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April 28, 2004 |
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Here's To Gardeners!
We always end the newsletter with a quote and the one I chose
this week speaks particularly about me. When I explain to people
that working in the garden is one of my biggest joys, some of
them look at me as if to say "Interesting". The response
is neither good nor bad just a response. The fact of the matter
is that there are many people in the world,
just like me, who can think of nothing
else other than being in the garden. It is about finding a piece
of myself in everything I touch whether it's
a weed, flower, shrub or tree. Heck,
even a broom and a rake bring me great joy. Gardening is like any
other loved hobby. At times it seems that there is never enough
time for it. That is why this time of the year I try to seize
every moment, knowing that the heat of summer will be upon me
soon, waning my gardening spirit.
Cheers to all of us gardeners - old,
young, new and "trying to be".
The world is a more beautiful place because of us!
Welcome to
our new sponsor,
Clearfield Farms. A magnificent nursery located in Baldwin
City, Kansas. A place to spend the day taking in all there is to
offer. So many unique and hard to find plants which makes it so
appealing. There theme gardens are more than inspiring. Mark a
date on your calendar to pay them a visit and make sure to tell
them that you appreciate them sponsoring Savvygardener.com.
Thanks to
all of you Savvygardeners who braved the cold, wet conditions for
The Kelly Gallery event. Even though the conditions weren't ideal
it was a good time and as always a pleasure to speak to all of
you. Who says you can't have fun in the rain?
Windy, hot
and dry conditions today. Feels a bit like summer. It looks as if
this extreme warm spell is going to be short lived. More rain and
cooler temperatures are forecast for the weekend. That's the good
news.
~
Shelly
It's Raining Worms!
According to our friends at K-State
Research & Extension, they are being inundated with calls
regarding tiny worms falling from callers oak trees. These worms
are actually the larvae of a gall midge- tiny, delicate flies
about l/8 inch long. The larvae come from eggs that adult midges
lay on the flower clusters of pin oaks in early spring. Newly
hatched larvae feed on the flower clusters and then move to the
leaves as they unfurl. Eventually, the larvae drop to the ground
in order to pupate. Adults emerge early the next spring to start
the cycle all over again. Fortunately the midges cause no
apparent damage.
Source
Oh Say Can You
Sow...
Savvygardeners all across the metro will be out this weekend
buying bedding plants, vegetable seedlings, and all manner of
transplants for the garden. Keep in mind that some plants
actually prefer to have their seeds sown directly in the garden.
- Among
vegetables these include: beans, beets, carrots, celery,
peas, squash, and turnips.
- Among flowers:
alyssum, aster, bachelor's button, cosmos, marigold, morning
glory, sunflower, sweet pea, and zinnia.
Buy the
seeds, read the directions, watch them grow!
The Division Decision...
Division is a necessary chore in maintaining most
perennials. A few plants never like to be disturbed, and should
not be moved or divided; Aconitum, Baptisia, Dictamnus, Eryngium,
Helleborus, Limonium, and Papaver are good examples. Most others
will need division every three to four years or so. You'll know
it's time to divide when a dead center forms in the crown area
with a ring of plants around it; blooms are fewer and smaller; or
growth simply appears crowded.
A general
rule is to divide the plant in the non-bloom season. Midsummer
bloomers should be divided in spring when plant growth is two to
three inches in height. Fall bloomers are divided in late August
or early September when plants are semi-dormant and temperatures
are showing a cooling trend.
Use a spade
to dig the clump and cut off divisions. If you don't want to
divide an entire clump, divisions can be cut from the edge of a
clump using a spade and trowel. Some plants have tough, thick
root systems that are a challenge to divide. Hosta, Hemerocallis,
and Astilbe fall in this category so don't be discouraged if you
find the going a little tough.
Source
Hydrangea Helper...
Hydrangeas are wonderful. Especially when
they bloom. You're not alone if you are sometimes (or often)
frustrated by otherwise beautiful and healthy-looking hydrangeas
that just won't bloom. There are
reasons for this of course. Here are the likely ones:
- Improper
Pruning
Some bloom on old wood, some on new season's growth.
For example, the popular 'Annabelle'
varieties bloom on new growth and are consequently best
cut back hard in the early spring. By
contrast, the Bigleaf hydrangea will grow
in Kansas City but will not
usually flower because the flowers develop on old (last
season's growth) wood. Since flower
buds lack the cold hardiness of the foliage buds, they are
often killed by our cold winters.
- Too
Much Shade
While they will do all right in partial shade or full
sunlight, too much shade could keep them from flowering
- Too
Much Nitrogen
Fertilizing with high nitrogen fertilizers
will limit blooms. Try using a fertilizer with less nitrogen
"N" and more Phosphorous "P".
Source
Ants In Your...
Not your pants, but your peonies! If you have peonies you no
doubt have noticed a proliferation of ants scurrying to and fro
across the flower buds. Those ants are the source of many "old
gardener's tales" that have been handed down over the ages.
Here's the deal: The ants are there because of the nectar-like
substance secreted by the peony. Chances are that the ants you
see on your peonies are already living in your garden - the
peonies just draw them out of the soil and make them more
visible. In other words, peonies are not increasing your local
ant population (which creepily number in the hundreds of
thousands or more). Some say that the ants actually help peonies
bloom. Most experts disagree but since they do no harm it's best
to just let them enjoy your peonies as much as you do.
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What's Hot On The Hotline...
This week we dig into the hot topics from
K-State horticultural newsletter. In addition to "raining
worms" mentioned above, there are quick tips covering powdery
mildew in bluegrass, dandelion control, and earthworms in the
lawn. You will find them in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
More Growin', More Mowin'...
Most of
us have fallen into the habit of mowing the lawn every week.
This time of year however the grass is growing so fast that you
probably need to mow it a bit more often. Remember that you
don't want to cut off more than 1/3 of the height of the grass in
any single mowing. In our yard that means mowing twice per
week. It won't last long and the extra investment in time will
yield a healthier more durable lawn when the summer heat sets in.
Finally... "We belong to no
cult. We are not Nature Lovers.
We don't love nature any more than we love breathing.
Nature is simply something indispensable, like air and
light and water, that we accept as necessary to living,
and the nearer we can get to it the happier we are." ~
Louise Dickenson Rich, Author |