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February 9, 2005 |
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At Least It's A Short Month...
I love this week's quote. It is so
true. February is one of the hardest months for me to get through
- especially after a day like yesterday. Don't get me wrong,
the snow was beautiful, but a part of
me was hoping that we wouldn't see snow again until Christmas.
How's that for wishful thinking? Thank goodness February has only
28 days - two or three less then most
months. Once March finally arrives things really start to happen.
Bulbs awaken from their long winter
nap, trees begin to bud, spring rains come and go and we
gardeners finally get an opportunity play outside in the dirt.
Only 19 more days but who's counting?
Valentine's
Day is right around the corner so don't forget your loved ones.
Miniature roses make wonderful gifts as well as cyclamen and any
other living plant. It is always fun to give something that will
bring beauty to your house or landscape for some time. Now don't
get me wrong. There is nothing like a bouquet of roses. Elegant
and beautiful in any color so I guess you can't go wrong there.
Me, I am hoping for some new pruners -
romantic huh? Either way,
make it a special day for the special gardener in your life.
~
Shelly
Adding It Up...
We sure got a lot of snow yesterday. Many of us saw 5+ inches.
Winter moisture is always welcome, but how much is it really?
Every snowfall has its own unique moisture content or rainfall
equivalence. Sometimes it takes 8 inches of snow to equal 1 inch
of rainfall, sometimes less. With tools as simple as a bucket
and ruler we've determined that this week's snow had a rainfall
equivalence of
about 6:1 -every six
inches was worth about one inch of rainfall.
Housekeeping, Houseplants...
Next time you're dusting the furniture also consider dusting
the plants. With the short days of winter we need to make sure
as much light as possible reaches our houseplants. Simply wipe
dust from broad-leaf plants at regular intervals using a cloth
dampened with clean water.
Seed Starting With
Structure...
Starting more than three or four different varieties of seed
indoors can get confusing if you're not organized. To keep from
missing the start date for any of your seeds you might try our
simple procedure:
- Organize
your seed packets in piles based on the number of weeks before
"last frost" to start them indoors. This should be indicated on
the seed packet and can be found in our feature
When To Start Seeds Indoors.
- Pick the
date which you feel safe calling "last frost".
We use the first full weekend in
May.
- In our
example we are now 8½ weeks from the weekend we will transplant
our seedlings. That means that by this weekend we will have
already started any seeds that indicate starting dates nine
weeks and higher.
- For the
remainder of your seeds secure them together in their
respective groups with a rubber band.
- For each
group attach a sticky note with the date of the weekend they
need to be started.
- Place
the packets front-to-back, in order by starting date, in a
small box.
- Each
weekend remove the packets at the front of the box for
starting. Next weekend's seeds are now at the front and
awaiting your return in seven days.
Trim Now, Butterflies Later...
Our butterfly bush rewards me and my family to great
gatherings of butterflies every summer. To make sure it's in top
shape I usually trim it back to about 12 inches this time of
year. This helps promote a well shaped bush with larger flowers.
Dealing With Damping Off...
Savvygardeners starting seeds indoors need to be aware of
damping off disease. "Damping off" describes the usually sudden
destruction of newly germinated seeds or seedlings. Young plants
can be attacked at all stages, before germination (pre-emergence
damping off) and after seedlings grow from the soil
(post-emergence damping off). All types of plants including
turf, trees, vegetables, and flowering plant seedlings can be
affected.
Several
organisms can cause damping off. Pythium, Phytophthora, Fusarium,
and Rhizoctonia are the most common culprits. These fungi can be
found in most soils. However, appropriate environmental
conditions are essential for disease development. Cool, wet soil
conditions are favorable for infection by damping off fungi.
Plants grow slowly at cool temperatures, making them vulnerable
to fungal attack. Also, many fungi prefer moist environments.
The
following management strategies can help:
- Use planting
media free of disease organisms.
- Avoid setting
flats or pots on the ground.
- Use good quality
seed.
- Plant seeds at
densities that will allow air circulation and light
penetration; and reduce competition for nutrients.
- Keep the
temperature at a level that will promote plant growth.
- Avoid excess
moisture.
- Use fungicides
and treated seeds as available and appropriate.
Source
Testing,
Testing, 1,2,3...
When was the last time you had your garden soil tested? Never?
Shame on you! Soil testing is one of the most important, and
overlooked, things you can do to better understand your garden.
Fortunately it's not very difficult and doesn't cost much
either. Your
county
extension service probably offers soil testing for a nominal
fee. If you decide to have your soil tested at the extension
office simply follow these guidelines for getting a good sample
for them to evaluate (note: soil should be dry or nearly dry):
- In the
area you want tested take a garden trowel and plunge it at
least six inches into the soil.
- Rotate
the trowel 360 degrees creating a tapered column of soil.
- Lift the
column of soil out of the ground and place it in a large
container.
- Repeat
the above for every 25 square feet in your garden.
-
Thoroughly combine the samples.
- Remove
rocks, grass, roots and other "non-soil" debris.
- Put
about one pint of this soil in a clean container and mark it
with an identifying label.
- Take the
sample to your
county
extension office for evaluation. It may take several weeks
before the results are available.
You may
want to have several soil tests performed - one for each
distinctly different garden on your property.
Reading Roses...
Whether you're giving roses to your sweetheart or just
planting some new ones in the garden this year it's always
helpful to know what message you might be sending.
- Red -
Love, Respect
- Deep
Pink - Gratitude, Appreciation
- Light
Pink - Admiration, Sympathy
- White -
Reverence, Humility
- Yellow -
Joy, Gladness
- Orange -
Enthusiasm, Desire
- Red &
Yellow Blend - Gaiety, Joviality
- Pale
Blended Tones - Sociability, Friendship
Of course
you should feel free to break the rules to accommodate a favorite
color. If your valentine prefers yellow over red we suggest you
stick with yellow.
Source
Finally...
"February is merely
as long as is needed to pass the time until March." ~
Dr. J. R. Stockton |
