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June 4, 2003 |
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The Savvy Salad Bar...
I am waging a war against slugs and rabbits this year.
I have planted
lots of petunias, and between
the slugs and the rabbits gnawing away at them they are really
starting to look a bit tattered
(see for yourself).
I have applied some slug bait and
will have to pull some other tricks out of the hat soon if there
is no improvement. Then there are
the rabbits. Boy has the
population exploded in our neighborhood this spring!
Of course Sam Parker is good for
chasing the ones in the back yard but it is the ones out front
that are giving me the problem. We
have tried some fox urine around the perimeter of the garden
hoping that will hold them at bay! Whew,
it's not enough that you have to worry about weeds and getting
everything planted but then making sure that it has a chance to
survive! It would be different if
I wasn't so compassionate about everything I planted. (I am sure
you can relate). I tend to be
very competitive by nature so those slugs and rabbits will not
get the best of me, so there!
For those
of you who missed
The Kelly Gallery spring party in April do not despair.
Join them this Saturday, June 7th
from 10 AM - 3 PM to view their new rose gardens!
I have not had a chance to see
them myself but knowing Kelly I am sure the display is
spectacular!
I would
like to welcome aboard a new sponsor,
The Lawn
Ranger.
The Lawn Ranger has been doing
business in the Kansas City-area since 1985 and offers an array
of gardening services. Their
specialty is designing and creating perennial flower gardens but
also offer a wide variety of other lawn and landscape services.
You can learn more at
their website.
Make sure you let them know that
you are a Savvygardener and you
appreciate their support!
~
Shelly
Be A Deadheader...
So your perennials have bloomed and they are starting to look
as if they are finished? Hold on
a minute... If you trim off the dead
blooms they will likely bloom again!
I'm talking about roses, bachelor buttons, coreopsis and dianthus
(just to name a few).
Sure, it's extra work (especially
dianthus, it's wickedly time-consuming
to trim all of those flowers back) but
the reward is well worth it once you see them re-blooming. If
you are not sure whether your perennial will bloom again cut it
back anyway to keep a neat appearance in the garden.
You should
also deadhead petunias, snapdragons, geraniums, marigolds and
zinnias. This will prevent seed formation and promote continued
flowering.
Monitor Those Melons...
The recent and coming warmer temperatures
are sure to give watermelons a growth
boost. Keep an eye on them!
As vines from different plants begin to intermingle, and
the canopy becomes thicker, the chances of developing anthracnose
increase. It's a good idea to scout watermelon patches once or
twice a week for this disease. Look for multiple small brown to
black spots on leaves. These spots are typically associated with
leaf veins. As the spots coalesce and dry out, the leaf may
appear tattered. It's a good idea to implement a preventive
fungicide spray schedule, especially during rainy periods.
Chlorothalonil, mancozeb and azoxystrobin (Quadris) are labeled
for anthracnose control. Azoxystrobin should be rotated with one
of the other fungicides to help prevent potential resistance
problems.
Source
Erupting Soon In A Garden Near You...
This time of year it's not uncommon to have a period of wet
weather followed by some rather
warm early summer temperatures. If you have mulched areas in
your garden, that unique combination is
going to lead to something that's pretty disgusting to look at -
slime mold eruptions. You see, slime mold spores will grow and
expand (at an alarming rate) until they "erupt" over the surface
of the mulch. It's not very pretty to look at but rest assured
it's harmless. Try to scoop it up whole (so you don't
inadvertently release more spores) and dispose of it in a compost
pile or trash can.
Itchy, Scratchy, Savvy...
Poison ivy rash is an unfortunate byproduct of working
outdoors for many gardeners. The rash we get from our exposure
to poison ivy (as well as poison oak and sumac) is an allergic
reaction to contact with an oil called urushiol (oo-ROO-she-ol).
All species of poison ivy, oak and sumac have urushiol in their
roots, stems, leaves and fruit. The oil or sap is released when
plants are bruised. For this reason poison ivy rashes are more
common in the spring and early summer when leaves and stems are
tender. The sap may be deposited on the skin by direct contact
with the plant, through contact with contaminated objects such as
shoes, clothing, tools and animals, or as airborne urushiol
particles from burning plants.
I'll bet
you still cling to at least one of the poison ivy myths below.
Now is a good time to set the record straight:
- Myth
1
Scratching poison ivy blisters will spread the rash. Not
true. Fluid discharged from blisters will not spread the
rash. Well before the blisters form, however, you may spread
the urushiol on your hands to other parts of your body.
- Myth
2
Poison ivy is contagious. Not true. The rash is simply a
reaction to urushiol. The rash cannot pass from person to
person; only the urushiol can be spread by direct contact.
- Myth
3
You can "catch" poison ivy simply by being near the plants.
Not true. Direct contact or contact with smoke from burning
plants is needed to introduce urushiol onto the victim.
- Myth
4
Once allergic, always allergic to poison ivy. Not true. A
person's sensitivity changes over time, even from season to
season. People who were sensitive to urushiol as children may
not be allergic as adults.
- Myth
5
There's no need to worry about dead plants. Not true.
Urushiol remains active on any surface, including dead plants,
for up to 5 years!
- Myth
6
One way to protect yourself from poison ivy is to keep
yourself covered outdoors. Partly true. Urushiol can
stick to your clothes which you can touch and spread to your
skin later.
Source
Timing Is
Everything...
Sometimes the hardest part of growing great vegetables is
knowing when they're ready for harvest. Timing is everything as
they say and that's certainly true for your garden's bounty. To
make your job a little easier we've compiled a list of common
garden vegetables and the guidelines you should follow to
determine if they are ready for harvest. You will find
"When to Harvest Vegetables" in the Features
section of our website.
What's Hot On The Hotline...
It is evident from the number of
questions received these days by the K-State Research and
Extension Master Gardener Hotline volunteers, that our area
gardeners not only have an extensive interest in growing
perennial and annual ornamentals, but a considerable interest in
growing edibles in a home vegetable garden. Find
out what the experts have to say in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Heading Off Seedheads...
Cool season turfgrasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and
perennial ryegrass are currently producing seedheads - a natural
phenomenon triggered by the current day length. Seedheads are a
nuisance for several reasons:
- They grow quickly
and unevenly detracting from the appearance of a lawn.
- The seed stalk is
tougher than grass blades so they do not cut cleanly except
with the sharpest of mower blades.
- After mowing, the
grass may also appear a lighter green to yellow because of the
exposed seed stalks.
- Turfgrass plants
also expend a lot of energy producing seedheads and turf
density may also decrease slightly as a result.
The most
effective way to control seedheads is through frequent mowing
with a sharp mower blade. Avoid the temptation to lower your
cutting height as doing so will cause the rest of your turf to
suffer as summer approaches.
Source
Finally... "Shall I not have
intelligence with the earth? Am I
not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself." ~
Henry David Thoreau |