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September 18, 2002

Fall Discoveries...
As I was trying to decide what to write about this week it suddenly struck me that I should write about how lucky the gardeners of Kansas City are.  Lucky you might ask?  Yes, lucky.  Lucky because the gardening community of Kansas City is a strong group of passionate people.  Lucky because there are so many great nurseries and garden centers staffed with knowledgeable people - people who are truly dedicated to customer service.  Lucky because there are resources like the County Extension offices, Powell Gardens, the Overland Park Arboretum, and not to mention a weekly email publication - Savvygardener.com!  I think that you would have to agree with me.  Kansas City offers some specialty gardening services that no other cities offer.  Wouldn't you say we're lucky?
 
Speaking of lucky, Monday afternoon I had the pleasure of meeting Wayne and Jan Vinyard, proprietors of Longview Gardens.  Jan and I have exchanged emails several times but had never had the opportunity to actually meet.  Jan invited me out for a personal tour, an offer I couldn't resist.  Talk about a full service Nursery.  Wow!  Their inventory was amazing!  Rows and rows, green house after greenhouse of perennials,  annuals, shrubs, and trees.  On top of that is a store filled with everything imaginable for the garden or home decor.  A place I could roam around in for hours.  I will certainly be calling upon Jan in the future for her expertise.  For you Savvygardeners who have not had a chance to venture out to Longview Gardens I encourage you to do so.  Go when you have plenty of time. as you too will lose yourself in the aisles of plants.

What a pleasant surprise to be awaked by a thunderstorm this morning.  Another light rain that will add another small amount to the rain gauge.  Slowly but surely we are getting the moisture we need.  I believe there is another chance of rain tonight.  Hopefully we will get lucky and receive another nice drenching rain.

For all of you early risers, tune in to KCTV5 Saturday morning at 8:00 am to see and hear me talk about fall planting.

~ Shelly  

Totally Tulips (Part 2)
One of the best ways to keep your spring garden flowering is by planting tulip bulbs that bloom at different times.  Last week we recommended some tulip varieties that would bloom toward the early part of spring.  This week we focus on those that will bloom after the early bloomers but just before the late bloomers.  Careful planning will pay off next spring with a continuously blooming tulip garden. 
  • Darwin Hybrid Tulips are highly prized for their large, brilliant flowers.  Flowers are available in shades of red, pink, orange, and yellow.  Blooms are borne on strong stems which are up to 30 inches tall.  Darwin hybrid tulips often bloom well for several years, making them one of the better perennial tulips.
  • Triumph Tulips produce cup-shaped flowers on strong, medium-length stems.  Average plant height is 10 to 16 inches.  This is the largest class of tulips and offers the widest range of flower colors.  Triumph tulips are excellent for forcing.
  • Parrot Tulips have deeply feathered, curled, or twisted petals.  Flowers may be single or multi-colored.  Many varieties have a green spot at the base of their petals.  Parrot tulips are sensitive to poor weather and should be planted in a protected spot.

Next week, the late bloomers...

Source

Fabulous Fall Crops...
Savvygardener Lela W. of Leawood writes to remind us that mid-September is not too late to plant spinach seeds.  She writes "Last year I tried it and the seeds came up and I had several salads before a hard frost."  Lela's right.  In fact, if you act quickly you too can still plant the seeds of spinach, lettuce and radishes for a late autumn harvest.  Be prepared to protect your crop at the first sign of frost.  Covering with a blanket or layer of fallen leaves will do the trick when frost threatens.

Mulch Ado About Trees...
Fall is a great time to plant a tree.  Keeping it alive is an all-season affair.  Mulching is so important for new trees but it's not as simple as dumping a bag of wood chips at the base of tree.  Here are some tips to help you avoid the most common mistakes: 

  • Don't pile mulch around the trunk.  This keeps the trunk wet, which can allow diseases and insects to invade.  Keep the mulch at least 6 inches from the trunk.
  • Don't put on too little or too much.  A 1-inch-deep layer doesn't do the job.  A settled depth of 3 to 5 inches gives you the full benefits of mulch, including good weed control.  Mulch depths of a foot or two are excessive and may smother roots.
  • Don't apply sour-smelling mulch.  If it smells like a litter box it's probably been stored on a waterlogged site.  The ammonia that builds in this situation can harm your tree.  Sour mulch is a rare occurrence, but your nose will give you a clear warning of it.
  • Don't use freshly chipped chips.  While the chance of disease transmission is small it's easy to go zero-risk by aging chips for six weeks or more before using them around your trees.

Source

 


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Nuisance Of The Week - Summer Stresses On Conifers
Our heat and drought this year has been very tough on trees; especially some of the evergreens.  Spruce, fir and pine are not well adapted to Kansas conditions and high stress years like this one can lead to decline and death.  However, there are natural conditions that can look like the tree is dying that actually are not harmful.  How do we tell the difference?  Find out in this week's Nuisance of the Week...

Planting Perennials...
Fall is here and that means we're planting perennials at our house.  By planting perennials now Savvygardeners will benefit from the plant establishing a strong root structure during the autumn months.  This in turn leads to a bigger, healthier plant next spring.

Perennials are generally sold in pots or bare-root. Here are the steps to follow when planting a bare root perennial: 

  1. Remove the plant from its package, and carefully remove all loose packing material (peat moss and sawdust are commonly used). 
  2. Soak the roots in a bucket of water for 5 to 10 minutes. 
  3. Examine the root system, and trim away any rotted, moldy, broken or elongated roots with a sharp knife of your pruning shears. 
  4. Dig a hole deep and wide enough to allow the roots to fan out from the crown at about 45° angle.  It sometimes helps to make a cone-shaped mound of soil in the bottom of the hole and spread the roots around it.  Remember, the crown of most perennials should be roughly level with the surrounding ground. 
  5. Cover the roots with soil and press down firmly.  Make sure all the roots — especially those under the crown are in contact with soil. 
  6. Water the plant well and add a layer of mulch.

Source

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Continuing the coverage of bulbs and bulbous plants the hotline staff weighs in with detailed descriptions of some favorites including narcissus, hyacinth, allium and a variety of lilies.  Check it out in  this week's What's Hot on the Hotline...

A Dandy Time to Stop Dandelions...
So, all summer long you've been battling a few (or a few dozen) dandelions for control of your lawn.  Well, they say the best way to control dandelions and other broad-leaf weeds is by maintaining a lush, healthy turf.  But you've still got to knock out those pesky weeds that just won't go away and fall is a great time to do it.  Options are many but generally the most effective controls result with a liquid broadleaf weed herbicide sprayed under these conditions:

  • The weeds are actively growing.
  • Soil moisture is plentiful (never in drought).
  • Air temperatures are between 60 and 75 degrees F (never above 80 degrees).
  • Wind speeds are below 5 mph.
  • The lawn will not receive moisture through rain or irrigation for at least 24 hours.
  • The lawn will not be mowed for several days before or after the application.
  • The person doing the applying reads and follows herbicide label instructions carefully.

Source

Finally...
"make us sing and dance, make faces and give flower bouquets, trying to be loved.  You ever notice that trees do everything to git attention we do, except walk?"

~ Alice Walker, Author

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