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May 28, 2003

A Memorable Memorial Day...
At last, some time to work in the gardens and boy am I exhausted.  Kevin and I worked together Saturday, Sunday and Monday of this past weekend.  We certainly took advantage of the holiday weekend along with the great weather and spent the better part outside in the gardens.  Missouri Organic Recycling dropped off twelve cubic yards of mulch in our driveway Friday morning
(photos).  We worked diligently all weekend planting and mulching.  I love mulch!  Sounds a little crazy doesn't it?  Not only do I love the way it puts that finishing touch on the gardens but what a great weed deterrent!  And how about that smell?  Always lots of mulches to choose from and if you are not familiar with the different types or why you should use it, go to our feature article titled All About Mulch.  Better yet if you know what you want, give Missouri Organic Recycling a call and they will deliver it right to your doorway!

The whole family ventured out to the Overland Park Arboretum Monday for a Memorial family hike.   We have not been out there for awhile and I must say that there are many great additions. Kevin and I like to look at plants but the biggest thrill is looking for wildlife.  You know, snakes, frogs, turtles and any other specimen that live in the wild.  We all had a great time and if you haven't taken the opportunity to visit the Arboretum the Marsh family highly recommends it!

~ Shelly  

Trapper Tricks...
Last week we mentioned "trap crops" as a tactic for reducing Cucumber Beetle populations.  In hindsight we should have offered an example of how to do it. 

Basically you just do an early planting of cucurbits.  This crop isn't for you - it's the trap.  The overwintering beetles will be attracted to this early crop where they can be eliminated by insecticides. This reduces the numbers of cucumber beetles that could feed on the main cucurbit crop planted later.  After destroying the cucumber beetles make sure you pull out and burn (or throw away) the remaining vines of the trap crop .

Source

Ravaged Roses...
Rose Sawfly larvae can really gobble up the foliage of your roses
(photo), and eventually bore into the rose stems to really cause some damage.   The larvae are the result of rose slugs that overwintered in garden debris.   The best control is cleaning up debris before winter sets in.  Once they have started causing trouble however, it's time to resort to insecticidal soaps or Sevin.

Tastier Herbs...
There are lots of good reasons to grow herbs.  First on my list is for cooking.  Nothing compares to the taste of fresh herbs added to your favorite dish.  I used to buy pesto in a jar.  I thought it was good until I started making my own from garden-fresh basil.  There's no going back folks.

If cooking is your goal make sure you  do not fertilize your herbs too much.  The essential oils that provide flavor are more concentrated when herbs are grown in moderately rich soil with just enough fertilizer to keep them green.  Too much fertilizer encourages the plant to grow large but at the sacrifice of less flavor.  To get greater quantities without sacrificing quality simply grow many more, albeit smaller, plants.

 


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Mulch Matters...
Well, the unofficial start of summer was this past weekend.  As the real thing sneaks up on Kansas City gardeners we must prepare our gardens for the heat and drought-like conditions that seem inevitable.  Mulching your garden is one of the best things you can do to help retain soil moisture and keep weeds at bay.  Missouri Organic Recycling supplied us with lots of great mulch for our gardens.  Here are some common mulching materials and a few thoughts on each:

  • Bark Mulches are very common and effective.  They are available as chips, chunks, nuggets or shredded.  In addition to being generally attractive bark mulches resist compaction quite well. (We use cedar bark)
  • Wood Chips are also common, effective and economical.  They can deplete the soil of nitrogen however so additional fertilizing may be required.
  • Pine Needles are especially good around acid loving plants like azaleas and blueberries.
  • Straw is inexpensive and is often used in large vegetable gardens.  Make sure it is free of crop and weed seeds or you're just making more work for yourself.
  • Grass Clippings should only be used after they have dried out thoroughly.  If the source lawn has weeds your mulched garden will likely get them too.  Not too attractive.
  • Rocks can be attractive and effective but they don't provide any of the decomposition benefits of organic mulches.  Rock mulch in direct sun can get quite hot causing problems for some tender plants.
  • Black Plastic and Fabric aren't much to look at but they do keep the weeds down.

As a general rule mulching with anything is better than not mulching at all.  It's that effective.

For an in-depth look at this important topic don't miss All About Mulch in our Features section.

On Your Mark, Get Set, Pinch...
No this isn't a race but if you start pinching back aster, garden phlox and mums now you're sure to win later!  Pinching back the blooms will encourage bushier plants with more flowers.  After some of your summer perennials have tired out and are no longer blooming these plants will start to peak and will add that much needed color to your garden.  Soooo, no need to dust off the running shoes for this race just limber up those thumbs and start pinching!

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Not to be outdone by the PGA, the K-State Research and Extension Master Gardener Hotline volunteers have their own “Leader Board”.  In our case, the Board is mounted on the wall of the Hotline room where the volunteers respond to gardening calls and visits.  On it appear the currently most frequently asked questions relating to lawns and gardens, and the research-based responses our K-State professionals suggest.  Topics that made the Leader Board are in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Take A Powder...
A white powdery film on your lawn is likely an outbreak of powdery mildew. This fungal disease is favored by cool spring or fall weather, and is common in shaded areas. Kentucky bluegrass in shady areas is especially susceptible.  High nitrogen levels also favor disease development.  Fortunately, while it is not very attractive, powdery mildew rarely causes significant damage to turf.

Finally...
"Beauty as we feel it is something indescribable; what it is or what it means can never be said."

~ George Santayana, Poet 1863-1952

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