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February 12, 2003 |
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Love Is In The
Air...
Although it is still chilly outside this Friday is the day
that will warm many a heart. Valentine's
Day is upon us and here at the Marsh house it symbolizes a day of
expressing our love for one another. Kevin
and I will attempt to keep it simple
with an endearing card and some special chocolates that come all
the way from The Candy Kitchen in Frederick, Maryland.
The kids of
course will be exchanging valentines and
having parties at their respective schools. Life is good!
A busy
weekend lies ahead. The
Metropolitan Lawn & Garden show starts Friday and runs
through Sunday. Kevin and I will
be attending Friday morning and half the day Saturday.
We hope to bump into a few
Savvygardeners while we are there. By
the way, if you are presently purchasing your gardening supplies
from a garden center or nursery who isn't presently a
Savvygardener.com sponsor, tell them that as a gardening consumer
you would be interested in them becoming one! Sometimes a gentle
nudge from the consumer is all we need. We appreciate your
support!
Great News!
It sounds as if we might get some
rain this weekend! Wouldn't that
be great? Keep your fingers
crossed that the present weather system coming from the West
drops a couple of inches here in the Kansas City-area!
~
Shelly
Seed
Starting With Structure...
Starting more than three or four different varieties of seed
indoors can get confusing if you're not organized. To keep from
missing the start date for any of your seeds you might try our
simple procedure:
- Organize
your seed packets in piles based on the number of weeks before
"last frost" to start them indoors. This should be indicated on
the seed packet and can be found in our feature
When To Start Seeds Indoors.
- Pick the
date which you feel safe calling "last frost".
We use the first full weekend
in May.
- In our
example we are now 8½ weeks from the weekend we will transplant
our seedlings. That means that by this weekend we will have
already started any seeds that indicate starting dates nine
weeks and higher.
- For the
remainder of your seeds secure them together in their
respective groups with a rubber band.
- For each
group attach a sticky note with the date of the weekend they
need to be started.
- Place
the packets front-to-back, in order by starting date, in a
small box.
- Each
weekend remove the packets at the front of the box for
starting. Next weekend's seeds are now at the front and
awaiting your return in seven days.
Tipping The
Scales...
We've had lots of e-mails asking about
effective control of scale on houseplants. Because
scale in indoor environments enjoys overlapping generations
successful treatment will require two to three insecticide
applications at l0-day intervals. When
feasible, large numbers of these scales can be physically
dislodged by gently wiping the leaves with a dilute mixture of
water and dishwashing detergent. You should combine manual and
chemical control for best results.
Source
Trim
Now, Butterflies Later...
Our butterfly bush rewards me and my family to great
gatherings of butterflies every summer. To make sure it's in top
shape I usually trim it back to about 12 inches this time of
year. This helps promote a well shaped bush with larger flowers.
Dealing
With Damping Off...
Savvygardeners starting seeds indoors need to be aware of
damping off disease. "Damping off" describes the usually sudden
destruction of newly germinated seeds or seedlings. Young plants
can be attacked at all stages, before germination (pre-emergence
damping off) and after seedlings grow from the soil
(post-emergence damping off). All types of plants including
turf, trees, vegetables, and flowering plant seedlings can be
affected.
Several
organisms can cause damping off. Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium,
and Rhizoctonia are the most common culprits. These fungi can be
found in most soils. However, appropriate environmental
conditions are essential for disease development. Cool, wet soil
conditions are favorable for infection by damping off fungi.
Plants grow slowly at cool temperatures, making them vulnerable
to fungal attack. Also, many fungi prefer moist environments.
The
following management strategies can help:
- Use planting
media free of disease organisms.
- Avoid setting
flats or pots on the ground.
- Use good quality
seed.
- Plant seeds at
densities that will allow air circulation and light
penetration; and reduce competition for nutrients.
- Keep the
temperature at a level that will promote plant growth.
- Avoid excess
moisture.
- Use fungicides
and treated seeds as available and appropriate.
Source
Winter Wisdom...
Ever wonder where we get all this great
Winter Wisdom and Hotline information? You can
thank the Extension Master Gardener program of the the Johnson
County K-State Research and Extension service for much of it.
You'll learn who they are and what they do in this week's
Winter Wisdom...
Testing,
Testing, 1,2,3...
When was the last time you had your garden soil tested? Never?
Shame on you! Soil testing is one of the most important, and
overlooked, things you can do to better understand your garden.
Fortunately it's not very difficult and doesn't cost much
either. Your
county
extension service probably offers soil testing for a nominal
fee. If you decide to have your soil tested at the extension
office simply follow these guidelines for getting a good sample
for them to evaluate (note: soil should be dry or nearly dry):
- In the
area you want tested take a garden trowel and plunge it at
least six inches into the soil.
- Rotate
the trowel 360 degrees creating a tapered column of soil.
- Lift the
column of soil out of the ground and place it in a large
container.
- Repeat
the above for every 25 square feet in your garden.
-
Thoroughly combine the samples.
- Remove
rocks, grass, roots and other "non-soil" debris.
- Put
about one pint of this soil in a clean container and mark it
with an identifying label.
- Take the
sample to your
county
extension office for evaluation. It may take several weeks
before the results are available.
You may
want to have several soil tests performed - one for each
distinctly different garden on your property.
Finally... "The
comfortable and comforting people are those who look upon the
bright side of life; gathering its roses and sunshine and making
the most that happens seem the best." ~
Dorothy Dix, Writer,
1870-1951 |