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October 8, 2003 |
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Non-Stop Fun...
Wasn't this past weekend delightful? I could not seem to get
enough. Weeding, raking leaves, changing out pots, planting
pansies... the fun never stopped
(photos)!
It is amazing how this fall weather has been great for so many
things. Planting, soccer games, field trips and just plain being
outside. Our whole family is truly enjoying the extended summer-like
weather. Even
Sam Parker is lazing around, basking in the sun. Of course a
little rain would be nice especially since my water bill is still
astronomically high. Just a small chance of thunderstorms
Wednesday night and Thursday. A little moisture sure would give
our new plantings and grass a boost. No time like the present for
a dose of Mother Nature's rain.
I had the
opportunity to travel to Atchison on Wednesday with some
girlfriends to shop at one of our favorite places,
Nell
Hills. We oooed and awwwed the entire trip. The
trees are starting to change color and they were fabulous
- especially around the Weston area. If you get an
opportunity, load the family up and
take a road trip. Stop just outside of Weston at the
Red Barn Farm and pick out a pumpkin, buy some apples and let
your children run around in the hay! A winning combination, great
weather and fun things to do with the family!
~
Shelly
TLC For Tender
Turf...
If you are growing new grass from seed be
sure to keep it wet - especially as the new, young blades shoot
forth from the soil
(photo).
This is when the grass is most vulnerable. If it dries out,
it dies. No need to soak it. Just keep it moist with
a couple of sweeps from the hose spray nozzle several times a
day.
Hackberry Psyllids In Homes...
Sometimes called jumping plant lice, these small dark-colored
insects resemble cicadas in miniature form. They are about 1/8-
to 1/5-inch long and small enough to enter homes through ordinary
screens. These insects overwinter in buildings or in bark
crevices on trees. After mating in the spring, the females
deposit eggs on newly emerging hackberry leaves. Nymphs hatch
from the eggs and start feeding on the underside of the leaves.
Since these
insects are specific to hackberry trees, only homes near a
hackberry tree are affected. If hackberry psyllids become a
nuisance inside, use a vacuum cleaner to suck them up. Be sure
to discard the bag immediately after vacuuming so they don't
escape and re-infest the home.
Source
A Bone To Pick With Bone
Meal...
For many gardeners bone meal and bulbs go hand-in-hand. For
generations bone meal was considered the standard fertilizer for
spring flowering bulbs. Like so many things bone meal has
changed however. Most bone meal sold today has been so
thoroughly processed that the essential nutrients have been
reduced to almost nothing. For bulbs in their second or later
season try using a commercial "bulb food" instead.
Remember -
A healthy Dutch bulb already contains all the food it needs to
support the first season of growth. Just plant them according to
directions and they will bloom without fertilizer next spring.
Look Who's Sleeping In The
Garden Bed...
Many disease-causing viruses overwinter in the roots of
perennial weeds. Tomato mosaic virus overwinters in the roots of
ground cherry, horsenettle, jimson weed, nightshade, and
bittersweet; cucumber mosaic virus lives in the roots of
milkweed, catnip, and pokeweed; bean mosaic overwinters in white
sweet clover roots; and many cabbage diseases spread from wild
members of the cole family. A good fall cleanup is essential.
Don't wait!
Source
Deer Deterrents...
To protect your young trees from deer damage, there are a
number of deterrents you can try. Hang bars of strong-scented
soap, mesh bags filled with human hair, paper bags of dried blood
(bloodmeal), or strips cut from white plastic bags on trees that
are likely to be attacked. Remember, deer will become accustomed
to most any deterrent, so alternating items will help.
Source
What's Hot On The Hotline...
Evergreens without cones? Yes, Virginia, there are such
things, and things of beauty they are! Many of the non-conifers,
or broadleaf evergreens, do well in the eastern Kansas, western
Missouri area. With proper location that provides some protection
from hot, drying winds and full sun, you will be rewarded with
year- round foliage that contrasts well with coniferous
evergreens and deciduous shrubbery. You'll
find them in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Time For Lime?
If the results of a soil test suggest that your lawn or
garden needs an application of lime now is the time to do it.
Never had a soil test before? Shame on you! Resolve to get one
done this month. We've posted easy to follow
instructions on the Savvygardener.com website.
Finally... "No occupation is so
delightful to me as the culture of the earth, no culture
comparable to that of the garden...
But though an old man, I am but a young gardener." ~
Thomas Jefferson, Garden Book, 1811 |