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August 28, 2002

Changing and Rearranging...
I have been spending some serious time in the garden here of late.  The weather has been ideal for toiling in the dirt.  Cool mornings, warmer days, lower humidity and cooler evenings.  My type of weather.  I have been busy transplanting.  I have moved some daylilies that were not getting enough sun from the side garden to the new sun-filled front garden.  It is so much fun!  It is kind of like rearranging the furniture.  Everything takes on a new look and feel.  Now all I need to do is replace the plants that I have transplanted.  That part always makes Kevin a little nervous.  Out to our sponsors' to buy more things to plant. 

This time of the year is always so exciting.  The change of the season.  It inspires me differently than spring does.  It makes me think of the future - what to plant for the next three months and what to plant for next spring.  There is always so much to choose from when it comes to planting.  Fall is perfect for planting trees, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.  It is often difficult to decide exactly what all to plant.  Be prepared, have a good plan.  Know ahead of time what it is you are looking for.  Planning ahead will give you more time to spend in the garden.  Of course if you are like Kevin and I, you will probably plant a little of all the above.  As you know, there is never enough time in the garden for us.

~ Shelly  

Clean Cut...
As summer winds down and the weather slowly cools you will find that your grass is growing again - maybe at an alarming rate!  Make sure your mower blade is well sharpened before the mowing becomes a twice weekly event.  A sharp mower blade is essential for a healthy and attractive lawn.

Colorful Closers...
Mums are a gardener's best friend in the fall.  As the latest blooming flowers they provide color and beauty to a garden that has otherwise been worn out for the season. 

When choosing mums from your local retailer buy healthy looking plants that have been taken care of - no broken stems, wilted leaves, etc...  Plants with existing blooms will be limited in their ability to provide much more flowering.  Those with buds about to bloom will provide you with flowers into the fall.  We usually buy several plants in bloom for immediate gratification and quite a few more that we expect to bloom over the coming weeks.  What a great exclamation point at the end of the season!

Nuisance of the Week - Bagworms
Bagworms can cause a great deal of damage during their last few weeks of feeding and gardeners may be tempted to spray for them.  Unfortunately, late August sprays are totally ineffective.  Understanding the life cycle of this moth will explain why and can help tremendously in planning effective control measures.  You will find photos and more details in Nuisance of the Week. 

 


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Tater Tidbits...
If you're harvesting potatoes remember that they will continue to grow as long as the tops are green.  So dig only as many as you need for immediate use.  The ones left in the ground will actually keep better there than in your home.

Making The Cut...
When your plants fall victim to disease one of the first courses of action is the removal of the diseased portions.  Careful!  The same pruners that you use to cut away diseased foliage can then transfer the disease to otherwise healthy plants.  It is generally recommended that a one in ten solution of bleach and water be used to disinfect pruners.  Rather than keep a bucket of solution nearby try mixing the solution in a small spray bottle.  Carry it with you and spray your pruners after each cut.

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
As we stated in last week's article, from a gardener's point of view, non-venomous snakes are a valuable asset and should be protected.  They are one of nature's most efficient and successful insect and rodent foes.  In our area, and in several other states, their value is recognized and they are protected by state law.  Find out about the snakes that might be lurking in your garden in this week's What's Hot on the Hotline...

Good To The Core...
Whether you're seeding, overseeding, or leaving well enough alone you should consider core aerating your lawn in the coming weeks.  Core aerating is an effective way to provide a channel through which air, fertilizer and water can enter the soil.  This channel, cut through the thatch layer and into the soil, helps reduce soil compaction, increase root growth and redistribute soil on the upper surface of the thatch.  

Make sure your soil is prepared for the aeration process.  It should be sufficiently moist so that the coring machine can penetrate.  Rule of thumb - If a screwdriver can be pushed by hand 3 inches into the ground, the soil is about right.  Don't soak it though.  Soils that are too wet will clog the hollow tines of the aerator and prevent core removal.

Once finished you will have a lawn covered with somewhat strange looking soil cores.  Leave them on the lawn to create a more favorable environment for breakdown of the thatch layer by naturally occurring soil microbes.

Source

Finally...
"A man has made at least a start on discovering the meaning of human life when he plants shade trees under which he knows full well he will never sit."

~ Elton Trueblood, Author, (1900-1994)

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