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April
3, 2002
Scratched
That Itch...
I am excited to say that I finally got my first spring itch
scratched. This past Monday was the perfect day for garden
clean-up. Yes, I know that I am a bit behind but have been
hampered by other events. I am amazed at how many small
sticks are lying about. Kevin will tell you that I am not
one to just ignore those little guys. I pick each and
everyone up so that our yard looks immaculate. It may sound
a bit crazy but it is attention to detail that always catches my
eye when looking at other gardens or yards. The day was
totally exhilarating! When I poured myself into bed that
night I felt such a sense of accomplishment. I don't think
that I do any other task around the house as rewarding as working
in the yard or garden. After all, how could you possibly
compare working outside in the garden to doing laundry?
Don't forget that next Thursday, April 11th is the Earl May
Savvygardener.com party where you can receive a 20% discount at
any Earl May location. All you have to do is print
off the coupon and the savings is yours. The hours are
from 6-9 PM and Kevin and I will be at the Shawnee store helping
you find just the right plants. Now is the perfect time to
take advantage of buying some of the earlier bloomers like
dianthus, pansies, snapdragons, primrose and phlox. Earl
May always has a great assortment so I am sure there will be
plenty to choose from. Get out to your closest Earl May and
tell them that you are glad that they are a Savvygardener.com
sponsor!
I am delighted to announce that Moncrief's
Greenhouse is a new Savvygardener.com sponsor. Located
in Baxter Springs Kansas, Moncrief's is known for their great
selection and high quality plants. Kevin and I will be
making a trip down soon to check this greenhouse out. It is
always so much fun exploring new places to shop. How fun it
is to throw the kids in the van, pack a picnic lunch and head out
for the day to discover a new gardening resource. I am glad
that the kids enjoy it as much as Kevin and I do. So if you
are looking for a day getaway, hop in the car and head to Moncrief's
Greenhouse!
~
Shelly
Longer
Life for Lilies...
I hope some thoughtful friends brought you a lily for Easter.
Unfortunately the lily doesn't survive as a houseplant, but it
can be transplanted outdoors where it may bloom again this
year.
Find a
sunny spot in the garden to plant the bulb. Remove the
plant from its container and loosen the roots. Plant the
bulb a few inches deeper than it was in the container and cover
it with soil. Water thoroughly and fertilize with an
all-purpose garden fertilizer. For the remainder of the
season water and fertilize as you would your other garden
plantings. Don't be alarmed when the top withers and dies.
New shoots will emerge and may flower in July or August.
Understand
that lilies are not normally winter-hardy in the greater Kansas
City area (last winter would probably have been hopeless).
To improve your chances for success, mulch them with 4 inches of
straw or leaves in the fall. With luck you will have new
flowers again next June!
Keep 'Em
Covered...
Gardeners anxious to get their yard and garden chores done in
spring may be tempted to remove the mulch from their strawberry
beds in March or early April. A portion of the strawberry
crop may be lost, however, if the mulch is removed too early in
the spring. Removal of the mulch plus several days of warm
weather may encourage the plants to bloom before the danger of
frost or freezing temperatures is past. Temperatures of
32°F or lower may severely damage or destroy open
flowers. Since the first flowers produce the largest
berries, a late spring frost can drastically reduce yields.
To reduce
the chances of frost or freeze damage leave the
mulch on until the plants show signs of growth. Periodically
examine the plants under the mulch during periods of warm weather
in the spring. Remove the mulch from the strawberry plants when
about 25% of the plants are showing new growth (it will be white or yellow in
color). Rake the
mulch to the center aisles between rows. If there is a threat of
a frost later in the season during bloom, the mulch can be
lightly raked back over the plants.
Source
Are You
A Good Host?
Sometimes gardening is a lot like hosting a party. Plants,
like party guests, need to be steered toward others that will
enjoy their company. The practice of companion planting,
growing vegetables in proximity to helpful plants, has become
quite popular over the years. Here are some of our favorite
matchmaker tips:
Vegetable |
Group With |
Keep
Distance From |
Tomatoes |
Carrots,
peppers, basil, marigold |
Mature
dill, kohlrabi, potatoes |
Beans |
Carrots,
cucumber, pea, potatoes, radish, marigold, nasturtium,
rosemary |
Garlic,
onion, shallots, fennel, gladiolus |
Peas |
Radish,
carrots, cucumbers, celery, turnip |
Garlic,
onion, gladiolus |
Carrots |
Beans,
radish, tomatoes, peppers, onion, sage |
Dill,
celery |
Cucumbers |
Corn,
tomatoes, cabbage, radishes, dill, nasturtium |
Aromatic
herbs, potatoes |
Contain
Yourself...
Most of us grow at least a few flowers or herbs in pots - they
look great and expand the garden onto decks and porches.
Well, have you ever thought of growing some vegetables this way?
It may sound unconventional at first but container vegetable
gardening is perfect for people who have small plots, don't have
sunny gardens, or just want to try something different.
Here are some varieties of popular vegetables that are well
suited for containers:
- Tomatoes
- Patio, Pixie, Small Fry, Tiny Tim, and Tom Boy
- Carrots
- Little Finger, Lady Finger, Short 'n Sweet, and Tiny Sweet
- Beets
- Burpee Golden, Detroit Dark Red, Gladiator, Little Ball, and
Ruby Queen
- Peas
- Little Marvel, Mighty Midget, and Tiny Tim
- Cucumbers
- Bush Champion, Cherokee, Challenger, Patio Pick, and Pot
Luck
As always,
follow the planting and care instructions provided with your
seeds or plants. Keep in mind that container vegetables
will need to be watered more often than those in a traditional
garden. Containers just dry out faster. Check
the soil at least once a day especially when the weather gets
warmer.
Better
Spreaders...
Whether it's lawn seed, fertilizer, or weed killer chances
are you're going to use a spreader for the job eventually.
But what kind? Drop or broadcast? Well, there are several things to keep in mind before you pick one.
Generally if both spreaders are of equal quality, a drop spreader will provide better accuracy. However, a
high-quality rotary will be more accurate than a lower-quality
drop spreader. There are these differences to consider as
well:
Drop
spreaders meter out the fertilizer and drop it directly on
the lawn. A drop spreader is best if:
- You
have a small lawn.
- Doing the job as precisely as possible is
most important to you.
- You
don’t mind taking a bit longer to apply products to your
lawn.
Rotary
spreaders meter out the fertilizer and throw the granules in
a swath up to several feet wide. A rotary spreader is best
if:
- You
have a very large lawn.
- You
like to get the job done as quickly as possible.
- You do
not have flower beds or gardens in the middle of your lawn.
Source
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
Gardener's are often looking for ways to plant vegetables in
relatively small plots. Raised-bed gardening is a great way
to go. Our Hotline experts tackle the subject in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Zoysia
Zzzz's...
If you have a zoysia lawn it is still dormant and you should not
be applying any fertilizer to it. Any fertilizer added now
will just feed the weeds and they're overfed as it is. Be
patient. You should be able to fertilize your zoysia lawn
in about six weeks.
Finally... "When
the April wind wakes the call for the soil, I hold the plough as
my only hold upon the earth, and, as I follow through the fresh
and fragrant furrow, I am planted with every foot-step, growing,
budding, blooming into a spirit of spring" ~
Dallas Lore Sharp, 1870-1929 |
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