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September 3, 2003 |
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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
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:
- Cut the
stems to near ground level this month.
-
Carefully dig up as much of the root system as possible.
- Replant
the peony in a hole large enough for the roots.
- Make
sure the buds are one to two inches below the soil surface.
- Toss in
some bone meal and firm the soil around the plant.
- 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 stop
everything in its tracks but it's certainly worth the risk for
fresh salad greens.
Source
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 |