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July 30, 2003 |
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A Day In The
Garden...
I finally did it! I spent a whole
day in the garden Tuesday, weeding, watering and just plain
getting my hands dirty. I had not spent much time in the garden
in the last few weeks so needless to say,
it was time. Vacation can sure make you feel like things in the
garden are spinning out of control and quite honestly the heat
has put a damper on my gardening spirit. Enough excuses, time to
get serious and back to doing what I love best
- gardening. It was warm on Tuesday but not nearly as warm
as it has been. I'll take the high 80's over the 100's any day. I
mowed, watered, dead-headed, edged and cut back several
perennials that seem too tired to
endure the heat. What a great sense of accomplishment I felt
after I was finished! Gardening is hard work but is also
rewarding. After one too many weeks of procrastination the
gardens are finally starting to take shape again. I guess my
timing wasn't so bad after all!
Sunday is a
big day for all of you tomato growers.
The Tastiest Tomato contest is here!
Those of you who have been working all summer to
grow the tastiest tomato do not have to
wait any longer. If you're interested in being
a contestant you will need to
register. The contest will take place at Family Tree Nursery
in Overland Park starting at 10:30 AM. Judges include myself,
Kevin and those crazy Gard'n-Wise Guys,
Jan Olson & John Bruntzel. Terrific prizes will be given to the
first, second and third place winners.
Everyone is welcome to attend but to enter the contest you must
register. Hope to see you there!
Looks like
July 2003 is going to enter the record books as the driest ever!
Make sure you are watering everything you don't want to lose.
~
Shelly
The
Cutting Gardener...
OK, it's been way too hot to enjoy my gardens outdoors.
What's a Savvygardener to do? Enjoy the garden indoors of
course! I make sure to cut some of my prettiest flowers and
bring them inside to enjoy. Before you do the same, there are
some procedures to follow if you really want to do it right:
- Start
when flower stems are full of water - either early morning (6
to 8 AM) or late evening (7 to 9 PM).
- Carry a
clean bucket filled with very warm (100 to 120º F) water.
- Always
use sharp, very clean scissors or pruners when cutting.
-
Immediately place any cut flowers in the bucket of warm water.
- When you
bring the flowers in, re-cut each flower under water. This
pulls water into the stems more quickly. Flowers that are not
re-cut immediately after picking can lose up to 60% of
their vase life.
- Place
the bucket of re-cut flowers in a cool area, such as the
basement and allow them to hydrate or harden for at least one
hour (although overnight is best).
- Arrange,
display, enjoy!
Source
You Say
Cicada, I Say...
If you're brave enough to venture out in the evening heat
these days your ears will no doubt be overwhelmed by the din of
cicadas. Cicadas leave lots of people puzzled so we dug up some
dirt on these noisy critters:
- The
dog-day cicada is what we hear this year and virtually
every year.
- It is
related to the 17-year cicada (last seen in K.C. in 1998) and
is usually found on oaks, maples, and other mature,
well-established trees.
-
Dog-day cicadas appear during the long, summer days of July
and August hence their nick-name.
- They
have two to five-year life cycles but their broods overlap and
therefore seemingly appear every summer.
-
Dog-day cicadas are larger than 17-year cicadas and have
brown-black bodies with whitish highlights and green wing
margins.
-
Dog-day cicadas do not ordinarily cause much damage though
they (and the
shells they leave behind) are a bit unattractive.
- The
17-year cicada will not be back in our area until 2015 but
dog-day cicadas are likely every summer.
Don't Miss This One...
Every year the K-State Horticultural Research Center has a
wonderful open house. It's being held at the Research Center
this Saturday. It's a great
opportunity to see hundreds of different cultivars of flowers,
fruits and vegetables. Many are plants that won't reach the
market for several years (or at all depending on the results of
the tests and trials).
Click here for more information...
Bulbs
That Bloom In Autumn...
The savviest of Savvygardeners know that there are a number
of autumn-blooming bulbs that really perk up the fall garden and
landscape. Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) also known as
meadow saffron, mysteria, or naked boys produces pink to lavender
crocus-like flowers in the fall and there is no foliage present
when the plants are in bloom. Dark green leaves will emerge in
the spring, remain until summer, then turn yellow and die to the
ground. After which, the flowers magically appear in the fall
again.
Colchicums
should be planted immediately after purchase or delivery in
August or September or they will start to bloom in their
packaging. Plant the corms in clumps, 2-3 inches deep in
well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Pretty!
Time To Divide Iris...
There's some very rewarding summer work
to be done right now. It's time to divide your irises. After 3 to
5 years of growth irises will become crowded and should be
divided so they don't starve each other for soil nutrients.
Here's a few simple steps to get the job done:
- Cut the
leaves back to one-third their length.
- Dig the
rhizome clump with a fork or spade and wash the soil off with a
hose.
- Cut the
rhizomes apart so that each section has at least one healthy
fan of leaves and firm, white roots.
- Discard
soft rhizomes and any older leafless rhizomes toward the center
of the clump.
- Plant
the divisions 12 - 18 inches apart in shallow holes in a sunny
location.
- Water
immediately and again in ten days if rain is scarce.
Following
these steps now allows adequate time for the divisions to get
established before winter and also reduces the chance of frost
heaving in late winter.
Dead Or Dormant?
Several weeks ago we talked about lawns going dormant during
the summer heat. This inevitably raises the question: "Is
it dormant or dead?" To check, pull up some grass and
separate the leaves from the crown. (The crown is the area
between the leaves and the roots.) If it is still hard and not
papery and dry, the plant is still alive.
Normally, a healthy lawn can stay dormant for
5 to 8 weeks without harm. But it is important to keep the crown
hydrated because if the crown dies, the plant dies. About 1/4
inch of water every two weeks is enough to hydrate the crown.
Source
Finally... "There is no spot of
ground, however arid, bare or ugly, that cannot be tamed into
such a state as may give an impression of beauty and delight." ~
Gertrude Jekyll, Writer, 1843-1932 |