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February 27, 2002

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow...
So much for that spring-like weather!  Mother Nature is such a tease!  How could she even think about dangling that warm weather in front of us and then just simply snatch it away?  It sure was nice while it lasted and I must tell you that I tried to be outside every single minute trying to soak it in.  Days like those make me hold onto thoughts of spring.  A nice, slow, warm-up kind of spring.  One that gives us days in the low to mid 70's, gently guiding us into summer.  Hopefully the script will be played out that way and the stage will become our gardens, a place where we all become actors of sorts.  The curtain will be rising soon!

It's party time!  Join Kevin and I Saturday, March 9th from 10 AM - 3 PM for the Grand Spring Opening of The Barn at The Kelly Gallery.  Kelly Daniels has added several new pieces to her collection of affordable garden and home accents.  For those of you who have been there, you know that this is a place to come for great garden accessories.  So join us for an afternoon of garden conversations as well as ideas and inspiration for ways to create that special place in your garden or home.  Let us know if you're coming.  Please RSVP here!

~ Shelly  

Seed Starting With Structure...
Starting more than three or four different varieties of seed indoors can get confusing if you're not organized.  To keep from missing the start date for any of your seeds you might try our simple procedure: 

  • Organize your seed packets in piles based on the number of weeks before "last frost" to start them indoors. This should be indicated on the seed packet and can be found in our feature When To Start Seeds Indoors.
  • Pick the date which you feel safe calling "last frost". We use the first full weekend in May (May 5th this year). 
  • In our example we are now 8½ weeks from the weekend we will transplant our seedlings. That means that by this weekend we will have already started any seeds that indicate starting dates nine weeks and higher. 
  • For the remainder of your seeds secure them together in their respective groups with a rubber band. 
  • For each group attach a sticky note with the date of the weekend they need to be started. 
  • Place the packets front-to-back, in order by starting date, in a small box. 
  • Each weekend remove the packets at the front of the box for starting. Next weekend's seeds are now at the front and awaiting your return in seven days.

This One's A Cut Above...
When we started Savvygardener.com one of the things we wanted to provide was information that was truly useful to area gardeners based on our weather, our climate, our everything.  To that end we are very excited about our newest feature article -
The Shrub Pruning Calendar.  A Savvygardener.com exclusive, this is the Kansas City  area gardener's definitive guide to when, and when not, to prune a wide variety of shrubs.  Check it out!  We'll bet it answers some questions and clears up a lot of mystery.

A Clean Start...
Here's another important tip for seed starters.  Make sure you thoroughly wash last year's plastic seed-starting containers.  Believe me it makes a difference!  And if your seedlings have had disease problems in the past, you'll need to use a mixture containing 10 percent household bleach and water to really sterilize the containers.

 


It's Party Time!  

Join Shelly & Kevin for a special gardening event at The Kelly Gallery.  

Click Here for Details...

 

 

Zoning Out in KC...
One thing you can count on with this newsletter - we're not going to make too many assumptions about our readers' gardening expertise.  This is a resource for all gardeners.  That being said you should know a couple of basics about zones when buying seeds or plants.  The most commonly known zone is the USDA Hardiness Zone that defines a plant's ability to survive the winters presented by a particular area.  We are Zone 5.  

Less well known is American Horticultural Society's Heat Zone.  The AHS has developed a Heat Zone Map that categorizes geographic areas by the average number of days at or above 86 degrees.  We are in Heat Zone 7 (with between 61 and 90 hot days per year).  All catalogs reference the USDA Hardiness Zones and many have adopted the AHS Heat Zone data as well.  Knowing these numbers is the first best step in growing the right plants.

Paper Or Plastic?
Bagworms are evident when you see those funny little brown bags hanging from Junipers and many other trees and shrubs.  It's actually the bagworm eggs that are over-wintering in those sacks.  In late May and early June, these eggs will hatch and the very tiny caterpillars start feeding.  Start your control measures now by removing the brown bags and disposing of them.  This is a very effective, chemical-free way to reduce the damage they might otherwise cause later this year.
  

 


Check Out the New SavvyChat!

Kansas City's On-line Gardening Forum 
Where Local Gardener's Help Each Other!

Check It Out Now! 

 

 

Winter Wisdom...
The Hotline will be officially open soon, but recent weather and events have the phone ringing a little early.  From tree & shrub pruning to early spring blooming bulbs our Hotline staffers share some of the early season calls with us in this week's Winter Wisdom... 

Cold Season Seeding For Cool Season Grass...
OK, we've said it many times before: "The best time to overseed cool-season grasses (such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass) is September."   This is because the turf has more time to mature before crabgrass germination in the spring and the heat stress of summer.  That being said, wintertime dormant seeding is sometimes appropriate to help fill in bare spots.  (Dormant seeding is not recommended for large areas due to the possibility of erosion occurring before the seed becomes mature enough to hold the soil.)

Dormant overseeding is done during the winter (December through February) when it is too cold for germination to take place.  As with any seeding program, it is vital that good seed-soil contact is achieved.  There are several methods that are commonly used in dormant seeding. 

  • One method is to seed when there has been a light snowfall of up to an inch over unfrozen soil (light enough that bare spots can still be seen).  Spread seed by hand on areas that need thickening up.  As the snow melts it brings the seed into good contact with the soil where it will germinate in the spring.  
  • Another method is dependent on the surface of the soil being moist followed by some freezing weather.  As moist soil freezes and thaws, small pockets are formed on the wet, bare soil which are perfect for catching and holding seed.  As the soil dries, the pockets collapse and cover the seed.  
  • Verticutting can also be used as long as the soil is not frozen. 

The idea here is to get the grass seed germinating in the spring as early as possible.  Keep in mind that there are some limitations on what herbicides can be used for weed control.  Tupersan (siduron) can be used as a crabgrass preventer on new seedings but is relatively short-lived.  Other pre-emergence herbicides require that the turf be well established before application.  Turf that has been mowed several times is usually considered mature enough for herbicide application.

Source

Finally...
"
The trees down the boulevard stand naked in thought,
Their abundant summery wordage silenced, caught
In the grim undertow; naked the trees confront Implacable winter's long, cross-questioning brunt.
"

~ D. H. Lawrence, Winter in the Boulevard, 1916

 

 

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