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June 11, 2003 |
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Good News, Bad
News...
After planting like a mad woman all weekend I think that I am
done! Annuals are in place, pots
on the deck have been potted and the color combinations I have
chosen this year are very appealing. Decorating
the deck is such a thrill for me. Combining
plants, flowers and gardens ornaments is my way of creating a
place of comfort and beauty - a place
for us to retreat after a long day. Now
the challenge begins - keeping everything looking the way that it
does right now! Beautiful!
We
hope to be sharing more photos after we
replace our digital camera. We
had a very unfortunate incident last Friday night.
Our home was burglarized in the
middle of the night while we were all sound asleep.
A number of important Savvygardener
items were taken including our computers and digital camera.
We'll get them
replaced as time and money allow. In the mean time we will
get this newsletter published each week through some fancy
footwork on Kevin's part.
If you have
not been to visit
The Sweet Onion lately you have to visit soon!
Andrea Neumann, owner and Master
Gardener, has an array of flowers and vegetables to choose from.
She also has created some
magnificent pots to help you decorate that special place, the
deck, garden or any other place you want to brighten with a
splash of color. Make sure you
mention Savvygardener.com when visiting!
Family Tree Nursery has a terrific coupon this month.
Actually they have a terrific
coupon every month but I particularly like this one
because it is for the 'Becky' Shasta
Daisy, a real show stopper!
Print off your coupon today and
save!
~
Shelly
Onward Onions...
Your onions
should be growing rapidly and enlarging
about now. Onions have a
pretty shallow root system and need
regular watering and fertilizing to keep growing.
A light application of fertilizer
or compost along the row will keep them
growing vigorously. Don't be alarmed if
you see a fair amount of the onion developing above the soil
line. This is normal. When tops begin to get
weak and fall over, onion bulbs are about full grown.
At this point, you can break over
tops to encourage the necks to dry. After
a few days dig them up to keep bulbs
from getting sunburned.
Allow your
onions to dry with the tops attached for 1 to 2 weeks
before cutting the tops, wiping
(not washing) any excess soil from the
bulbs, and placing them in a cool, dry
location for storage (or eating).
Source
Is That
A Volcano In Your Garden?
When mulching try to avoid creating "mulch volcanoes" at the
base of your trees. Unfortunately it is quite common to see
trees mulched in this manner - a ring of mulch that gets
progressively deeper as it approaches the trunk. While this is
better than no mulch at all, Chris Starbuck at University of
Missouri Extension advises us that there are some real problems
to consider:
- When mulch is placed
more than about 4 inches deep, roots tend to "migrate" up into
the mulch during rainy periods or when the area is irrigated.
Then, when drought conditions occur, the plant may come under
severe stress because many of its roots are growing in a
material with much less water holding capacity than real soil.
- The surfaces of the
mulch volcanoes can become hydrophobic due to fungal activity
and will act as very effective umbrellas, shedding water to the
surrounding turf. This could easily kill a young tree by
depriving it of much needed water.
- Other possible problems
with mulch volcanoes are promotion of fungal canker diseases by
constant moisture around the lower trunk, stress from poor gas
exchange by the cells in the bark and damage from rodents that
may take up residence in the volcano.
Source
Dialed In...
Are you using a sundial as a garden ornament? Well, don't
just use it as a pretty decoration. Set it up to tell time
also! This Sunday, June 15 is the
magical date on which sundials should be set. Simply place it so
the shadow falls on the twelve o'clock position at exactly
1 PM. Why 1 PM?
It's actually Noon, but with Daylight Savings taken into account.
Give 'Em
Room To Breathe...
Just
because your plant is wilting don't assume it's due to lack of
water. Plants can wilt from lack of oxygen too! Soil can
become over-compacted and cause root systems to suffocate. The
problem is often made worse by assuming the plant is thirsty and
adding water unnecessarily.
Improving the
soil for better air and water circulation is easy. Simply add
peat moss or other loose organic material in and around the root
area of your plants. Everyone will breathe easier!
Dividing
Daylilies...
One of the reasons we love daylilies is their fuss-free
nature. Generally they don't need to be divided as often as many
other perennials. However if you want to increase the number of
your favorite cultivars you may want to divide them once in a
while. Savvygardeners should be able to get four new plants from
a healthy, 4-year old daylily. Divide them immediately after
flowering, and replant them right away.
What's Hot On The Hotline...
After several days of cool weather and more than normal
rainfall, it appears that warmer, more seasonal weather may be
returning. Gardeners
are generally more alert than others to
the effects these changes bring.
For example, recent rainfall has
helped improve drought conditions that have prevailed for many
months. However, we have many
reports that the soil is found to be unusually dry only a few
inches below the surface. Dealing with
the long-term effects of drought is discussed in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Stay
Sharp...
Now would be a good time to have your lawn mower blade
sharpened. Sharp blades keep your grass healthy and good
looking. A dull blade leaves brown, frayed tips on your turf and
is not particularly good for the overall health of the lawn.
Finally... "Nature is a
revelation of God;
Art a revelation of man." ~
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow |