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June
26, 2002
Midwest
Travelers...
Last weekend Kevin, Noah, Jake and I had the pleasure of
traveling to Lincoln, Nebraska to meet up with one of Kevin's old
college roommates, Mark
Starrett, Professor of Horticulture at the University of
Vermont. He was at the University of Nebraska receiving an
national award for excellence in teaching. Mark and Kevin
hadn't seen each other for a few years so we spent some
time catching up, kept the kids busy at the Lincoln
Children's Museum (which was great) and then Mark gave us a
tour of the University
of Nebraska's Arboretum. Wow! What a great way to
end the afternoon. How nice it was to meander through the
arboretum with an expert. I was amazed at his knowledge and
of course could have spent hours talking plants. If you are
ever in Lincoln stop by the University and amble around the
arboretum. You'll be surprised by the size and beauty of
the things growing there.
Our friends
at Willco
Landscaping are hard at work finishing the stone retaining
wall in the front yard. When I say hard at work I mean
it! These are some of the hardest working and thorough
people I've ever worked with. Next week we'll share all the
pictures - I promise!
When summer arrived it arrived in old fashion summer style - hot
and humid. Ugh! As I write this a big thunderstorm is
bearing down on us. There has been mention of the humidity
dropping a wee bit - probably on the other side of this front.
Make sure you are keeping an eye on all of your plants. I
find myself watering my pots twice a day, once in the morning and
again in the evening. Everything seems so thirsty.
After all of that rain in late May and early June who would of
thought we would need rain so desperately?
~
Shelly
Wake Up
Call For Slugs?
It looks like we might have a new weapon in our fight against
slugs and snails. Researchers at the U.S.
Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center in Hilo, Hawaii
have found caffeine to be effective in killing and deterring
snails and slugs. In preliminary experiments at his
research greenhouse in Hilo, researcher Dr. Robert Hollingsworth
applied a 2 percent solution of caffeine in water as a spray to
the coconut husk-chips material in which orchids are grown.
This growth medium, called coir, was infested with the tiny
snails. He found that the caffeine spray killed up to 95
percent of the snails.
We
contacted the researchers and asked if homemade solutions made
from coffee or coffee grounds would be effective.
Unfortunately coffee solutions were not actually tested but based
on what they told us we are encouraged enough to give it a
try. Our slugs are in for a wake up call!
Source
When
Good Mulch Goes Bad...
Hardwood mulch can become a liability if left too long in a
damp pile. Not only does it smell bad once it
"sours" it can adversely affect plants that it comes in
contact with. Symptoms look like fertilizer or pesticide
burn or water stress. Damage can be severe enough to
actually kill plants - yikes!
Sour mulch
results from anaerobic decomposition of hardwood mulches that
have been stored in large piles. The pH of such mulches are
extremely acidic; reportedly 1.8 to 3.6. Normal mulch by
contrast is closer to a neutral pH of 7.0. Sour mulch
smells like vinegar, sulfur, or silage. The compounds that
cause the acidity are capable of injuring plants quickly; usually
within one day and often within hours of application.
Depending
on the extent of the injury, plants are often able to recover.
Savvygardeners should water affected plants during hot, dry
periods to prevent further stress.
Mulch that
has soured can still be used if it is "mellowed" before
application. Simply spread the mulch in shallow layers and
allow it to air out for several days until it no longer smells.
It may also be helpful to water the mulch before application to
wash away any toxic substances.
Source
Plan for
Halloween By Planting Pumpkins Now...
Want to grow a perfect pumpkin for your very own jack-o-lantern
this year? It may sound like a long way off but depending
on the variety you want to grow you need to get your pumpkins
planted now for carving on Halloween. Typically pumpkins
mature in 90 - 120 days. Check your seed pack to determine
your pumpkin's specific days to maturity and work backwards from
October 31st.
Remember
that these things get big. Allow 8 to 10 feet between rows
and place seeds every 2 feet in the row. When fruit begins
to appear it's time to start protecting the pumpkin from rot.
Try placing a barrier under ripening pumpkins to lift them off
the soil. A material that doesn't trap water will be best.
A Pinch
In Time...
Chrysanthemum growers use chemical sprays to increase
branching and to dwarf the plants, so the plants are short in the
garden center but will be taller the next year in our
gardens. To
have shorter, well-branched plants, remove the growing points
once or twice during early growth. Pinch them back when the
plants are about 6 inches tall to induce
branching. When the branches are 6-8 inches long (about
mid-July), remove their tips to induce more branching. This
procedure may seem drastic, but the results will be bushy,
well-shaped plants that flower abundantly.
Many old garden
sayings have a grain of truth to them. The axiom "Pinch mums
until the Fourth of July" may help you remember how to care
for your mums.
Source
Timely
Tomato Tips...
Tomatoes are growing vigorously now. However, the end
of spring and the onset of hot, dry weather can lead to several
problems in tomatoes. Tomatoes that experience early
vigorous growth often drop some blossoms during the transition to
summer weather. Don't worry. New blooms should
develop rapidly to replace the fallen ones.
Also,
tomato plants may be subject to leaf curl where the leaves roll
up from the edges. This is a short-term condition that
develops as the tomato is trying to reduce it's leaf surface to
allow the roots to develop.
Source
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
Whether it's cool season turf like fescue and bluegrass or
warm season zoysia homeowners want to see nothing but green this time of
year. You'll find solid, research-based tips and comments
on smart turf growth in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
A Cut
Above...
The next few months will likely be very taxing for your
fescue or bluegrass lawn. Long, hot and humid days, with
little rainfall can make even the greenest lawns wilt.
While it's probably not possible to keep your turf looking
perfectly lush and green all summer you can prepare it for the
heat by raising the cutting height of your mower. Fescues
and bluegrass should be cut at a height of 3 to 3½
inches. Determine your mowing frequency by cutting no more
than one-third of the blade height with each cutting. This
means cutting when it reaches 4½ inches or so.
Finally...
"I
used to visit and revisit it a dozen times a day, and stand in
deep contemplation over my vegetable progeny with a love that
nobody could share or conceive of who had never taken part in the
process of creation. It was one of the most bewitching
sights in the world to observe a hill of beans thrusting aside
the soil, or a rose of early peas just peeping forth sufficiently
to trace a line of delicate green." ~
Nathaniel Hawthorne, Mosses from and Old Manse |
