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April 23, 2003 |
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One Part Rain, Two Parts Sun...
How about this spring? Just a
little over 2½ inches of rain
here in Westwood since last Thursday. Everything
is so healthy and green! Does it
get any better than this? More
rain in the forecast starting tonight. It
is putting a damper on our soccer schedule but I must admit that
I am thrilled that we are receiving the opportunity to play a
little catch-up in the precipitation
category. Kevin and I took
advantage of yesterday's beautiful weather and did some planting.
Perfect timing.
We allowed ample time for the
ground to dry out and the digging began! To
think that we could receive more rain, really giving those
new plants a good soaking, well what more could a gardener ask
for? Life is great as a gardener!
Don't
forget
The Kelly Gallery's Spring Event this Saturday, April 26th
from 10 AM - 2 PM. Kevin and I
will be there to mingle and chat about gardening so bring your
questions and your wallet. A trip
to The Kelly Gallery would not be complete without meandering
through The Barn. It's full of
home and garden decor items, so reasonably priced you'll want to
leave with lots! For those of you
who have never been to the Daniel's place allow some time to tour
their gardens! One word describes
them best - spectacular!
Also, watch for me on KCTV 5
Saturday morning between 8:30 AM - 9 AM talking about The Kelly
Gallery!
Oh yeah.
I promised some garden pictures.
Here you go...
~
Shelly
Bulb
Boosters...
Depending on micro-climates, planting depth, and variety your
spring bulbs are at various stages of growth right now.
Our daffodils
are done and tulips are done but we continue
to see great displays in progress all over town. What you
do with the plants after the flowers are spent is crucial to next
year's growth. Bulbs use their foliage to acquire and
transport nutrients necessary for future growth. If you cut
or remove the foliage too early you will starve the bulb and
consequently reduce its chances for strong growth next spring.
Cut the stems back as you would if you were cutting them for a
vase. Leave the foliage alone until it has withered on its
own. Only then should you clear it from the garden.
Do Not
Disturb...
If you plan on growing vining fruits and vegetables like
cucumber, cantaloupe, summer squash, and watermelon make sure you
start the seeds indoors in peat pots. These vining plants
don't appreciate having their roots disturbed and the peat pots
make it possible to effectively transplant them.
Wet,
Wait...
I'm loving all this rain. Remember what April showers
bring in May... But right now garden soils may be wet, and you've
got planting on your mind. Although you may be tempted to
work that wet soil, remember that there are some serious
consequences. Soil structure can be destroyed, forming
large clods that take weeks or months to break up with natural
weathering. Use of a rototiller 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.
Preventing Peony Problems...
Peonies are sometimes attacked by
Cladosporium in early spring. This fungus causes small reddish
brown spots on the leaves that may coalesce to form larger spots.
If it spreads to stems, it may
cause them to die and turn black. Applying
a fungicide containing copper to the emerging growth when it is a
few inches high can prevent this problem.
The fungus will be much less
likely to infect the developing tissues, and your peony foliage
will have a much better chance of looking good throughout the
season. If your peonies are routinely plagued with this disease,
you may want to consider planting a newer variety that is more
resistant to the disease.
Source
The
Division Decision...
Division is a necessary chore in maintaining most perennials.
A few plants never like to be disturbed, and should not be moved
or divided; Aconitum, Baptisia, Dictamnus, Eryngium, Helleborus,
Limonium, and Papaver are good examples. Most others will need
division every three to four years or so. You'll know it's time to divide
when a dead center forms in the crown area with a ring of plants
around it; blooms are fewer and smaller; or growth simply appears
crowded.
A general
rule is to divide the plant in the non-bloom season. Midsummer
bloomers should be divided in spring when plant growth is two to three inches in height.
Fall bloomers are divided in late August or early September when plants
are semi-dormant and temperatures are showing a cooling trend.
Use a spade
to dig the clump and cut off divisions. If you don't want to
divide an entire clump, divisions can be cut from the edge of a
clump using a spade and trowel. Some plants
have tough, thick root systems that are a challenge to
divide. Hosta, Hemerocallis, and Astilbe fall in this
category so don't be discouraged if you find the going a little
tough.
Source
A Clean Break...
Speaking of peat pots...When transplanting flowers and
veggies to the garden make sure you break off the rims of your
peat pots just below ground level. Any portion of the peat
pot sticking up above the soil surface will wick away moisture
and deprive your plants of much needed water. That would be a shame
considering how hard you worked getting them this far!
What's Hot On The Hotline...
Many gardeners are finding that
prolonged drought conditions over the past two years have had
their affect. This is
particularly true with those who are used to relying solely on
rainfall to provide adequate moisture for lawns, shrubs and
trees. If this sounds familiar you will
want to read this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Dealing With Dandelions...
We're getting lots of e-mail asking about
weeds (especially dandelions) in lawns. Keep in mind two
things:
- Dense
healthy turf is the most effective weed control. Proper mowing,
fertilization, and irrigation will go a long way in controlling
weeds.
- Fall is the
best time to control weeds.
That being
said you can spot-apply broad spectrum herbicides to lawn weeds.
These can include traditional chemicals or alternatives like
Bradfield's Horticultural Vinegar. Either way, be careful
where you spray. Drifting herbicides are going to damage or
kill the plants they touch.
Finally... "The
great challenge for the garden designer is not to make the garden
look natural, but to make the garden so that the people in it
will feel natural." ~
Lawrence Halprin, Architect |