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June 9, 2004 |
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It's Project Time!
What an exciting time it is at our house!
Prestige
One Landscaping is helping us makeover a
bit of the landscape. You see, we
have this neglected
spot in the back yard that is in need
of some professional landscaping
attention. We called Roye Dillon (owner of
Prestige One), showed him the challenges we faced and he
eagerly took on this small but
challenging project. Small is
the key word here. It is an area that has been used strictly for
grilling and the stacking of firewood. A part
of the property begging for some
creativity and imagination.
Kevin and I
talked with Roye about some things we were interested in. I
love the sound of gurgling water and have always dreamed of some
type of water feature (other than the
leaky garden hose). We had contemplated
a fountain or a pond but were not quite sure where or how it
would fit into our landscape. Roye recommended
one of the newer pond-less waterfalls and we were
on our way.
We will be
posting our progress before, during and
after with lots of photos.
The "before" stuff can be found here... The rest is coming, so
make sure to follow the project here.
Last Friday
night Kevin and I,
along with a group of good
friends, spent the evening socializing
at Jazzoo - the annual fundraiser for the
Kansas City Zoo. I mention it here
because we also ran into
some Savvygardeners enjoying a
perfect evening for a worthy cause. The Zoo has
never looked so good!
What a nice
tender rain we received today. We were due for something
manageable and today was the day. I think I can see my plants
perking up as I write this editorial. Oh, the joy that rain
brings!
~
Shelly
Controlling Critters
On Your Cukes...
The striped cucumber beetle is a serious threat to cucurbits,
such as squash, cucumber, melon and pumpkin. The larvae will
cause severe damage to roots and beetles can do a real number on
an emerging plant by feeding on the lower surface of its leaves.
These menaces also spread bacterial wilt, cucumber mosaic, and
squash mosaic virus.
Although
there are several insecticides that control the cucumber,
beetle only a few chemicals can be used on cucurbit plants
because of their sensitivity to chemical injury.
Hand-picking is an organic approach and should be done in the
early morning when most feeding occurs. These beetles are easy
to kill but reinforcements arriving on the plants make this a
very time consuming job.
Insecticides labeled for vegetables containing pyrethrum,
rotenone, methoxychlor, or carbaryl (Sevin) should control the
beetles. As always, follow directions and warnings carefully
when using chemicals.
(Sun) Dialed In...
Are you using a sundial as a garden ornament? Well, don't
just use it as a pretty decoration. Set it up to tell time
also! Next Tuesday, June 15 is the
magical date on which sundials should be set. Simply place
it so the shadow falls on the twelve o'clock position at exactly
1 PM. Why 1 PM?
It's actually Noon, but with Daylight Savings taken into account.
Monitor Those Melons...
The recent and coming warmer temperatures
are sure to give watermelons a growth
boost. Keep an eye on them! As
vines from different plants begin to intermingle, and the canopy
becomes thicker, the chances of developing anthracnose increase.
It's a good idea to scout watermelon patches once or twice a week
for this disease. Look for multiple small brown to black spots
on leaves. These spots are typically associated with leaf
veins. As the spots coalesce and dry out, the leaf may appear
tattered. It's a good idea to implement a preventive fungicide
spray schedule, especially during rainy periods. Chlorothalonil,
mancozeb and azoxystrobin (Quadris) are labeled for anthracnose
control. Azoxystrobin should be rotated with one of the other
fungicides to help prevent potential resistance problems.
Source
Give 'Em Room To Breathe...
Just
because your plant is wilting don't assume it's due to lack of
water. Plants can wilt from lack of oxygen too! Soil can
become over-compacted and cause root systems to suffocate. The
problem is often made worse by assuming the plant is thirsty and
adding water unnecessarily.
Improving the
soil for better air and water circulation is easy. Simply add
peat moss or other loose organic material in and around the root
area of your plants. Everyone will breathe easier!
Dividing Daylilies...
One of the reasons we love daylilies is their fuss-free
nature. Generally they don't need to be divided as often as many
other perennials. However if you want to increase the number of
your favorite cultivars you may want to divide them once in a
while. Savvygardeners should be able to get four new plants from
a healthy, 4-year old daylily. Divide them immediately after
flowering, and replant them right away.
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What's Hot On The Hotline...
This week's hotline is dedicated to all
those patient gardeners who have waited to plant their hot season
vegetables until the soil has warmed sufficiently! But before you
devour that plump, juicy flawless specimen of Lycopersicon
esculentum that you have brought to glorious fruition, take a
moment to ponder what this delectable gem has been through. Find
out why it's tough to be a tomato in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Disappointing
Turf?
If the appearance of your lawn after mowing
is not what you expect there are a few things worth evaluating.
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Check your mowing height.
You should mow as high as possible for the specific
grass type (2½ to 3 inches is a healthy height for most
lawn grasses).
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Consider your mowing frequency.
A higher mowed turf will need to be
mowed less frequently and scalp less often than a closely mowed
turf.
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Probably most importantly, check
the sharpness of your mower blade.
Dull or damaged mower blades do not cut cleanly and
leave ragged leaf tips. These ragged
wounds are very stressful to the turf plant, and provide an
excellent opportunity for some disease pathogens to penetrate
and infect the plant.
Finally...
"Finally, I realized
what makes my garden exciting is me. Living in it every day,
participating minutely in each small event, I see with doubled
and redoubled vision. Where friends notice a solitary hummingbird
pricking the salvia flowers, I recall a season's worth of
hummingbird battles." ~
Janice Emily Bowers, A Full Life in a Small Place, 1993 |
