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October 27, 2004

Lifting Spirits...
I had the opportunity to renew my gardening spirit this past weekend. The weather was ideal for doing things on my fall gardening to do list. I spent most of my time cleaning and cutting, ridding the garden of overgrown, dead foliage
(photos). How the landscape has changed in such a short amount of time! Just last week we showed pictures of trees still waiting to display their fall coats of color and this week the colors are magnificent and changing daily. The trees are slowly starting to shed their leaves which means extra work for those of us who don't appreciate leaves on the lawn and in the gardens. In many areas of Kansas City leaves start falling now and will continue to fall throughout winter and into next spring. A full time job for that particular gardener (me).

I spent Monday evening with a lovely group of women from a local PEO Chapter talking about what to do in the garden this time of the year. We had so much fun. I took some ideas to share and brought some home with me. I have always said, "The best way to learn about gardening is talking and sharing with other gardeners". It's true. I love sharing what I do but more importantly I enjoy listening to other gardeners tell of their ways. What works, what doesn't work and all of the why's involved. I always learn something new and I will continue to share all of my new found aspirations with you, my gardening friends.

Believe it or not but the Christmas season is right around the corner. Don't forget to shop our local garden centers and nursery's for the best poinsettia's, Christmas trees, garland, wreaths and anything else you might need to decorate for the holidays. They continue to need our support throughout the year and without them there would not be Savvygardener.com.  Help us by helping them.

Happy Halloween!

~ Shelly  

Press The Squash...
When you harvest your winter squash (Acorn or Butternut) check for maturity with your thumbnail.  When pressed with your nail the rind of a ripe squash will not be punctured.  To harvest the squash, cut the stem, don’t break it off.  The cut stems will dry and seal the squash so it will last for months in storage.  It is no exaggeration to say the squash you harvest in October and store in a dry place at around 50° to 55° F. can still be good to eat in April of next year.

Source

Tumbling Twigs...
Is your lawn getting covered with small branches?   Small branches accumulating on the ground and the presence of clean-cut twigs indicate the presence of beetle pests referred to as twig girdlers and twig pruners.  Both of these long-horned beetle species (Cerambycidae) attack numerous types of shade, nut and fruit trees.  Heavily damaged trees appear ragged and unattractive, and young trees can become deformed by repeated attacks.  The terms "girdler" and "pruner" refer to the damage done by the insects leading to breakage and falling of branch tips.  For both insects, the end result of their activities is the creation of dying branch tips suitable for overwintering of the larvae that have been placed there.

Help eliminate next year's pests by collecting and destroying infested twigs and branches you find on the ground between now and May. If practical, prune infested twigs still in the tree.

Source

Early Mulchers Beware...
Did you know that mulches applied too early can do more harm than good?   Think about it.  The primary function of mulch is to keep soil temperatures constant and prevent frost heaving, not to keep it warm.  It is best not to apply protective mulch until the soil temperature has reached about 35
° - hopefully at least a month from now!

Thwarting Insect Invaders...
When cool night temperatures signal that it’s time to bring houseplants indoors a host of insects and their relatives may try to come indoors with them.  Once inside they can undergo a population explosion and spread from the plant they came in on to others in your home.  Other pests such as millipedes, centipedes, sowbugs and pillbugs, spiders, and earwigs may not harm plants or other materials, but their presence indoors makes them household nuisances.  

Repotting your plants in fresh soil will eliminate many of these invaders.  The others can be controlled mechanically - by broom and dustpan, vacuum cleaner, flyswatter or sole of shoe applied firmly to floor with the pest sandwiched between the flat surfaces.  The best approach is to inspect plant pots closely before bringing them inside.  Shake or tap pots vigorously to disturb beetles, millipedes, spiders and other creatures and encourage them to leave their hiding places.  If you find scale insects, mealybugs, aphids or other plant-destructive pests, use a hard stream of water or insecticidal soap to remove them.  Quarantine these plants from other uninfested indoor plants and observe them closely.  Treat any new outbreaks as they occur and discard any plants that are severely infested.

Source


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It's Too Late...
By far the most common question we are getting right now goes like this, "Is it too late to plant grass seed?".  The short answer, Yes, it's too late.

Here's the long answer.  Grass seed put down now will have a hard time getting the soil warmth necessary for proper germination.  Even if it does germinate it's very unlikely that the roots can get established before the really cold weather arrives.  Hopeless?  It's never hopeless.  An unusually warm November coupled with some very good luck could mean that seed put down now could make it.  It's a long shot however.

What's Hot On The Hotline...
As the weather turns cooler, the thoughts of many insects and quite a few rodents as well, turn to warmer quarters in which to overwinter. Our homes often present irresistible targets.  From spiders to squirrels and more, we've got it covered in this week's What's Hot On the Hotline...

Leveling The Lawn...
Uneven lawns can really wreak havoc when you're mowing.  These "pot holes" make level mowing nearly impossible and even walking through the yard less than ideal.  You can fix small low spots in the lawn by carefully removing the turf and filling in the low spot with good topsoil.  

Remove the turf by cutting 2 inches deep into the lawn with a flat-bladed spade, then angle the blade under the sod to cut it free, keeping at least 2 inches deep to get most of the roots.  If you do it really well you will remove a single piece of sod.  After filling the low spot, replace the sod, and keep it well watered until it is reestablished.

Finally...
"All respectability, all honor is meaningless if it drives you against your nature. What can you do if you are not a lotus flower, but just a marigold? Enjoy being a marigold."

~ Chandan

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