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March 20, 2002

Spring For A Day...
The first day of Spring.  A day I live for all winter.  The weather today is definitely hinting that Spring is here.  Notice how I say the weather today.  Tomorrow sounds like we will be getting another blast from Canada that will chill things down for a couple of days.  I don't know about all of you but I am somewhat dizzy from all this weather turn-around.  One day it's nice, the next day it's cold.  I would just like a happy medium.  Somewhere in the 60's with the sun shining brightly.  What about some rain?  I would like to order some of that also.  I am watering feverishly today due to the warmer weather.  The ground really needs a good soaking and the local meteorologists are not calling for rain anytime soon.  With the lack of moisture we have received this winter watering regularly is very important.

More about this blast from Canada.  If you have bulbs that have already flowered either cover them or, better yet, cut them and bring a bit of spring indoors.  The coming hard freeze will certainly play havoc with their appearance so save them from ole Jack Frost.

Kevin and I will be making our next gardening appearance at Earl May's Shawnee store on April 11th.  Earl May is going to be throwing a special Gardening Open House just for Savvygardeners at all of their locations April 11th from 6-9 PM.  Mark your calendars now because it is an event that you won't want to miss.  There is a special coupon just for Savvygardeners.  Print it off and bring with you for a savings of 20%.  Wow! Isn't that great?  Refreshments will be served and experts will be on hand to answer all of your gardening questions.  Tell all of your friends and let's show Earl May that we appreciate their sponsoring Savvygardener.com!

A big thanks to you Savvygardeners who stopped by to visit us at Family Tree Nursery last weekend.  It was a terrific event and the weather was perfect.  If you couldn't make it click here for some savvy pics!

~ Shelly  

Important Iris Info...
We had an advantageous run-in with Jerry Hoke from the Greater Kansas City Iris Society.  As you can imagine he gave us some great iris tips.  Here they are:

  • Remove mulch and any garden debris from around your irises.  The relatively mild winter means iris bores and aphids may be a problem this year.  Debris removal will also remove insect eggs.
  • Fertilize now with a high phosphate fertilizer to improve blooms.  Sprinkle it around the iris clump and lightly scratch it into the soil.

Special Delivery...
Most catalogs don't deliver your plant orders until it's time to plant them.  Unfortunately sometimes local conditions are different than "usual" and your plants arrive a bit early for planting.  Don't panic, but don't ignore them either!  Your mail-order plants do need some care in the time between their arrival and your ability to plant them.  Unwrap them immediately and check for specific directions on early care.  Lacking this just keep them cool and moist in a protected area until you can safely get them in the ground.

Vegetable Gardening Without A Garden...
If your outdoor space is limited, consider gardening without a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and many other vegetables do well when grown in containers. Barrels, window boxes, cut-off milk jugs, almost any container that provides good drainage will do as long as it is deep enough to support the plant. Minimum depths for some container-grown vegetables:

  • 4 inches - lettuce, radishes, beets, low-growing herbs 
  • 6 inches - chard, turnips, short-rooted carrots 
  • 8 inches - eggplant, peppers, bush cucumbers 
  • 10 inches - cauliflower, broccoli 
  • 12 inches - tomatoes, long-rooted carrots

Source

 


Gardeners Helping Gardeners

That's The New SavvyChat! 

Kansas City's Best On-line Gardening Forum

See For Yourself!

 

 

Clipping Clematis...
Clematis can be a confusing group of plants to prune, since they are not all pruned the same way.  In fact there are three methods that can be applied to major groups depending on the time of year the plant flowers.  The earliest flowering clematis bloom on old wood, while later flowering types must produce new growth in order for flower buds to form.  Prune carefully, since vines are usually well entangled.  The complete directions are a bit long to fit in this space so we published them in our Features section.  Check out Pruning Clematis...

Thyme For Renewal?
If you grow thyme in your garden you may want to rejuvenate your plot this spring.  Thyme, a low-growing, woody perennial herb, should be started from seed every two to three years.  This is because older plants produce coarser, lower grade stems and leaves.  Thyme seeds often germinate poorly when planted directly in the soil, so it's best to start plants indoors now for transplant later.

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
As gardeners contemplate the growing season each year, the Hotline receives a number of calls asking for recommendations for gardening and nursery catalogs that they have received in the mail.  Their advice is in this week's What's Hot on the Hotline...

Healthy Diet...
Though advertising for lawn fertilizers is at its yearly high, lawns don’t need fertilizer now.  Do not apply high rates of nitrogen (more than 0.75 lbs N/1000 sq. ft.) to your lawn from March through early May.  Too much nitrogen at this time of the year will lead to problems later this summer such as poor root growth and disease.  Additionally, since spring rains play havoc with mowing schedules, nitrogen fertilization can further complicate your mowing schedule by causing grass plants to grow too fast.  Instead of applying fertilizer now, it is better to wait until mid-to late-May and apply up to ¾ lbs N/1000 sq. ft. with a fertilizer that contains mostly slow-release nitrogen.

Source

Finally...
"The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month."

~ Henry Van Dyke, Fisherman's Luck, 1899

 

 

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