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May
29, 2002
Summer's
On The Way...
The official first day of summer is less than a month a way
the increase in the heat and humidity in the last few days is
unbelievable. Doesn't that sun feel like the summer
sun? Blazing hot! Don't forget to protect yourself
from those harsh rays with a good dose of sunscreen before
heading out into the garden. A hat of some kind is always a
good idea to protect your face from the elements. Not only
do we have to protect our gardens from pests but we have to
protect our bodies from the heat and sun. So many things to
remember.
It has been a little difficult planting with all of the rain we
have been receiving. I have started to finish the pots on
the deck and I am still undecided as to where I should place
everything. My deck becomes a canvas for me. It is
where we spend most of our time so I try to create a garden-like
setting with pots, planters and different shaped plants. I
always enjoy this part of the planting because it lets me become
creative. I have learned over the past few years that
combining different textures, sizes and colors is the key to
creating a spectacular show in pots. Although I have some
terracotta planters, I also have several different sized pots
with unique drawings on them - somewhat Aztec-looking for
lack of a better description. I am always on the prowl for
something new and unusual. It makes creating so much more
fun!
The front
yard makeover is under way and next week we will chronicle the
progress - before, during, and immediately after. Hopefully
we'll give you some ideas for your own front yard!
~
Shelly
Mulch
Matters...
Well, the unofficial start of summer was this past weekend and as the
real thing sneaks up on Kansas City gardeners we must prepare our
gardens for the heat and drought-like conditions that seem
inevitable. Mulching your garden is one of the best things
you can do to help retain soil moisture and keep weeds at bay.
Missouri
Organic Recycling has already supplied us with lots of great mulch for
our gardens. Here are some
common mulching materials and a few thoughts on each:
| Bark
Mulches are very common and effective. They
are available as chips, chunks, nuggets or shredded.
In addition to being generally attractive bark mulches
resist compaction quite well. |
| Wood
Chips are also common, effective and economical.
They can deplete the soil of nitrogen however so
additional fertilizing may be required. |
| Pine
Needles are especially good around acid loving
plants like azaleas and blueberries. |
| Straw
is inexpensive and is often used in large vegetable
gardens. Make sure it is free of crop and weed
seeds or you're just making more work for yourself. |
| Grass
Clippings should only be used after they have dried
out thoroughly. If the source lawn has weeds your
mulched garden will likely get them too. |
| Rocks
can be attractive and effective but they don't provide
any of the decomposition benefits of organic mulches.
Rock mulch in direct sun can get quite hot causing
problems for some tender plants. |
| Black
Plastic and Fabric aren't much to look at but they
do keep the weeds down. |
As a
general rule mulching with anything is better than not
mulching at all. It's that effective.
For an
in-depth look at this important topic don't miss All
About Mulch in our Features section.
Tell Me
Why...
One of the most common questions we get asked is simply,
"Why won't my plant bloom?" Why indeed.
There are often several factors involved but most can be
explained by one of the following circumstances:
- Age of
Plant - Being too young or immature is a very common
reason that many trees do not flower. Plants need to
reach a certain level of maturity before they begin to flower
each year
- Shade
- Lack of adequate light is another very common reason that
many types of plants do not flower. Plants may grow but
not flower in the shade.
- Cold
or Frost Injury - Cold weather may kill flower buds
or partially opened flowers. Plants that are not fully
hardy in our area are the most susceptible to this type of
cold injury.
- Drought
- Flowers or flower buds dry and drop off when there is
temporary lack of moisture in the plants.
- Improper
Pruning - Some plants bloom only on last year’s wood.
Pruning plants at the wrong time of the year can remove the
flower buds for next year’s blossoms. Many spring
flowering plants, such as azaleas begin setting next year’s
flower buds in the late spring. Pruning these plants in
the summer or fall may prevent flowering next year.
Cutting back a plant severely, such as with climbing roses,
can remove all the flowering wood.
- Nutrient
Imbalance - Too much nitrogen can cause plants to produce
primarily leaves and stems. The plant will be large and
usually very green and healthy but will have few or no
flowers.
Source
Rose
Tips by Al Karsten
June
starts this weekend and rose growers have plenty to do.
From watering and fertilizing to insect and disease control Al
karsten spells it out for you in this month's Rose
Tips...
|
In support of
the local gardening community Savvygardener.com is pleased
to offer
special rates on web sites for your garden club
or other non-profit organization!
Click
Here For Details!
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Pretty
As A Picture?
Don't you hate it when you buy a plant because it looks so
good in a picture or display only to find that it doesn't live up
to its photogenic promise in your own garden? This could
easily happen with variegated hostas if you're not careful about
where you plant them. You see, the best variegated color
pattern is developed on plants in a semi-shady location.
Place them in direct sun and they may just become a single shade
of green.
What
Does Green Mean?
Gardeners are often concerned about the presence of green
skin on their potatoes. The green color is caused by the
presence of chlorophyll, a natural plant pigment which is
tasteless and harmless. The concern with greened potatoes
should not be the color but the fact that solanine, a
potentially toxic alkaloid, develops in the same area along with
the chlorophyll. Greened potatoes, therefore, are often
higher in solanine than those that have not greened. The
bitter taste associated with greened potatoes is caused by the
solanine, not the chlorophyll.
The amount
of greening is not a direct measure of its solanine content,
since the synthesis of chlorophyll and solanine are separate
processes. And the factors affecting greening of potatoes
include more than light exposure. Greening is affected by
variety, maturity and age, temperature, intensity and quality of
light, and duration of light. White skinned varieties often
green more readily than red or russet varieties.
Savvygardeners
will make sure their potatoes are well covered with soil or straw
to ensure a tastier and healthier harvest.
Source
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
In recent years, gardeners have developed an increasingly
conservative and informed attitude toward the control and
management of pests and diseases in the garden. The entire
concept of Integrated Pest Management, IPM, is based upon the use
of environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional control
applications. Our hotline staffers explore IPM in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Take A
Powder...
A white powdery film on your lawn is likely an outbreak of
powdery mildew. This fungal disease is favored by cool spring or
fall weather, and is common in shaded areas. Kentucky bluegrass
in shady areas is especially susceptible. High nitrogen levels also favor
disease development. Fortunately, while it is not very
attractive, powdery mildew rarely causes significant
damage to turf.
Finally...
"And
when your back stops aching and your hands begin to
harden...
You will find yourself a partner in the Glory of the Garden." ~
Rudyard Kipling, Poet, 1865 - 1936 |
