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October 29, 2003

Where's The Rain?
Although we are having a fall to remember, we are in desperate need of rain. The drought of summer continues to hang on so make sure you are still supplying your gardens and lawns with adequate moisture. The extended forecast is not too promising. Wouldn't it be crazy if the next time we received precipitation is was in the form of snow? Not quite sure I am ready to go there but now is not the time to be so choosy.

Hats off to one of our long time subscribers and Master Gardener, Honey Barnekoff for becoming the first woman president of The Gardeners of America/Men's Garden Clubs of America, a national organization with more than 100 clubs in 26 states. What a great achievement! Those of you familiar with Honey know that she is the perfect person for this prestigious position! Good luck with your new adventure Honey!

Once again Kevin outdid himself carving the pumpkins! Everyone in the family got to choose their face of choice and Kevin went to work carving away. They make a nice addition to the front of the house. Not too spooky but very "Halloween" looking.

Have a Spooktacular Halloween and enjoy all of the little goblins that will be trick or treating.

~ Shelly  

Press The Squash...
When you harvest your winter squash (Acorn or Butternut) check for maturity with your thumbnail.  When pressed with your nail the rind of a ripe squash will not be punctured.  To harvest the squash, cut the stem, don’t break it off.  The cut stems will dry and seal the squash so it will last for months in storage.  It is no exaggeration to say the squash you harvest in October and store in a dry place at around 50° to 55° F. can still be good to eat in April of next year.

Source

Tumbling Twigs...
Is your lawn getting covered with small branches?   Small branches accumulating on the ground and the presence of clean-cut twigs indicate the presence of beetle pests referred to as twig girdlers and twig pruners.  Both of these long-horned beetle species (Cerambycidae) attack numerous types of shade, nut and fruit trees.  Heavily damaged trees appear ragged and unattractive, and young trees can become deformed by repeated attacks.  The terms "girdler" and "pruner" refer to the damage done by the insects leading to breakage and falling of branch tips.  For both insects, the end result of their activities is the creation of dying branch tips suitable for overwintering of the larvae that have been placed there.

Help eliminate next year's pests by collecting and destroying infested twigs and branches you find on the ground between now and May. If practical, prune infested twigs still in the tree.

Source

Early Mulchers Beware...
Did you know that mulches applied too early can do more harm than good?   Think about it.  The primary function of mulch is to keep soil temperatures constant and prevent frost heaving, not to keep it warm.  It is best not to apply protective mulch until the soil temperature has reached about 35
° - hopefully at least a month from now!

 


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Thwarting Insect Invaders...
When cool night temperatures signal that it’s time to bring houseplants indoors a host of insects and their relatives may try to come indoors with them.  Once inside they can undergo a population explosion and spread from the plant they came in on to others in your home.  Other pests such as millipedes, centipedes, sowbugs and pillbugs, spiders, and earwigs may not harm plants or other materials, but their presence indoors makes them household nuisances.  

Repotting your plants in fresh soil will eliminate many of these invaders.  The others can be controlled mechanically - by broom and dustpan, vacuum cleaner, flyswatter or sole of shoe applied firmly to floor with the pest sandwiched between the flat surfaces.  The best approach is to inspect plant pots closely before bringing them inside.  Shake or tap pots vigorously to disturb beetles, millipedes, spiders and other creatures and encourage them to leave their hiding places.  If you find scale insects, mealybugs, aphids or other plant-destructive pests, use a hard stream of water or insecticidal soap to remove them.  Quarantine these plants from other uninfested indoor plants and observe them closely.  Treat any new outbreaks as they occur and discard any plants that are severely infested.

Source

It's Too Late...
By far the most common question we are getting right now goes like this, "Is it too late to plant grass seed?".  The short answer, Yes, it's too late.

Here's the long answer.  Grass seed put down now will have a hard time getting the soil warmth necessary for proper germination.  Even if it does germinate it's very unlikely that the roots can get established before the really cold weather arrives.  Hopeless?  It's never hopeless.  An unusually warm November coupled with some very good luck could mean that seed put down now could make it.  It's a long shot however.

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
As the weather turns cooler, the thoughts of many insects and quite a few rodents as well, turn to warmer quarters in which to overwinter. Our homes often present irresistible targets.  From spiders to squirrels and more, we've got it covered in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Leveling The Lawn...
Uneven lawns can really wreak havoc when you're mowing.  These "pot holes" make level mowing nearly impossible and even walking through the yard less than ideal.  You can fix small low spots in the lawn by carefully removing the turf and filling in the low spot with good topsoil.  

Remove the turf by cutting 2 inches deep into the lawn with a flat-bladed spade, then angle the blade under the sod to cut it free, keeping at least 2 inches deep to get most of the roots.  If you do it really well you will remove a single piece of sod.  After filling the low spot, replace the sod, and keep it well watered until it is reestablished.

Finally...
"When speech comes from a quiet heart,
it has the strength of the orchid,
and the fragrance of rock"

~ Stephen Mitchell, Four Watercolors by Tao-chi

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