March
6, 2002
Roarin'
Like A Lion...
Well, March came in with the fury of a caged lion. What
a weekend! Four inches of snow and temperatures in single
digits. To say it was cold was a slight
understatement. After being cooped-up inside for a few days
it sure was nice to get out and enjoy those warmer
temperatures. You gotta love the weather here. If you
don't look out it will change on you! It is exciting to see
flowers popping up out of the ground. I can hardly wait to
see all of my bulbs in bloom. Kevin and I planted between
nearly 800 of them last fall so I am anxious to see how many of
them will actually survive. We do have a squirrel problem
in the neighborhood so I am sure that some of them have been dug
up and eaten. Those squirrels, they drive me
crazy!!!!
Don't
forget the event this Saturday at The
Kelly Gallery from 10-3. It sounds as if the weather
will be cool so bring a jacket and it might be a good idea to
wear a pair of mud shoes. It is a beautiful place and the
shopping at The
Barn is fabulous! I look forward to seeing you
there!
I am proud
to announce that we have a couple of new sponsors. For
those of you who have sent me e-mails in the past asking about Family
Tree Nursery as a sponsor, well wait no longer. They
have agreed to support Savvygardener.com so the next time you are
shopping at one of The Family Tree locations, tell them how much
their support is appreciated! Our other new sponsor is
Gard'n Wise Guys. They have chosen to sponsor SavvyChat
- our local gardening forum. Tune in to hear John Bruntzel
and Jan Olson every Sunday morning from 7-8 AM on 61 Country WDAF.
I have been asked to be on the show soon so I will keep you
posted as to when that is. It is going to be an exciting
spring!
~
Shelly
Digger
Delay...
Last weekend's melted snow and this week's potential rainfall
mean garden soils are wet, wet, wet. I know you are tempted
to start working that wet soil, but there are some serious
consequences to consider. Digging in the dirt now means
soil structure may be destroyed, forming large clods that take
weeks or months to break up with natural weathering. Use of
a roto-tiller is especially damaging in soils that are too wet.
A gentle spading will cause the least soil damage but is still a
risky proposition. It is better to delay planting a few
days or weeks than to try to till wet soils.
Crown
Jewels...
Once the soil is suitable (see above) you may be thinking about planting
some asparagus crowns. Don't dig too far down when planting
them. Yields improve dramatically when crowns are set at a
depth of 5 to 6 inches - not the commonly advised 12
inches. Contrary to the standard practices of deep planting
and not harvesting for up to three seasons, recent studies show
that harvesting shallow-planted asparagus after the first year
boosts yields 40 percent over three years.
Patience...
Be careful not to jump the gun on your seed starting!
Seedlings, especially tall plants like indeterminate tomatoes,
will grow leggy or "climb to the moon" if started too
early. Making sure they get plenty of light close to the
plant will also be a big help. Need some guidance?
Don't forget about our Seed
Starting Calendar!
Don't
Miss The Garden Party
Of The Season!
Join
Shelly & Kevin this weekend for a special gardening event at The
Kelly Gallery.
Click
Here for Details...
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Pruning
Perfected...
Many Savvygardeners wrote in appreciation for the Shrub
Pruning Calendar we just published. A few had
questions however. One that bears repeating concerns the
different pruning requirements of climbing roses. We put
the question to our rosarian Al Karsten who responded,
"Climbing roses are different in their procedure of pruning.
Many climbers bloom on new growth and if you prune in early
spring, you are cutting off the spring blooms. I usually
suggest a person not prune a climber unless it is getting out of
control of its growing habit. Cut out only dead canes - or
wait until after the first blooms in the spring , then prune
back." Thanks Al! By the way Al's regular rose
tips will return here in a few weeks.
Gentle
Grooming Promotes Early Blooming...
As the snow melts and depending on specific microclimates you
will soon see adventurous bulbs pushing through the ground -
especially snow drops, crocus, and early daffodils. Keep an
eye out! Matted leaves and dead grass left over from fall
may create a barrier to these upstarts. Help them a little
by gently raking away any debris and allowing the foliage and
flowers to break through the soil more easily.
Come Join
the Party!
Presenting
Family Tree Nursery's 7th Annual
Open House and Spring Flower Show "Garden
Party"
March 15th - 17th in the greenhouses at the Overland Park
Garden Center, 8424 Farley.
Savvygardener.com's Kevin and Shelly Marsh will be
on hand Sunday the 17th from 11- 3PM.
Don't Miss Out!
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What's
Hot On The Hotline...
All gardeners have their own personal cues they use to indicate the
arrival of spring. As far as we're concerned the opening of
the K-State Johnson County Master Gardener's Hotline is a pretty
good sign that spring is upon us! We welcome the return of
the hotline and urge you to check in each week to find out What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Head 'Em
Off At The Pass...
Though cultural practices are the most effective crabgrass
controls, herbicides are often necessary to really get the job
done. Crabgrass can be controlled through an application of
a pre-emergence herbicide between mid-March and
mid-April. The herbicides available on the market have been
shown to be very effective crabgrass controls, but often control
suffers when the product is not applied correctly or when the
lawn is not maintained properly. When using pre-emergence
herbicides, keep in mind:
- Maintain
a healthy dense lawn.
- Closely
read and follow all label recommendations.
- Apply the
herbicide accurately and uniformly over the lawn.
- Apply the
herbicide early because they will not affect crabgrass already
germinated. Early would be mid- March in the greater Kansas
City area.
- After
application, apply enough water to move the herbicide off the
leaf blades to the soil surface for maximum control.
- Do not
apply these products over newly-seeded areas or try to seed
into areas where these products have been recently
applied.
Source
Finally... "Courage
is not the towering oak that sees storms come and go; it is the
fragile blossom that opens in the snow." ~
Alice Mackenzie Swaim - Poet |