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November 19, 2003 |
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How Does My
Garden Grow?
I ran into a girlfriend at the gym this morning and she (an
avid Savvygardener.com reader) asked me,
"How is your garden growing?" Of course I could not wait to tell
her about our grass. It is the most beautiful shade of green. A
tribute to all of the watering we continued to do while patiently
waiting for some rain. My roses are still blooming
and I have a couple of summer perennials producing flowers
(photos).
There seems to be some confusion among some plants as to what
season it is. I guess they are just as confused as we are with
the temperatures fluctuating daily from quite
cold to very warm. It is supposed
to be in the upper 70's tomorrow with a chance of snow showers on
Sunday. How crazy is that? I hope you enjoyed the thunderstorms
on Monday as much as we did. Lightening, thunder and some real
rain. What fun! The storms reminded me of a May spring day.
Wishful thinking perhaps.
Time for a sad
note here.
Sidney Coffman, winner of our tastiest Tomato contest this
year, died this week at the age of 90. He was a lifetime
gardener and an inspiration to us all. Heaven's going to
have some great tomatoes growing pretty soon!
For those
of you who purchase your Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving
make sure you visit
The Sweet Onion for the best selection of Frasier Firs and
other Christmas tree varieties. Besides getting a fabulous tree
you will find garland, wreaths, poinsettias and a wide assortment
of Christmas items to spruce up your decor for the Holidays. A
must at the top of the holiday shopping list!
~
Shelly
Cold Cuts...
Now that we've got a couple of killing frosts under our belts
it's time to do some cutting back of dormant perennials. Cut
them back to about 3 inches above the soil surface. Once the
ground is frozen, they can be mulched to guard against
displacement due to soil heaving. These simple steps will help
ensure a successful show of foliage and color next season.
Well Watered For Winter...
For maximum winter protection,
Savvygardeners need to water landscape evergreens thoroughly once
every week or so until the ground freezes. Evergreens continue
to lose moisture from their foliage all winter, but once the
ground is frozen, they'll be unable to take up enough water to
replace it. Sending them into winter well watered reduces the
potential for damaged foliage. There's more... broadleaved and
tender evergreens exposed to drying winds and sun may need to be
shaded on the south and southwest sides to reduce moisture loss
and foliage injury.
Source
Bunny Love...
During the winter months, rabbits often gnaw on the bark of
many woody plants. Heavy browsing can result in the complete
girdling of small trees and small branches clipped off at snow
level. Apple, pear, crabapple and serviceberry are frequent
targets of rabbits. Small trees with smooth, thin bark are the
most vulnerable. Other frequently damaged plants include the
winged euonymus or burning bush, Japanese barberry, dogwood,
roses and raspberries.
The best
way to prevent rabbit damage to young trees is to place a
cylinder of hardware cloth (1/4 inch mesh wire fencing) around
the tree trunk. The hardware cloth cylinder should stand about 1
to 2 inches from the tree trunk and 20 inches above the ground.
The bottom 2 to 3 inches should be buried beneath the soil. Small
shrubs, roses and raspberries can be protected with chicken wire
fencing.
Houseplant Hints...
The growth of your houseplants will slow as the days get
shorter and light intensity is reduced. This means that they
will need less frequent watering and fertilizing through the
winter. Too much of either in the coming months can cause weak
growth leading to undue stress next spring.
Cold Storage At Your Feet...
Looking for a good place to store root crops? Just look
down! Carrots, radishes, turnips and Jerusalem artichokes store
well outdoors in the ground. Just before the ground freezes,
bury them under a deep layer of leaves or straw to protect the
ground from freezing. Simply harvest them as needed during
winter by pulling back this protective mulch and digging them
up. Just make sure you replace the mulch after each visit!
When Fruits
And Vegetables Don't Get Along...
If you decide to store your vegetables indoors (instead of in
the ground like we mentioned above) make sure you don't place
them with any apples or pears. As they sit these fruits give off
ethylene gas which speeds up the breakdown of vegetables and
causes them to develop off-flavors. Yuck!
Tell Your Friends About
Savvygardener.com!
You
Could Win A $50 Gift Certificate
Details...
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Winter Wisdom...
Each year we are asked
for a reminder of what to do to prepare for winter. While
we are experiencing a short warm spell right now, there is no
doubt that cold weather is around the corner.
Take advantage of the weather and prepare for
winter now, while you can still work in relative comfort outdoors!
You'll find a handy checklist in this
week's
Winter
Wisdom...
Power Equipment Protection...
Power equipment, such as lawn mowers, tillers and chippers
require additional winter preparations. As you finish with any
of these machines for the season give them some TLC before
putting them away.
- Wipe
collected grease, dirt and plant material from all equipment.
- Tighten
loose screws and nuts.
- Sharpen
cutting edges and wipe them with an oily rag.
- If your
equipment has a four-cycle engine, change the oil by following
instructions listed in your owner's manual.
- Clean
the oil and air filter line by starting the engine and letting
it run until it stops.
-
Two-cycle engines, or engines that run with a gas and oil
mixture, also should have the oil-gas mixture removed for the
winter. Run the engine with the choke open to remove fuel from
the lines.
- Check
the spark plug and replace it if it is worn.
- Replace
other worn or damaged parts as well.
Also, avoid
storing gasoline over the winter. Old gasoline does not ignite
easily, making the machines using it work harder.
Finally... "Nature will bear
the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with
her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain." ~
Henry David Thoreau |