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January 22, 2003

Just Plain Cold...
Wednesday must be our lucky snow day.  I am enjoying watching it fall while I sit inside where it is nice and warm.  I wish it were a bit wetter but who could complain about any kind of moisture at this point.  It sounds as if we are only going to receive about an inch or two.  Not nearly enough to help with the drought conditions we are experiencing.  On Monday night I was watching the weather and I believe I heard that we are presently 14 inches behind in precipitation.  As this crazy weather pattern seems to be leaving us out in the cold and not giving us enough moisture, we will continue to struggle throughout the rest of winter with any amount of precipitation we receive.  That is a staggering thought.  It sounds as if we may need to rely on a wet spring to help us rebound from this serious situation.  I guess at this point we can only hope that spring will bring us enough moisture to pull us out of this dry hole we're in and also bring us additional water to help us through those long summer months. What a vicious cycle!

It is going to get dangerously cold tonight and tomorrow so please be safe and remember to take care of your pets!  The wind chills will be dipping into negative double digits.  Stay warm!  Only 58 days until the first day of spring!

~ Shelly  

The Snow Is So-So...
Today's and last week's snow is pretty.  It's also pretty darn useless as far as precipitation goes.  While many of us received 3 to 5 inches of the stuff last week, it was so dry and fluffy that it amounted to hardly any added moisture.  Our (admittedly unscientific) experiments showed that it would have taken 17 inches of last week's snow to equal just one inch of rain.  So, if this weekend's temperatures allow for it, you might want to haul out the sprinklers and do some watering.

Blowin' In The Wind...
When those north winds blow we humans find ourselves feeling colder than the actual ambient temperature would suggest.  We know this sensation as the "wind chill factor".  For warm-blooded animals, wind chills can have a profound effect on their ability to keep warm.  However, plants do not respond to wind chills because they do not need to maintain a temperature above that of the outside temperature.  It's not all good news for the plants however.  Wind is desiccating and can dry plant tissues.  Plant tissues require moisture to survive and high wind speeds can cause excess moisture loss from those tissues.  This desiccation may be great enough to injure or even kill tissue, particularly the smaller size wood as in peach twigs, apple spurs or blackberry canes.

Source

Jade In The Shade?
Many Savvygardeners grow Jade plants because of their tolerance for low light conditions.  However, while jade will survive in low light, it needs as much direct sunlight as possible to look its best.  Insufficient light will cause your jade plant to lose most of its old, thick leaves and grow thin, new ones on spindly stems.  Not a good trade-off if you ask me.

 


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Anxious For Asparagus...
Want to grow asparagus from seed, but hate to wait the extra year to harvest?  Try seeding the asparagus indoors in late winter to get two year's worth of growth in one season.  Plant seeds 3/4 inch deep in flats.  Sow them 1 inch apart in rows 2 inches apart.  Provide as much natural light as possible and supplement it with fluorescent lighting.  Fertilize the seedlings every three weeks once they have their true leaves.

Source

Savvy Citrus Crop?
Here's a mid-winter project that is sure to be fun for Savvygardeners of all ages - grow plants from citrus fruit seeds.  Store-bought oranges, grapefruits, lemons and tangerines, may have viable seeds.  Try germinating them in a light, potting-soil mixture containing half peat moss.  Keep the seeds well watered and in a warm location.  If seedlings fail to appear in six weeks, try again with new seeds.  Citrus plants grown from seeds generally will not produce flowers or fruit, but they do have attractive shiny-leaved foliage.


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Winter Wisdom...
With the anniversary of last year's devastating ice storm approaching we have had some requests for a reprint of the Winter Wisdom we offered at that time.  While the article was originally prompted by tree damage from the storm, the advice on keeping trees healthy through regular maintenance remains valid today (and every day).  Check out this week's
Winter Wisdom...

Be Savvy, Not Soggy...
Overwatering is a common problem with houseplants.  Remember, most indoor plants should not be watered until the soil feels dry.  Water thoroughly, let the water soak in, then water again until water drains into the saucer.  Empty the saucer within an hour.

Finally...
"The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty.  It fell and fell, lacing day and night together in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell, so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a way no other season did, hushed, solemn."

~ Patricia Hampl, Author

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