|
March 5, 2003 |
|
The Pendulum
Swings Into March
23º today 47º
tomorrow. What are we gardeners
to do? After all,
it is March 5th and the first day of spring is just a
short 16 days away. I guess
yesterday's weather was a reminder that
when living in the Midwest anything is possible.
So for now we wait until we are
somewhat confident that this nasty winter weather is behind us.
When is it really safe to plant for spring?
Kevin and I always use the first
full weekend in May as our play it safe
date. It has worked well
for us in the past so we will continue going forward with this
logic. For now I will settle for
potted pansies and wait patiently for the green flag.
I will also continue to educate
myself by attending
seminars and open houses. March
is a great month. There is always
so much going on for us gardeners. So
don't give up hope because soon we will be able to garden daily
(and happily) with the sun shining down
upon us.
A big
thanks to all of you current Savvygardener.com subscribers who
stopped by to visit us at our booth at the Johnson County Home &
Garden Show
(many of your photos are here). Another
thanks to all of you new subscribers! Kevin
and I are really encouraged by the new
subscribers that signed up at the show. We
thank all of you for supporting us. Don't
forget to tell all of your friends, family and anyone else that
will listen about
Kansas City's
best gardening resource!
(Click here to tell a friend!)
~
Shelly
Care For
Climbers...
Many Savvygardeners wrote in appreciation for the
Shrub Pruning Calendar we just published.
We'd like to point out that climbing roses are
not part of the calendar because of their
different pruning requirements. Keep in mind
that many climbers bloom on new growth and if you prune in
early spring, you are cutting off the spring blooms.
There's really no reason to prune a climber
unless it's getting out of control of its growing habit.
If warranted, cut out only dead canes -
or wait until after the first blooms in the spring , then prune
back.
Just
Can't Wait...
If you are just dying to do something in the flower garden
try sowing the seeds of asters, bachelor buttons, calendulas,
delphinium, dianthus, larkspur, and snapdragon. These hardy
annuals should weather the remaining cold days and get
your flower garden off to an early start. As insurance against
really cold weather you can always sow smaller quantities at
weekly intervals.
Gentle
Grooming Promotes Early Blooming...
As the snow melts and depending on specific microclimates you
will soon see adventurous bulbs pushing through the ground -
especially snow drops, crocus, and early daffodils. Keep an eye
out! Matted leaves and dead grass left over from fall may create
a barrier to these upstarts. Help them a little by gently raking
away any debris and allowing the foliage and flowers to break
through the soil more easily.
Digger
Delay...
If you've walked through your garden
recently you know that soils are wet, wet, wet. I know
you are tempted to start working that wet soil, but there are
some serious consequences to consider. Digging in the
dirt now means soil structure may be destroyed, forming large
clods that take weeks or months to break up with natural
weathering. Use of a roto-tiller is especially damaging in soils
that are too wet. A gentle spading will cause the least soil
damage but is still a risky proposition. It is better to delay
planting a few days or weeks than to try to till wet soils.
Crown
Jewels...
Once the soil is suitable (see above) you may be thinking
about planting some asparagus crowns. Don't dig too far down
when planting them. Yields improve dramatically when crowns are
set at a depth of 5 to 6 inches - not the commonly advised 12
inches. Contrary to the standard practices of deep planting and
not harvesting for up to three seasons, recent studies show that
harvesting shallow-planted asparagus after the first year boosts
yields 40 percent over three years.
Winter Wisdom...
All the talk about pruning shrubs has our
Winter Wisdom staff thinking about the flowering shrubs that
thrive in the Kansas City area. They're not just thinking,
they're writing. You'll find out lots about popular
flowering shrubs (and the correct pronunciation of
Weigela) in this
week's
Winter Wisdom...
Head 'Em
Off At The Pass...
Though cultural practices are the most effective crabgrass
controls, herbicides are often necessary to really get the job
done. Crabgrass can be controlled through an application of a
pre-emergence herbicide between mid-March and mid-April. The
herbicides available on the market have been shown to be very
effective crabgrass controls, but often control suffers when the
product is not applied correctly or when the lawn is not
maintained properly. When using pre-emergence herbicides, keep
in mind:
- Maintain
a healthy dense lawn.
- Closely
read and follow all label recommendations.
- Apply
the herbicide accurately and uniformly over the lawn.
- Apply
the herbicide early because they will not affect crabgrass
already germinated. Early would be mid- March in the greater
Kansas City area.
- After
application, apply enough water to move the herbicide off the
leaf blades to the soil surface for maximum control.
- Do not
apply these products over newly-seeded areas or try to seed
into areas where these products have been recently applied.
Source
Finally... "We
need spring. We need it desperately and, usually, we need it
before God is willing to give it to us." ~
Peter Gzowski, Spring Tonic |