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March 17, 2004

Show Of Shows...
Kevin, his mom and I attended the Philadelphia Flower Show this past Friday. It is one thing to write about it and quite another to actually see it. Kevin was busy taking pictures and it was a challenge to choose the photos we wanted to share with you. The theme this year "Destination Paradise". You should have seen the orchids. There were millions of them. The landscape areas were created with unbelievable design, color, textures and plantings. Floral arrangements that made you stare in disbelief. It truly was amazing and I am so glad that we had the opportunity to attend. Now I understand why people from all over the United States attend this amazing show. A definite must see!

We sure are in the throws of March weather. Warm one day, cold and rainy the next. Very unpredictable. It sounds as if however that the pendulum is going to be swinging in our favor. The temperature is on the rise and by Saturday it could be as warm as 70°. Now we're talking! A great weekend for Family Tree's Spring Open House! For those of you who have never been, here is your chance. Bring the whole family - there is something for everyone. Animals, food , flowers, plants, plant experts and more. A great opportunity to get a jump on spring planting. I will be there both Saturday and Sunday so come on out and enjoy the fun!

Don't forget to visit WaterOne's website for their free seminars. Lots of great topics. I can't think of a better time to make yourself more knowledgeable.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

~ Shelly  

Spring Lawns: To Seed or Not to Seed...
As spring approaches you will no doubt start inspecting your lawn only to re-discover that it is less than perfect.  Most of us have bare spots or entire areas that are begging for new seed. Reliable sources will tell you that spring is the second best time of year to plant grass seed (the best time being fall).  What they don't tell you is that in this case second best may not be good enough at all.  We'll try to explain...

Fall is the best time to plant because seeds get the double benefit of warm soil and cooler air temperatures.  Fall planted grass also establishes a strong root system even after the grass blades have stopped growing for the season.  By contrast spring sown grass seed gets cool air temperatures but not warm soil - making it tougher to germinate.  In many cases the grass is not established well enough to take the heat imposed on it by the typical Kansas City summer.  More often than not, your new grass is toast by mid-July.

This doesn't mean you shouldn't plant new grass in the spring.  You just need to be aware of the risks.  At our house we try to limit spring grass seeding to small bare patches and hope for the best.  For bigger jobs consider contacting a professional lawn care company (we use Ryan Lawn & Tree) to improve your chances.

Special Delivery...
Most catalogs don't deliver your plant orders until it's time to plant them.  Unfortunately sometimes local conditions are different than "usual" and your plants arrive a bit early for planting.  Don't panic, but don't ignore them either!  Your mail-order plants do need some care in the time between their arrival and your ability to plant them.  Unwrap them immediately and check for specific directions on early care.  Lacking this just keep them cool and moist in a protected area until you can safely get them in the ground.

Vegetable Gardening Without A Garden...
If your outdoor space is limited, consider gardening without a garden. Tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and many other vegetables do well when grown in containers. Barrels, window boxes, cut-off milk jugs, almost any container that provides good drainage will do as long as it is deep enough to support the plant. Minimum depths for some container-grown vegetables:

  • 4 inches - lettuce, radishes, beets, low-growing herbs 
  • 6 inches - chard, turnips, short-rooted carrots 
  • 8 inches - eggplant, peppers, bush cucumbers 
  • 10 inches - cauliflower, broccoli 
  • 12 inches - tomatoes, long-rooted carrots

Source

 


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...

 

 

Plant By The Rules...
Planning on planting a tree (or two or three) this spring?  Make sure you do it right.  That tree is supposed to be around for a long time.  Our friends at K-State Research & Extension recently published 10 Rules for Planting Trees.  Check it out here... 

The Old Heave Ho...
Temperatures have been on the rise and a well deserved thaw in the soil may be a permanent thing soon.  Scout around your garden for signs of recent heaving -  the forcing of shallow-rooted plants out of the soil due to the freezing and thawing of the ground.  Don't tamp the plants or the surrounding soil as this may overly compact the soil.  Simply give them a gentle push back into place.  

 


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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Repotting houseplants topped the list of hotline questions this week.  From picking the right soil and the right size container, you'll learn how in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Healthy Diet...
Though advertising for lawn fertilizers is at its yearly high, most lawns don’t really need fertilizer now.  Do not apply high rates of nitrogen (more than 0.75 lbs N/1000 sq. ft.) to your lawn from March through early May.  Too much nitrogen at this time of the year will lead to problems later this summer such as poor root growth and disease.  Additionally, since spring rains play havoc with mowing schedules, nitrogen fertilization can further complicate your mowing schedule by causing grass plants to grow too fast.  Instead of applying fertilizer now, it is better to wait until mid-to late-May and apply up to ¾ lbs N/1000 sq. ft. with a fertilizer that contains mostly slow-release nitrogen.

Source

Finally...
"We cannot fathom the mystery of a single flower. Nor is it intended that we should."

~ John Ruskin, 1819-1900

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