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October 30, 2002 |
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Where's My Sunshine?
The quote for this week (the last item in
each newsletter) is also the inspiration for my editorial
(the first item in each newsletter). There
is so much work to be done in the garden, I must start looking
forward to Spring. I have put off
planting bulbs because it has been too wet. Too
wet to do much of anything in fact.
I have had a long list in hand
consisting of bulb planting, cutting back perennials and starting
to prepare the beds for winter. I
have to admit that this chilly, damp weather is not very
motivating. Not to mention that I
am feeling a little sun deprived. The
sun always seems to motivate me a bit,
especially when it comes to being outside in the garden.
It sounds as if we may not see
the sun for at least a couple more days. On
top of that, it looks like we're in for some very cold
nights late this week. Hopefully
the forecast will hold together and we will get a chance to do
some catch-up work this weekend.
I sure know that I have a lot to
do and not much time before hard frosts are upon us.
Want, want, want!
I am always wanting more time for
the garden.
For those
of you with too much to do and oh so little
time, don't forget about Patti Shirley and her great
business
In Your Home Cooking. Leave
it to Patti to work out the meal logistics. I
know that I have really enjoyed the extra time I have received
not having to plan meals or getting to the grocery store.
What a lifesaver!
~
Shelly
Viruses, Worms, Etc...
OK, not about gardening but important
nonetheless. We've been asked by several Savvygardeners if we
have been sending computer viruses. Apparently e-mails that
appear to be from Savvygardener.com are arriving in some inboxes
with attachments that are flagged by anti-virus software.
Rest assured, we are definitely virus-free. However
there is a virus (actually a worm) out there called "Klez"
that uses "spoofing" to trick
recipients into opening an attachment. The
following example is from the
Symantec Anti-Virus Website:
"Some variants of
this worm (Klez) use a technique known
as "spoofing." If so, the worm
randomly selects an address that it finds on an infected
computer. It uses this address as
the "From" address that it uses when it performs its mass-mailing
routine. Numerous cases have been
reported in which users of uninfected computers received
complaints that they sent an infected message to someone else.
For example, Linda
Anderson is using a computer that is infected with W32.Klez.E@mm;
Linda is not using an antivirus program or does not have current
virus definitions. When
W32.Klez.gen@mm performs its emailing routine, it finds the email
address of Harold Logan. It
inserts Harold's email address into the "From" portion of an
infected message that it then sends to Janet Bishop.
Janet then contacts Harold and
complains that he sent her an infected message, but when Harold
scans his computer, Norton AntiVirus does not find anything
- as would be expected - because
his computer is not infected."
Pretty
sneaky, huh? Dangerous too! The two
best things you can do to prevent such an attack:
- Use a good
anti-virus software program and keep the virus definitions up
to date.
- Never open an
attachment to an e-mail unless you are sure of its contents.
Thwarting Insect Invaders...
When cool night temperatures signal that it’s time to bring
houseplants indoors a host of insects and their relatives may try
to come indoors with them. Once inside they can undergo a
population explosion and spread from the plant they came in on to
others in your home. Other pests such as millipedes, centipedes,
sowbugs and pillbugs, spiders, and earwigs may not harm plants or
other materials, but their presence indoors makes them household
nuisances.
Repotting
your plants in fresh soil will eliminate many of these invaders.
The others can be controlled mechanically - by broom and dustpan,
vacuum cleaner, flyswatter or sole of shoe applied firmly to
floor with the pest sandwiched between the flat surfaces. The
best approach is to inspect plant pots closely before bringing
them inside. Shake or tap pots vigorously to disturb beetles,
millipedes, spiders and other creatures and encourage them to
leave their hiding places. If you find scale insects, mealybugs,
aphids or other plant-destructive pests, use a hard stream of
water or insecticidal soap to remove them. Quarantine these
plants from other uninfested indoor plants and observe them
closely. Treat any new outbreaks as they occur and discard any
plants that are severely infested.
Source
Early
Mulchers Beware...
Did you know that mulches applied too early can do more harm
than good? Think about it. The primary function of mulch is to
keep soil temperatures constant and prevent frost heaving, not to
keep it warm. It is best not to mulch until the soil
temperature has reached about 35 degrees - hopefully at least
a month from now!
Press
The Squash...
When you harvest your winter squash (Acorn or Butternut)
check for maturity with your thumbnail. When pressed with your
nail the rind of a ripe squash will not be punctured. To harvest
the squash, cut the stem, don’t break it off. The cut stems will
dry and seal the squash so it will last for months in storage.
It is no exaggeration to say the squash you harvest in October
and store in a dry place at around 50° to 55° F. can still be
good to eat in April of next year.
Source
Tumbling Twigs...
Is your lawn getting covered with small
branches? Small branches accumulating on the
ground and the presence of clean-cut twigs indicate the presence
of beetle pests referred to as twig girdlers and twig pruners.
Both of these long-horned beetle species (Cerambycidae)
attack numerous types of shade, nut and fruit trees.
Heavily damaged trees appear
ragged and unattractive, and young trees can become deformed by
repeated attacks. The terms
"girdler" and "pruner" refer to the damage done by the insects
leading to breakage and falling of branch tips.
For both insects, the end result
of their activities is the creation of dying branch tips suitable
for overwintering of the larvae
that have been placed there.
Help
eliminate next year's pests by collecting and destroying infested
twigs and branches you find on the ground between now and May. If
practical, prune infested twigs still in the tree.
Source
What's
Hot On The Hotline...
Our mid-America location lies directly on some major flight
paths for migratory birds. This
makes the fall a particularly productive time of the year for
those who combine bird watching with their interest in gardening.
The two seem to go hand in hand
in many ways. Getting those birds to
make a quick stop in your garden is discussed in this
week's What's
Hot on the Hotline...
Leveling
The Lawn...
Uneven lawns can really wreak havoc when you're mowing. These
"pot holes" make level mowing nearly impossible and even walking
through the yard less than ideal. You can fix small low spots in
the lawn by carefully removing the turf and filling in the low
spot with good topsoil.
Remove the
turf by cutting 2 inches deep into the lawn with a flat-bladed
spade, then angle the blade under the sod to cut it free, keeping
at least 2 inches deep to get most of the roots. If you do it
really well you will remove a single piece of sod. After filling
the low spot, replace the sod, and keep it well watered until it
is reestablished.
Finally... "You
ought to know that October is the first Spring month." ~
Karel Capek, Author, 1890-1938 |