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February 2, 2005

Phil's Phorecast...
It looks as if we have six more weeks of winter ahead of us. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today. That crazy groundhog! As long as it is just six weeks and not a week longer - I can't take this weather much longer. It wouldn't be so bad if the sun would make an occasional appearance. Too many days of cloudy, gloomy weather makes me a bit slug like. I treated Sam Parker (the family beagle) to a longer walk yesterday just so we could both enjoy the warm rays. Although it was brief it sure felt great. Oh how the sun lifts my spirit! It appears that the next few days might just be the cure for these winter doldrums I am experiencing. We may be lucky enough to see temperatures soar into the high 40's or low 50's. Wouldn't that be great? A good time to be outside.

Have you noticed the buds on many of the magnolias? Ours is just full and with six weeks of winter left the opportunity of freezing temperatures, ice, snow and other types of winter weather lie ahead. We have seen this many times over the ten years we've been in this house. The early buds you see now will have an affect on what will happen when spring finally arrives. Most magnolias will still bloom but not as full due to being tricked by Mother Nature. A small warm up and plants begin to think it is time to awake from their long winter's nap. Funny, that happens to me as well. Maybe I'm a plant.

~ Shelly  

Thank Heaven For Houseplants...
This time of year many Savvygardeners turn their attention to houseplants.  It's not the same as gardening outside during the other three seasons but it's gardening nonetheless.  Repeated requests for information on houseplant care (cleaning, fertilizing, containers, and light requirements) have prompted us to post an informative article on Houseplant Care.  Find it in our Features section...

Appropriate Use Of Force...
One of the great winter pleasures is forcing the stems of certain woody plants into bloom for indoor display.  Three of the easiest are forsythia, pussy willow and flowering quince.  These plants have now gone through enough cold weather to satisfy their chilling requirement and should bloom if given the right conditions.

Choose a day that is above freezing for collecting branches for blooming.  Cut the stems, keeping the stem length to 3 feet or less and place them in a bucket of water.  Once you have all the branches you want, bring them into the house and soak them in warm water for several hours to ensure that the stems and buds are fully hydrated (a bathtub works well for this).  Next, place them in a container that has a warm preservative solution and place them in an environment with high humidity and plenty of light.  Floral preservatives accomplish two functions; they prevent bacterial growth in your water and provide nutrients and energy for the life processes of the plants.  

Normally, forsythia will take about 9 days to flower, quince will require between 12 to 20, and pussy willow needs from 5 to 15 days.  The time required will vary depending on your indoor conditions and how late in the winter the branches were collected with less time being required for later collections.  Most woody plants will remain in flower for about a week before the blooms start to fade.

Source

Frosty Footsteps...
Try to avoid walking on your grass or ground covers while they are frozen.  The frozen leaves are brittle and easily damaged.  Ajuga is especially sensitive to being walked on during the winter, and large portions can die back, leaving bare spots for the spring.
 


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Nature's Drip Irrigation?
Speaking of snow, another great benefit of that white stuff is its slow release of moisture into the soil.  It may not be a lot of water but because it melts slowly into the soil it can be a more effective irrigator than a hard rain.  You can even increase the benefit by shoveling sidewalk and driveway snow to areas of the garden that will eventually benefit from the added moisture.  Just make sure the shoveled snow doesn't contain any salty de-icers.

Valentine's Day Looks Rosy...
Valentine's Day is fast approaching.  If you are giving or getting potted miniature roses we have some tips to keep them looking great.  

  • Start by providing the plant with as much sun as you possibly can.
  • Keep it cool.  Avoid temperatures above 75°F and never place your rose near a heat source.  
  • Keep the humidity high by placing it on a tray of pebbles filled with water.  
  • Remove faded blossoms and turn the plant frequently to counteract its tendency to reach for sunlight.  
  • Monitor it carefully for spider mites and discourage mite infestation by giving your rose a shower in the bathtub every two weeks.
  • When warmer weather arrives in April, you can plant your valentine gift in a sunny position in your garden or move it to a larger container to add color to a corner of your deck or patio.

Source

Seed Savvy...
It's getting to be seed starting time around here.  Depending on how adventurous you are there are seeds to start indoors now and many, many more to start in the weeks to come.  Need some help getting started?  We've got two very handy (and popular) articles that you might enjoy:

All Set For Onions...
Onions are one of the earliest crops that can be planted in the garden - late March in most of eastern and central Kansas.  As they usually require 6 to 8 weeks of growing time before transplanting they should be started indoors now.  Plant onion seeds fairly close together - ½ to ¾ inches apart in a pot or flat filled with commercial seed starting mix.  (A lot of onion plants can be grown in a small area.)  Place the container in a warm (75º to 80º F) location until the seedlings emerge.  When the seedlings are 1 to 2 inches tall, move them to a cooler (60º to 65º F) location with plenty of natural or artificial light.   After the onion seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall, apply a soluble fertilizer with each or alternate waterings.  When they are 4 to 5 inches tall "give them a haircut" by trimming the ends of the leaves to produce a shorter, stockier plant.  In early March, move the plants to an outdoor, protected location for a few weeks prior to actual transplanting.

Finally...
"Keep your faith in beautiful things;
in the sun when it is hidden,
in the Spring when it is gone."

~ Roy R. Gibson

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