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July 14, 2004 |
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The Evolving
Gardener...
While out weeding the other day in the garden and
contemplating what to write in this editorial, I was struck by
how lucky we as gardeners are today. We have The
Weather Channel,
the internet and countless other
resources at our fingertips to help us through our gardening
woes. I have only been a serious gardener (whatever that means)
now for about 10 years. I have learned to experiment, read and
research different ways to manage my gardens. I have had several
successes along with many failures. Although it is easy to become
discouraged when failing I have found those failures have made me
the gardener I am today. By failing I have also become smarter
about what it is I want and like in my gardens. My gardening
style has evolved and continues to
evolve daily. I guess it is not a bad question to ask yourself on
occasion - "Are you and your garden evolving?"
Attention
all of you tomato loving gardeners. Sunday, August 15th is the
date chosen for the Savvygardener.com Tastiest Tomato Contest.
Mark the date on your calendar and plan to join Kevin, myself and
those crazy Gard'n Wise Guys at Family Tree Nursery in Overland
Park while we try to determine the gardener with the tastiest
tomato. The event starts at 10:00 AM so bring the family, your
tomato and meet us there.
~
Shelly
Invigorating Irises...
To promote growth, vigor and optimum flowering, iris clumps
may be raised and divided every three years or so. Dig up the
rhizomes carefully to avoid damage to rhizomes and their roots.
Examine them for the presence of worm-like insects called iris
borers, which may seriously damage or destroy the plant. If they
are found, remove them, cut out the affected tissue and dust with
a garden insecticide, such as Sevin, before replanting. Select
sound rhizomes with two or more growing points. Rhizomes may be
cut apart with a sharp knife, or snapped apart by hand. Be sure
to preserve as many rhizome roots as possible. The best time to
divide iris is in mid-summer while the plants are dormant. Late
July through mid August is preferred.
Source
Trees Shedding
Bark...
Trees naturally shed bark as they grow. The amount of bark shed
varies significantly from one year to the next and is usually not
noticeable. But some trees, such as sycamore, London Planetree
and silver maple, shed bark in large patches or strips. During a
year with heavy shedding homeowners may become concerned that the
tree is sick or dying. Such usually is not the case. Sycamore and
London Planetree normally show a bright green color on the
branches when the bark first falls off but soon return to normal.
Maple reveals an orange color after shedding but it, too, soon
returns to normal. There is nothing wrong with the tree as long
as the shedding bark simply reveals underlying bark rather than
bare wood.
Source
When Is A Tomato Ripe?
Early July starts tomato ripening time in Kansas. We’ve all heard
of ‘vine ripe’ flavor but does a tomato have to remain on the
vine until it is completely ripe? The answer is no. When a tomato
reaches a full size and the fruit becomes a pale green, it begins
the ripening process which is regulated by an internal gas
produced within the fruit called ethylene. After the tomato
reaches a stage when it about ˝ green and ˝ pink (called the
‘breaker stage’), a layer of cells forms across the stem of the
tomato- sealing it from the main vine. At this point there is
nothing moving from the plant into the fruit. At this stage the
tomato can be harvested and ripened off the vine with no loss of
flavor, quality or nutrition.
Red pigments
in tomatoes don’t form above 95°
F so tomatoes ripened in extreme heat will have a orange-red
color. Tomatoes held at cooler temperatures will ripen slower.
You can speed up or slow down the ripening process by raising the
temperature (to an optimum of 85°
F) or lowering the temperature (to a minimum of 50°
F). Tomatoes
develop their optimum flavor, nutrition, and color when the
tomato is in the full red ripe stage but this doesn’t have to
occur on the plant!
Source
When To Pick A
Pepper...
Depending on what variety of bell pepper you are growing and
what color you want it to be you have different guidelines to
follow for the timing of your harvest. Green bell varieties are
usually picked when they are fully grown and mature - 3 to 4
inches long, firm and green. Colored bell peppers start out
green but should be left on the plant until they develop full
flavor and ripen fully to red, yellow, orange or brown.
Fall Crops Begin Now...
A fall harvest of cabbage, vine crops, broccoli, cauliflower, and
Brussels sprouts means setting transplants in late July. For
lettuce, radish, carrots, beets, turnips, kale, and spinach, you
should sow seeds in late July to early August.
Brussels
sprouts are especially good fall crops as their flavor is
enhanced by a mild frost. They are hungry little guys so make
monthly applications of 5-10-10 fertilizer at a rate of
˝ cup per square yard from the time
the plants are 4 inches tall through harvest.
Tell Your Friends About
Savvygardener.com!
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Could Win A $50 Gift Certificate
Details...
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What's Hot On The Hotline...
Throughout the Hotline season, one of the most frequent
requests we receive is for us to recommend a Certified Arborist
to diagnose a tree problem or to do some pruning or repair. We
explain that K-State Extension does not recommend any firms or
products to the exclusion of others. We usually suggest that
callers start by consulting the Tree Service listings in the
yellow pages. Some listings indicate that the firm employs
Certified Arborists, and will be glad to provide more
information. Read more in this
week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Shady Characters...
Looking for a good, low exertion chore for the hot weather?
Try inspecting your shade trees and the grass below them. They
may be getting so full of branches that not enough sunlight
filters through to your grass. If your grass is just not making
it under a particular tree you can stand in its shade and make
some notes for future pruning. You'd be surprised how well grass
will respond to even a moderate amount of increased sunlight.
Finally... "Gardening requires
lots of water - most of it in the form of perspiration." ~
Lou Erickson |