints on hand also!)  Onions are one of the earliest crops that can be planted in the garden - late March in our area.  As they usually require 6 to 8 weeks of growing time before transplanting they should be started indoors now.  Plant onion seed fairly close together - ½ to ¾ inch apart in a pot or flat filled with commercial seed starting mix.  (A lot of onion plants can be grown in a small area.)  Place the container in a warm (75° to 80°F) location until the seedlings emerge.  When the seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, move them to a cooler (60° to 65°F) location with plenty of natural or artificial light.   After the onion seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall, apply a soluble fertilizer with each or alternate waterings.  When they are 4 to 5 inches tall "give them a haircut" by trimming the ends of the leaves to produce a shorter, stockier plant.  In early March, move the plants to an outdoor, protected location for a few weeks prior to actual transplanting.

Winter Wisdom...
Dealing with fallen and damaged trees may be the immediate task at hand but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  There are many things we can do to prevent or reduce storm damage to our trees.  Find out how in this week's Winter Wisdom... 

 


This Valentine's Day

Give Her A Rose That That Grows

"Lover's Lane" - 2002 Rose of the Year

From Jackson & Perkins

 

 

Chilled Out, Popping Up...
As this ice melts we are finding a few little surprises lurking beneath it all.  Many of our crocus have decided it's time to come out for spring.  A look up reveals that our Magnolia tree is trying to bud out.  Our friends at K-State extension help us understand the confused state of these plants...

Plants that become dormant in preparation for winter must have a certain number of "chilling hours" before the buds will begin growth the next spring.  "Chilling" hours are those in which the temperature remains between 32°and 45°F.  Plants differ in the number of chilling hours needed with those adapted to colder climates usually requiring more than those adapted to warmer zones.  In the Kansas City area this winter we have already met the chilling requirements for some plants.  For these plants, dormancy is over and warm periods can lead to bud swell.  Unfortunately, buds that have swollen have lost virtually all of their winter hardiness and can be damaged by severe cold.  So what do you do if you have a plant that has swollen buds?  Actually, there is not much you can do to slow the bud development process because it is completely dependent on weather.  However, watering during dry weather may help.  Readily available soil moisture will aid in keeping the plant healthy so that it will be better able to recover from cold damage if and when it occurs.  Also, it is important to determine if the swollen buds are flower buds or leaf buds.  Even if the flower buds are killed by cold temperatures, the health of the plant should not be affected.  If, in addition to the swollen buds, you also see small buds on the stems, then the swollen buds are flower buds.

Source

Finally...
"A garden without trees scarcely deserves to be called a garden."

~ Henry Ellacombe, 1822-1916, Clergyman and Gardener

 

 

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