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July 16, 2003 |
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Crazy In
Love...
How ironic that this week's
inspirational
quotation would be about me! Not
only is gardening a true passion of mine but it also makes me a
bit crazy. Crazy in a funny kind of way. Weeds are the vain of my
existence and I am imprisoned by them. This time of the year is
all about keeping the garden free from weeds. Although there is a
lot of work that goes into keeping everything alive in this
scorching climate I would still rather be weeding as opposed to
doing anything else. Now how crazy is that? Weeding brings a
sense of satisfaction to me. It makes me feel like I am needed.
Needed in the sense of making sure that every weed in the garden
has been pulled and there is nothing but sheer beauty left to
gaze upon. So the next time you are at a party or a friend's
house and stop your conversation to "help" them out by pulling a
weed, think of me.
Make sure
that you are watering smart these days. If you need to refresh
your memory when the best time for watering during this hot,
humid summer check out our
annual watering issue. Stay cool!
~
Shelly
Invigorating Irises...
To promote growth, vigor and optimum flowering, iris clumps
may be raised and divided every three years or so. Dig up the
rhizomes carefully to avoid damage to rhizomes and their roots.
Examine them for the presence of worm-like insects called iris
borers, which may seriously damage or destroy the plant. If they
are found, remove them, cut out the affected tissue and dust with
a garden insecticide, such as Sevin, before replanting. Select
sound rhizomes with two or more growing points. Rhizomes may be
cut apart with a sharp knife, or snapped apart by hand. Be sure
to preserve as many rhizome roots as possible. The best time to
divide iris is in mid-summer while the plants are dormant. Late
July through mid August is preferred.
Source
When To Pick A
Pepper...
Depending on what variety of bell pepper you are growing and
what color you want it to be you have different guidelines to
follow for the timing of your harvest. Green bell varieties are
usually picked when they are fully grown and mature - 3 to 4
inches long, firm and green. Colored bell peppers start out
green but should be left on the plant until they develop full
flavor and ripen fully to red, yellow, orange or brown.
Fall Crops Begin Now...
A fall harvest of cabbage, vine crops, broccoli, cauliflower, and
Brussels sprouts means setting transplants in late July. For
lettuce, radish, carrots, beets, turnips, kale, and spinach, you
should sow seeds in late July to early August.
Brussels
sprouts are especially good fall crops as their flavor is
enhanced by a mild frost. They are hungry little guys so make
monthly applications of 5-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of
½ cup per square yard from the time
the plants are 4 inches tall through harvest.
The Right SPF For Veggies?
Hard
working gardeners aren't the only ones subject to sunburn.
Exposure to the sun will turn your potato tubers and carrot
shoulders green giving them an unpleasant taste. This will occur
when they are not planted deeply enough or have not been
sufficiently mulched. The green portions of the potato actually
contain a bitter alkaloid that is moderately poisonous. Simply
cover the exposed tubers and/or shoulders with soil or mulch and
they should retain their intended taste and goodness.
Hot And Bothered Tomatoes...
This
can be a frustrating time for area tomato growers. The really
hot weather we've been experiencing can cause our tomato plants
to drop their blossoms before fruit sets. Many gardeners believe
that tomatoes love hot weather. Actually they prefer
daytime temperatures in the 70's and 80's coupled with nighttime
temperatures in the 60's and 70's. Our temperatures have been
well above ideal lately. Some gardeners respond by using
"Blossom Set" but according to the
Missouri
Botanical Garden Extension Service (MOBOT) they may be
wasting their time and money. Blossom Set contains a hormone
that solves the blossom drop problem when it is due to overnight
temperatures falling below 60°F. During hot weather,
above 90°F, it is not effective. According to MOBOT there is no
real solution to the problem and no cultivars exist which seem
better than others.
Source
What's Hot On The Hotline...
Summer heat has a way of wearing down even
the most enthusiatic gardeners. Luckily there are some
special trees that save their blooms to lift our heat-stressed
spirits. Looking for one of these for your landscape?
Read about them in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Shady Characters...
Looking for a good, low exertion chore for the hot weather?
Try inspecting your shade trees and the grass below them. They
may be getting so full of branches that not enough sunlight
filters through to your grass. If your grass is just not making
it under a particular tree you can stand in its shade and make
some notes for future pruning. You'd be surprised how well grass
will respond to even a moderate amount of increased sunlight.
Finally... "Gardening is a kind
of disease. It infects you, you cannot escape it. When you go
visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the
serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to
get up and pull a weed."
~ Lewis Gannit, Author |