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September 1, 2004 |
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The Next Chapter...
What a doozey of a storm we had Friday night! Pots blown
over, plants pounded by rain and hail,
and water in the basement. Not an ideal
way to start a weekend. We spent the better part of Saturday and
Sunday cleaning up. The basement is a bit
troublesome for us whenever it pours.
It wasn't as bad as it has been in the past but it was a mess
none the less. One thing we have learned over the years is that
when receiving more that two or three inches of rain in an hour
we are going to see some water in the basement. Rainfall in the
Westwood area Friday night - 6½
inches. Combined total of rainfall last
week - close to 9 inches. Does it get
any wetter than that?
If you have
not re-seeded your lawn now is the time. If you wait much longer
you will lose the opportunity to establish a hardy root system
going into winter. The weather this week has been perfect for
seed germination. Warm during the day and cool in the evening.
Ideal conditions for growing grass so don't wait any longer.
Fall is
right around the corner and with that comes a new color scheme.
The brighter colors of summer fade and the deeper hues of fall
over take the landscape. I love it when the garden transitions
from one season to another. It is like opening the next chapter
of a really good book. Wouldn't you agree?
~
Shelly
Tomato Trickery...
With summer gradually coming to an end you may want to try a
couple of tricks to get the most out of your tomato plants.
- By removing some
of the leaves, more sunlight will be
allowed to reach your tomatoes. The shady protection they
provide is not needed as much now that fall is closing in.
- Lopping the tops
off the plants will help ensure that the plants' energy will go
into finishing existing fruit production rather than the now
hopeless task of producing new fruit.
These
tricks (and a little luck) will help keep those tomato plants
producing as long as possible.
Salad Serendipity....
There's still time to seed
some fall salad crops for this season. With the
recent mild weather and rainfall some
fall-season vegetables can still be
seeded now with a decent chance
of developing
before freezing weather stops their progress.
To increase your odds, try lettuce, radishes, and spinach.
These salad crops grow rapidly and can
withstand a light freeze. A hard early freeze
could stop
everything in its tracks but it's certainly worth the risk for
fresh salad greens.
The Great Divide...
It was certainly a good summer for many plants,
and Savvygardeners who took good
care of their perennials might notice them bursting from their
beds. Sound familiar? If so, they need some relief. Once they
are done blooming for the year it's time to divide them.
You'll know
your plants need to be divided if:
- They are
spreading beyond your desired range for them.
- The
flowers are not producing as well as in the past.
- The
center of the clump of flowers is dying.
- The
lower areas of foliage are sickly.
For a quick
but effective description of the dividing process you can read
"Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials" in our
Features section.
Randy's Lakeview Nursery
& Bulk Supercenter
Your one stop
shop for all of your landscaping needs!
Find out more
here!
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What Weed Is What...
This week we had a reader request a good
internet resource for weed identification. The University
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has one of the best we've ever
seen. Search weeds by type, leaf, flower, growth
characteristics, and more. You can
check
it out for yourself here...
Packing Up The Peonies...
Peonies aren't particularly fond of being uprooted and
transplanted but from time to time it may become necessary.
Maybe their home has become too shady or another project is
displacing them. Our friends at
Bannister Garden Center offer a few simple steps to get it
done right:
- Cut the stems to
near ground level this month.
- Carefully dig up
as much of the root system as possible.
- Replant the peony
in a hole large enough for the roots.
- Make sure the
buds are one to two inches below the soil surface.
- Toss in some bone
meal and firm the soil around the plant.
- Water thoroughly.
Keep in
mind - transplanted peonies often refuse to bloom the first
spring after transplant. Your patience will be rewarded in
subsequent years.
How Will My
Lawn Look Next Year?
It depends on what you
do now.
Try Earth Right Super Stuff to soften the soil
so roots can grow deep and Mushroom Stuff
over seed for rapid germination and increased
root structure. These products work well on all
of your plants, trees and shrubs. Two great
products for a healthier, greener lawn and
garden all year long.
For more information
call (913) 492-2992
or email at
earthright@everestkc.net
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What's Hot
On The Hotline...
Fall
is upon us and with it comes concerns about preparing perennial plantings,
shrubs, trees and lawns for fall and winter seasons, and with the falling
temperatures and humidity, the energy we need may return as well.
We've got some early autumn chores for
energetic gardeners in this week's
What's Hot On the Hotline...
Weed Whackers...
Dandelions, clover, and other broadleaf weeds that were a
problem last spring and all summer should be controlled this
fall. The period from late September to mid-November is the
ideal time to control broadleaf weeds in turfgrass because
broadleaf weeds are most susceptible to herbicides at this time.
The turf and weeds must be actively growing for this to be
effective so be sure your lawn is well-watered before applying.
Apply on a sunny day with moderate temperatures, no wind, ample
soil moisture and no rain in the 24-hour forecast. An
herbicide containing two or more active ingredients including
2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, triclopyr, or clopyralid will control most
broadleaf weeds with one application. As always, be careful when
using broadleaf herbicides as they may damage the stuff you want
to keep - like flowers, trees, shrubs,
or vegetables.
Source
Finally... "I will not let
anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet." ~
Mahatma Gandhi, Spiritual/Political Leader 1869-1948 |