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~ Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials
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February 12, 2003

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.

 


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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

 


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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): 

  1. In the area you want tested take a garden trowel and plunge it at least six inches into the soil.
  2. Rotate the trowel 360 degrees creating a tapered column of soil. 
  3. Lift the column of soil out of the ground and place it in a large container. 
  4. Repeat the above for every 25 square feet in your garden. 
  5. Thoroughly combine the samples. 
  6. Remove rocks, grass, roots and other "non-soil" debris. 
  7. Put about one pint of this soil in a clean container and mark it with an identifying label. 
  8. 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

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