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March 10, 2004

Caught In A Whirlwind...
With so much going on this time of year it is hard to know where to start. Kevin and I had the opportunity to attend the Wichita Garden Show this past weekend and what a show it was! For those of you who have not made the trip I highly recommend putting it on the calendar for next year. Incredible landscapes filled with flowers, shrubs and trees. Amazingly constructed to stimulate all of the senses. A garden show that the people of Wichita are quite proud of. Next on the agenda is the Philadelphia Flower Show. We can hardly wait to see this one. We have heard so much about it so to say we are excited is a bit of an understatement. Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to travel so far to enjoy a really great garden show?

Without sponsors, this newsletter would not be possible. Missouri Organic has been a sponsor of Savvygardener.com from the beginning. A provider of many products, one of my favorites being their topsoil/compost blend. If you are installing new beds or just need to top dress your present gardens this is a must. Not only is it a great product but you can have it delivered straight to your door. The days of lifting heavy bags are gone. It's the only way to go!

I encourage all of you to visit WaterOne's website for information on free seminars they are offering. What a terrific way to learn about watering. When to, when not to, how much is too much or how much is too little. What time of the day to water etc... Watering smart is so important, not only for the garden but for us as consumers. Thanks for your support WaterOne!

How about this weather? It is nice to see the neighbors again. Winter has taken its toll on all of us and everyone is ready to spend some time outside. Streets and yards are filled with people, walking, raking or just sitting around taking in the fresh air. Can you feel it? Spring has sprung! The moment we have so patiently (or impatiently) awaited is here. Let the gardening season begin!

~ Shelly  

Number Three and Counting...
Last Sunday's Kansas City Star confirmed what we already knew: Gardening is important to Kansas Citians.  In the Star's "KC Sliced and Diced, Statistically" article we learn that gardening is the third most popular spare time activity.  Gardening falls behind home repairs and reading for entertainment, but fares much better than hunting, gambling, and sewing to name a few.

Armed And Ready...
As you walk through your gardens take along a hand pruner and cut out the dead branches from your shrubs.  The living branches should be recognizable by the appearance of leaf or flower buds.  The dead ones are the "dead-looking" ones with no green visible underneath the brown outer bark layer.

For more assistance check out Pruning Shrubs in our Features section.

A Day For Potato Heads?
While it's traditional to plant potatoes on St. Patrick's Day Savvygardeners should be aware of two assumptions made in setting this date.  First, that your soil is consistently 45º or higher.  The recent warm-up means sunny locations may be ready.   

The second assumption is that the soil is dry enough to be worked.  Working in overly moist soil can make a mess that will be hard to correct later.  How can you tell?  Grab a handful of soil and squeeze.  If it holds together like clay it's too wet.  If it crumbles like a cupcake it's ready for planting.

Watch the weather and your soil closely.  You really want to get those 'taters planted between now and the end of March.

 


Don't Miss Family Tree's

9th Annual Open House and Spring Flower Show:

"Gardening Through the Ages"
March 19 through 21, 2004
Overland Park Family Tree Nursery
913-642-6503

Special Keynote Speaker
Jim Wilson from The Victory Garden

Details...

 

 

Staggered Start...
Getting the timing right on seed starting is pretty important.  Start too early and your plants will get leggy before it's time to put them outside.  Start too late and you miss out on valuable growing time (especially if you want the first tomatoes on the block).  Seeds are cheap, time is unrecoverable.  Instead of starting all of your similar seeds (tomato for instance) at the same time, try starting 1/3 of them each week for three weeks.  If warm weather is early, you'll be ahead.  If cold weather lingers you'll still have seedlings at the appropriate transplant time.

Time For Tomatoes?
A quick check of our Seed Starting Calendar reveals that it's time to start seeds for those warm-weather vegetables like tomatoes and peppers.  Tomatoes can be found in many, many gardens.  Why not yours?  If you need some help getting started just read Seed Starting Tomatoes in our Features section.

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Questions about early vegetable crops like onions and green peas are hot topics right now and keeping the hotline staffers very busy.  For good measure they've also thrown in some advice about reducing crabapple and sweet gum fruit production.  Good stuff! Don't miss this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Now Cut That Out...
So, you think it's too early to cut the grass?  Not the ornamental grass!  In early spring before new growth begins you should remove the previous year's foliage to promote earlier and more healthy growth.  Use hand clippers, a pruning saw, or sharp shears to cut your grasses back to within 3 to 5 inches of the ground.  To minimize the mess try tying the grass into a standing bundle before cutting.

While you're at it take a look at the centers of the plant clumps.  If the center of the clump shows little or no growth, it should be divided.  Separate and replant the vigorous growth on the outer edge of the clump.  Stand back and watch them grow!

Finally...
"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it."

~ Patrick Young, Writer

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