July
3, 2002
Another
Garden Completed...
After some very hard work by several very good local companies
our Front
Yard Makeover
is complete. Both Kevin and I are delighted with the
results and can't wait for fall to arrive so that we can fill the
new beds with more plants. We have planted a few things but
have decided to hold off on any more as the heat of summer will
take its toll on any new plants. I am amazed by the
transformation. When I look at the front yard it is hard
for me to remember what it looked like before we added the new
walk and extra gardens. Either I am getting old (a strong
possibility) or the "before" was just too ugly to
remember. One thing I do notice when I look at the
old pictures is how green the grass was. You can tell it
was late spring when those pictures were taken because the grass
is a lush color of green compared to the current dull color
caused by the stress of summer's heat and humidity. I am
glad the project finished when it did. I am in the midst of
preparing for our trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina so
having not to worry about whether or not the project is going
smoothly is a huge relief.
I am not quite sure about this weather but from the extended
forecast I've seen it looks like we are in the deep throws of
summer and it seems as if the pattern is going to continue.
So stay faithful to your plants to help them to survive this
heat.
Have a very safe and happy 4th of July!
~
Shelly
Timing
Is Everything...
Sometimes the hardest part of growing great vegetables is
knowing when they're ready for harvest. Timing is
everything as they say and that's certainly true for your
garden's bounty. To make your job a little easier we've
compiled a list of common garden vegetables and the guidelines
you should follow to determine if they are ready for harvest.
You will find "When
to Harvest Vegetables" in the Features section of
our website.
A Slimy
Situation...
A common sight on turf during the humid days in spring,
summer and fall is slime mold. Slime mold is a primitive
organism sporting large numbers of small gray, white, or purple
fruiting structures, called sporangia, on the leaf blades.
Affected areas are often from several inches to about one foot in
diameter. During wet weather, the fruiting structures may
appear slimy. As the structures dry out in hot weather,
they become ash-gray, and break up easily when touched.
Homeowners often are concerned that this is a disease organism
that will kill the grass. Actually, slime mold feeds on
bacteria, other fungi and dead organic matter. It simply
uses the turf as a structure on which to grow. However,
slime mold can damage turf by completely covering individual leaf
blades and interfering with photosynthesis. Chemical
control of slime molds is not necessary. Use of a broom or
a heavy spray of water often is sufficient to dislodge the
otherwise harmless mold.
Source
Soapy
Suds For Garden Bugs...
We get lots of inquiries about safer alternatives to chemical
insecticides. An old and popular favorite worth
consideration is insecticidal soap. Not
to be confused with personal or household soaps, insecticidal
soaps are made from the salts of fatty acids, components of the
fats and oils found in plants and animals. Upon contact
with an insect the fatty acids disrupt the structure and
permeability of the insect's cell membranes enabling the cell
contents to leak from the damaged cells, causing the insect to
die. This rather morbid process is only effective against
soft-bodied pests like aphids, thrips, whiteflies, leafhoppers,
mealybugs and mites.
Because
they work on contact only, insecticidal soaps should be applied
when conditions favor slow drying like the early morning hours
with dew coverage or in the early evening.
In some
instances insecticidal soaps could cause burning of sensitive
plants. Most insecticidal soaps include a list of
susceptible plants on the label but if you're uncertain simply
test it on a single leaf. If damage is going to occur it
will likely happen within 24 hours.
There's
One Born Every Minute...
What do you call those little shoots that appear on and
around your trees this time of year? Well, suckers
are the ones that grow out of the trunk near ground level.
The ones that come out of the trunk or main limbs and grow
straight up are watersprouts. Now that you know what
they are called you can proceed to remove them. Simply cut
them as close to the tree as possible with clean sharp pruners.
This will allow much needed sunlight to reach the branches that
will bear fruit and/or flowers.
Cucumber
Care...
When it comes to harvest time remember that cucumbers have a
very short "vine storage time". Under warm, humid
conditions, fruits on the vine may remain in prime condition for
less than 12 hours. For the best tasting cukes, pick them
early and often. Once picked they can be stored for up to
two weeks at 45° to 50°F and 95 percent relative humidity.
Lower temperatures may cause chilling damage, and higher
temperatures encourage yellowing. Yellowing is also
accelerated if cucumbers are stored with tomatoes or apples.
Source
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
Several topics are vying for popularity with the Hotline
callers this week. We've mentioned most of them in recent
articles, but the amount of interest makes another visit
worthwhile. Mites and grubs, fungus and nutsedge and more
are in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Fear Of
Fungus...
Late afternoon and evening lawn watering should be avoided
like the plague, or at least like a fungus. The right
combination of darkness, warmth and humidity can lead to lawn
diseases that may be hard to recover from. A good rule of
thumb is that when the night-time temperature plus relative
humidity equals 150 or more the conditions are right for an
outbreak of turf fungus. Trust me, you do not want a bad
case of lawn fungus!
Finally... "That
beautiful season the Summer!
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light;
and the landscape Lay as if new created in all the freshness of
childhood." ~
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Poet, 1807-1882 |