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September 3, 2003

When It Rains It Pours...
I guess the old saying "Be careful what you wish for" is true. I'm sure that all of you Savvygardener's were relieved Thursday when the skies opened up and the rain started to fall. However, after the first five inches I was concerned about the rest going to waste due to the saturation of the ground. We ended up with close to eight inches here in Westwood
(photos). Unfortunately along with the good came some bad. We dealt with water seeping into the basement and continual drips from the bathroom and bedroom ceilings. I guess you could say we were pretty lucky. There were many people in the Kansas City-area with standing water in their basements. By Sunday I was wishing those heavy downpours away. We were all starting to feel the ill effects of being cooped up in the house for three days and we were ready for some dry, sunnier weather.

How about these cooler temperatures? What a relief! It looks as if we are in store for some milder fall-like temperatures. Notice how everything has seemed to green-up over night? Mother Nature sure has a way of working her magic!

Fall is perfect for planting! Now that the cooler evening temperatures are here it is time to get to work on the lawn. Re-seeding your lawn now instead of in the spring is a win-win situation. Seeding now gives your lawn the time it needs to get established through winter. If you are unsure of how to care for your lawn call the professionals at Ryan Lawn & Tree. They care for our lawn and are very knowledgeable, friendly and professional.

If you are looking for mums, asters and pansies why not visit The Sweet Onion! A vintage nursery (80 years old) with some great plants and garden accessories! Shop now while selections are best!

As for me, it's back into the garden. There is always so much to do this time of the year. I will begin cleaning up and cutting back summer perennials and devising a plan for fall planting! Time to get my hands dirty again!

~ Shelly  

Tomato Trickery...
With summer gradually coming to an end you may want to try a couple of tricks to get the most out of your tomato plants.  

  • By removing some of the leaves more sunlight will be allowed to reach your tomatoes.  The shady protection they provide is not needed as much now that fall is closing in.
  • Lopping the tops off the plants will help ensure that the plants' energy will go into finishing existing fruit production rather than the now hopeless task of producing new fruit.

The Great Divide...
It was at times a long, hot summer.  But Savvygardeners who took care of their perennials might notice them bursting from their beds.  Sound familiar?  If so, they need some relief.  Once they are done blooming for the year it's time to divide them.

You'll know your plants need to be divided if:

  • They are spreading beyond your desired range for them.
  • The flowers are not producing as well as in the past.
  • The center of the clump of flowers is dying.
  • The lower areas of foliage are sickly.

For a quick but effective description of the dividing process you can read "Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials" in our Features section. 

Is My Tree Dying?
Despite the buckets of rain we received last weekend many hardwood trees and some shrubs continue to drop their leaves early to conserve water. In most cases this is merely an ongoing reaction to the heat and drought we experienced for the weeks prior to the recent rains.  Just because the leaves dropped in August don't immediately assume a deciduous tree is dead.  To be certain simply check the twigs and buds. If the twigs are flexible and the buds are green inside then the tree is still alive. Trees partially defoliated can be prevented from going dormant by a deep watering.

Source

 

 

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Packing Up The Peonies...
Peonies aren't particularly fond of being uprooted and transplanted but from time to time it may become necessary.  Maybe their home has become too shady or another project is displacing them.  Our friends at Bannister Garden Center offer a few simple steps to get it done right:

  1. Cut the stems to near ground level this month.
  2. Carefully dig up as much of the root system as possible.
  3. Replant the peony in a hole large enough for the roots.
  4. Make sure the buds are one to two inches below the soil surface.
  5. Toss in some bone meal and firm the soil around the plant.
  6. Water thoroughly.

Keep in mind - transplanted peonies often refuse to bloom the first spring after transplant.  Your patience will be rewarded in subsequent years.

Salad Serendipity....
There's probably still time to seed some fall salad crops for this season. With the recent cooler weather and rainfall some fall-season vegetables can still be seeded now with a decent chance of developing before freezing weather stops their progress. To increase your odds, try lettuce, radishes, and spinach.  These salad crops grow rapidly and can withstand a light freeze. A hard early freeze could st
op everything in its tracks but it's certainly worth the risk for fresh salad greens. 

Source

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Understandably, most gardeners are looking forward to the fall and the return of cooler weather. With it come concerns about preparing perennial plantings, shrubs, trees and lawns for fall and winter seasons, and with the falling temperatures and humidity, the energy we need may return as well. We've got some early autumn chores for energetic gardeners in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Weed Whackers...
Dandelions, clover, and other broadleaf weeds that were a problem last spring and all summer should be controlled this fall.  The period from late September to mid-November is the ideal time to control broadleaf weeds in turfgrass because broadleaf weeds are most susceptible to herbicides at this time.  The turf and weeds must be actively growing for this to be effective so be sure your lawn is well-watered before applying.  Apply on a sunny day with moderate temperatures, no wind, ample soil moisture and no rain in the 24-hour forecast.  An herbicide containing two or more active ingredients including 2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, triclopyr, or clopyralid will control most broadleaf weeds with one application.  As always, be careful when using broadleaf herbicides as they may damage the stuff you want to keep - like flowers, trees, shrubs, or vegetables.

Source

Finally...
"By all these lovely tokens
September days are here,
With summer's best of weather
And autumn's best of cheer."

~ Helen Hunt Jackson, 1830-1885

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