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May 19, 2004 |
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Just Ducky...
I think that I am growing webs between my feet. The weather
these last two weeks has been better for ducks than for
gardeners. Just when you think it is going to be dry for a couple
of days, a front moves through bringing
torrential rains leaving the gardens too wet to work. I know that
I shouldn't complain. If the approaching summer is typical of
most Midwest summers I am sure come July I will be begging for
rain. For now I will be tolerant of what Mother Nature dishes out
- like I have a choice.
If you are
still in search of some peonies to plant or
just want to purchase some just to enjoy, visit
Bannister
Garden Center in Kansas City, Missouri. I spoke with them on
the phone Tuesday and they said that there are hundreds of
peonies in bloom. Tony, Neva and Margie, the peony experts, will
be able to assist you with any questions you might have regarding
this spectacular spring bloomer. If you are interested in reading
more about peonies, check out
Peonies - A New Old Favorite in our features section. Maybe
you'll learn something new about this oldie but a goodie.
Looking
for something to do first thing Sunday mornings?
Tune in to 980 AM KMBZ to the
Gard-N-Wise Guys show featuring my good friends John Bruntzel
and Jan Olson. The show starts bright and early at 7:00 AM and
ends at 9:00 AM. John and Jan are great about answering gardening
questions and having fun doing it. Oh yeah, every now and then
they let me join them and boy do we have a great time. So tune
in, learn something new and have a few laughs. You'll be glad you
did!
~
Shelly
Rain Drain...
All that rain we've had over the last two
weeks? Great, right? Well, mostly yes. But it may have leached
fertilizers from the root zone of many cool-season vegetable
plants. These crops are growing rapidly now and require adequate
fertilizer to complete their growth cycle early. If you notice
that foliage color is slightly pale and plants are not growing as
fast as you'd expect, a side-dressing of fertilizer may be in
order.
Use a
general-use fertilizer or one high in nitrogen. Organic
fertilizers such as blood meal contain good levels of nitrogen
and work well as a side-dressing. Apply fertilizers along the
crop row and lightly cultivate or hoe to make sure the fertilizer
is incorporated lightly to quickly dissolve. With rainfall, the
fertilizer nitrogen dissolves and is carried into the plant root
zone.
Source
Vine Crop Vigilantes...
Savvygardeners need to be vigilant for the two most
destructive insect foes of vine crops - the cucumber beetle and
the squash bug. Cucumber beetles, like most vegetable insects
must be controlled early to prevent damage to the seedling and
transmission of diseases like bacterial wilt. Planting a trap
crop, applying neem oil soap and using row covers are effective
non-chemical methods to manage this insect pest. Squash bugs can
be repelled with insecticidal soap in addition to garlic and
pepper sprays.
Source
Winning By
Thinning...
A bountiful vegetable patch requires thinning when crops are
grown from seed. Be aware that vegetables behave like weeds when
they are overabundant and overcrowding among root crops causes
poorly formed roots. A good thinning program will:
- Reduce the
competition among seedlings for soil nutrients and water.
- Promote better
air circulation around the plants thereby reducing the chances
of disease development.
- Ultimately make
higher yields possible.
For a list
of common garden vegetables and recommendations for their spacing
click
here.
Getting Antsy
About Aphids...
When you see ants crawling on your
garden plants, look closely for aphids
as well. Some ant species protect
aphids, moving them from plant to plant and even taking them
underground into the anthill for overnight safety
(seriously!). The ants do this
to ensure a supply of honeydew, a sugary water substance secreted
by aphids, on which ants feed.
Source
Zoysia Tips...
Zoysia lawns are finally looking good all around the metro. Now
that they are greening up and growing you will want to make sure
you do the following:
- Reduce
thatch layers from zoysia by verticutting or core aerating.
- Sod or
sprig zoysia lawns to fill in bare areas.
-
Fertilize zoysia lawns with high nitrogen to promote green up
and summer growth.
- Mow
zoysia to 2 to 2½ inches tall.
Tell Your Friends About
Savvygardener.com!
You
Could Win A $50 Gift Certificate
Details...
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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Last week we mentioned the number
of calls we had received concerning fungus appearing on the
leaves of trees and shrubs. Another concern of callers to our
Hotline is the appearance of a variety of fungi on turfgrasses
during the early spring. These may appear as a rusty brown or as
a white powdery growth on the surface of the cool-season grasses
like Kentucky Bluegrass or to a lesser degree on the tall
fescues. Sound familiar? Read more in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Dull
Blade Equals Brown Blades...
We just bought a new lawnmower. Nice
little machine. However we were quite surprised to find our
grass turning brown at the tips several days after mowing
(photo).
A quick look under the mowing deck explained it all. The
mower blade was not sufficiently sharp. Pretty
disappointing in a new mower. A quick visit to the local
hardware store fixed the problem and $5 later we were back in
business.
Remember to
sharpen your mower blade several times each season. It's
even a good idea to keep a spare blade on hand.
That way you always have a sharp one.
Finally... "The good rain, like
the bad preacher, does not know when to leave off." ~
Ralph Waldo Emerson |