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Making Time For More Gardening... Kevin has been hard at work this week moving the sprinkler. Larry Ryan, of Ryan Lawn & Tree came to our house last Friday to verticut and put some seed down. So in order for the seed to germinate it needs to be moist for the next 7 - 10 days. Kevin will be out of town next week so it will be my turn to pull the hose from one location to another. I think it is time to invest in an automatic sprinkler system! I'm getting to old to keep pulling those hoses everywhere! If you are still interested in putting down new seed call Ryan Lawn & Tree today. They will continue to seed lawns until the 15th of October. Prepare yourself, I believe that our first frost is right around the corner. It could come as early as Sunday night. Don't despair however because Savvygardener.com will keep you in touch with what's going on with the weather. Check your email for our handy dandy frost alerts. That way you can protect those fall flowering plants for awhile longer! ~ Shelly
Only 76 Growing Days Until Christmas...
Moisture
Minders...
Nuisance of the Week - Oak Galls Generally, these gall insects do not cause significant damage to their hosts though some of the leaf galls can cause deformity to make a tree unsightly. Also, severe infestations of twig galls can cause twig dieback or, in rare cases, death. However, just because a twig is covered with galls does not mean that it is dead. Twigs that otherwise look like a solid mass of galls may still leaf out in the spring. More details and a photo are available here...
This Is Sweet... Remove the vines first, then dig the roots and strip away all stems and side roots. It is generally best to not wash the roots unless they are very muddy or dirty. Allow the roots to dry for 3 to 4 hours before handling them. This allows the surface skin to dry and toughen slightly. If you do decide to wash the roots, do it gently and be careful not to scratch or scuff the surface skin. Immediately after they are dug, sweet potato roots have a starchy consistency and usually are not as sweet as they will eventually become. Sweet potatoes need to be cured in a warm, humid place for 7 to 10 to improve flavor and boost the quality of the roots. Ideal conditions for curing are 85ºF with high humidity (try placing the roots in a small room or cabinet with a space heater or light bulbs to generate heat). After 7 to 10 days (the higher the temperature the faster curing occurs) move the roots to a permanent storage location where the temperature is between 50º and 55º F. Sweet potatoes will be injured if storage conditions are below 50º F for any length of time. Warmer storage conditions, however, will shorten the storage life.
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Oh Say Can You Seed...
The great thing about seeding and overseeding is the low cost and high return. Grass seed is cheap. If your seeding is successful you wind up with a priceless lawn next spring. If it's not 100% successful you haven't lost much. Finally... ~ Elizabeth Lawrence, Writer, 1655 -1742 |
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