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April 9, 2003 |
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Goin'
Natural...
I hope everyone (and everything
in your garden) survived the cold blast that passed through the
Kansas City-area these past three days. Brrrr...
Hopefully we are finished with the temperatures dipping
into the low 20's until next winter. Milder
temperatures forecasted for this weekend. A
perfect time to get out and plant. The
time has come to spend money with our sponsors and get your hands
dirty! Kevin and I have a big
weekend planned. We will finish
spring clean-up and then get serious about formulating a planting
schedule. We will go through our
winter brainstorming folder to pull out the things we have filed
away while perusing magazines and other gardening resources.
Dreaming about planting is something we do all year
but when there is snow on the ground and it is nippy outside we
tend to live vicariously through pictures and reading materials.
So much fun and definitely worth
while!
Kevin and I
have made a pact between ourselves to
become more consciously aware about what we are putting in and on
the garden. As you know
Bradfield Industries is one of our sponsors and their product
line is completely organic. Kevin
and I will be experimenting with Bradfield 9-0-0 Corn Gluten
Fertilizer on our lawn as well as Bradfield 3-1-5 Natural
Fertilizer, an alfalfa based fertilizer, on shrubs, flowers,
herbs and other assorted plants. The
great thing about these products is that they are safe to use
around children and pets (we have plenty of
both). We will also
continue using Bradfield's Natural
Horticultural Vinegar on the bad plants growing in our garden
(weeds). We are not against using
pesticides and think that there is an even balance that can be
found between organic and chemical. Maybe
it's time we all tried an even balance?
Don't
forget to put Saturday, April 26th on your calendar for
The Kelly Gallery's Spring Event.
The hours are from 10AM - 2PM.
Believe me you won't want to miss this!
Special
apologies to the 500+ Road Runner subscribers that didn't get
their newsletter
last week (including yours truly). Without
notice, Road Runner decided to blacklist our newsletter as spam
and blocked all deliveries. Should be straightened out by
now.
~
Shelly
The Hard
Facts...
Plants bought from greenhouses (locally or by mail order)
need to be "hardened off", or acclimatized, before they are
permanently placed in the garden. Basically you're just
preparing them for a rather significant change in temperatures,
humidity, and sunlight. Start by placing newly purchased plants
outside only during the day, bringing them in at night as
protection from cool, night temperatures. Gradually leave the
plants outside for longer periods of time until they have fully
acclimated and can be planted.
Dig
This, Or Don't...
Here's some advice - "Don't cultivate your garden." This may
sound kind of crazy, but the truth is cultivating and deep hoeing
can cause considerable damage to the shallow roots of flowers and
vegetables. Also, every time you cultivate, you stir the soil
and bring weed seeds to the surface where they can germinate. A
two-inch layer of mulch will stop annual weeds, otherwise, cut
off weeds at the surface of the soil with a sharp scuffle hoe, so
in a week or 10 days, you won't have another batch to destroy.
If you do not have a scuffle hoe, pull the weeds by hand. If you
start early in the season and keep them pulled regularly, it is
not too big a job in a small to medium-sized garden.
Source
Elbow
Room...
It is easy to sow too many seeds in a row of beets or
carrots. Carrot seeds are small and angular making it difficult
to scatter seeds without inadvertently dropping several of them
together. Beets emerge from a capsule containing several seeds
and often come up too thick. Do your best not to overseed either
of these popular vegetables. Both of these crops need room for
roots to expand and grow.
Carrots
should be spaced about 2 to 3 inches apart, and beets 3 to 4
inches apart. Once they begin growing you can remove some of the
plants in the row to attain these desirable plant spacings.
Source
Tines
For Transplanting...
One of the trickiest parts of raising seedlings indoors is
the delicate process of transplanting up to a larger peat pot.
All too often the soil surrounding the roots just falls apart.
Try using an ordinary table fork next time. You can loosen the
plants in the seed flat without damaging the roots. Then you can
open a hole for the new transplant in the new flat or pot by
rocking it sideways. Finally, by sliding the tines around the
delicate stem and pressing down, the transplant can be firmed in
the growing medium.
Source
Befuddled By Bulbs...
Every year about this time we start
getting e-mails asking about all the bulbs currently
offered by retailers and garden centers. "Isn't fall the correct
time to plant bulbs?" is the common
question. Well, fall is the correct time to plant
spring flowering bulbs (tulips, daffodils, crocus, etc...)
But there's another group of "bulbs" that can be planted soon for
floral displays this summer. They include begonias, dahlias,
daylilies, and so many more! If you're ready to give them a try
take a moment to read our
Guide to Summer Flowering Bulbs in Kansas City.
What's Hot On The Hotline...
The lawn continues to
occupy the attention of many gardeners and homeowners.
Dry weather has
taken a toll on existing lawns while crabgrass, henbit and other broadleaf
weeds add insult to injury. Throw in a thriving crop of chickweed, and the
calls start rolling in for advice. How to deal with
these turf troubles in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Unwanted Onions...
During the past few weeks wild onion and/or wild garlic have
sprung up in many home lawns. Although these weeds may appear
grass-like, they are bulb-forming perennials with slender stems
similar to the garden-variety onion only smaller. Both may
appear in early spring developing from the underground
bulblets produced during the prior season. These weeds are
commonly found in poorly drained, heavy soils and thin turf
areas.
As with
many weed problems, control begins by maintaining a dense,
healthy turf stand through good cultural practices including
proper mowing height and frequency, as well as proper fertility
with emphasis on fall nitrogen. Chemical control of onion and
garlic is difficult and may not provide the expected results.
Although these weeds appear grass-like, control can be attempted
with postemergent broadleaf herbicides. But, while most
broadleaf weeds such as dandelion are best controlled in mid to
late fall, applications of herbicides containing 2,4-D, MCPP,
dicamba, clopyralid, or triclopyr should be applied for onion and
garlic during early to mid spring. And unlike most other
broadleaf weeds, mowing immediately before the herbicide
application may improve uptake and control. Be
sure to carefully follow label directions.
Source
Finally...
"The
sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
a cloud come over the sunlit arch,
And wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March." ~
Robert Frost, Poet |
