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February 16, 2005 |
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'Tween
Seasons...
Here we gardener's are, riding the
wild weather roller coaster. Cold one day, warm the next. Mother
Nature is teasing all of us who want to be working outside. She
gives us a really nice day like last Friday and then turns around
Saturday and throws two days of cloudy,
gloomy, "it's going to rain forever"
weather our way. Needless to say I was
thrilled to see the sun on Monday.
I have been
out poking around underneath the blanket of leaves in the gardens
looking for bulbs and other perennials starting to make their way
to the surface. Sure enough there are signs that spring is on its
way. Thanks to large amounts of precipitation,
lawns are greening up and trees are
budding out. Do you think the plants
could be as eager we gardener's?
If you plan
on attending the
Johnson County Home & Garden Show February 25-27 at the
Overland Park Convention Center, stop by to
see our friends (and sponsors) at
Missouri Organic Recycling,
Prestige
One Landscaping and
Water One.
Please thank them for supporting
Savvygardener.com. Without their
support it would be impossible to do what we do.
~
Shelly
Getting
A Jump On Spring...
Savvygardeners know that getting a jump on spring growing
means tricking Mother Nature a little. Cold frames and hotbeds
are the best way to do it. These nifty devices allow you to get
your seedlings in the ground weeks earlier than normal. That
means earlier growth, earlier harvest, earlier eating! Learn how
they work (and how to build them) in our feature article,
Cold Frames & Hotbeds.
Get Jumping
Some More...
Get an even bigger jump on spring this
month. What you can and should be doing now:
- Sow the seeds of
larkspur, sweet peas and snapdragons where they are to grow
outdoors. For best bloom, these plants must sprout and begin
growth well before warm weather arrives.
- Start seeds of
broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage indoors,
late in the month, for transplanting into the garden later this
spring. Start onion seed indoors now.
-
Daring gardeners can take a chance on
sowing peas, lettuce, spinach and radish. If the weather stays
mild, you will be rewarded with extra early harvests.
Source
Cutting Clematis...
It's time to prune certain types of
clematis. These can be a confusing group of plants to prune,
since they are not all pruned the same way. Most large-flowered
varieties bloom in mid-June on short stems from the previous
season's growth and often again in late summer on new growth.
Prune them in February or March by removing dead and weak stems,
then cut back the remaining stems to the topmost pair of large,
plump green buds. This cut could be six inches to 18 inches from
the stem tips. Varieties in this group include:
Nelly Moser |
Duchess of Edinburgh |
Henryi |
Miss Bateman |
Mrs. Cholmondeley |
Elsa Spaeth |
Lasurstern |
Dr. Ruppel |
General Sikorski |
Checking In...
Check stored cannas, dahlias, and gladiolus for rot and
shriveling. Cannas, and dahlias can be
spritzed with water if they appear to be drying up, or you can
add a few drops of water to wood shavings, sawdust, or peat moss
and store them in this material to help them remain viable until
spring. Check gladiolus that are
stored in the open air for signs of mold or decay.
Discard all corms that have black
spots or gummy brown spots at the base.
Don't
Dig In (Yet)...
A few sunny and unseasonably warm days may
have you champing at the bit to get digging in the garden.
You're better off staying inside! Our soils are pretty wet
right now and any digging will result in "clumping" and
compaction that will ultimately take the fun out of spring
gardening. Patience.
Holey Moley...
Mole activity is becoming more apparent
with the recent warm weather. Large piles of soil on the lawn
surface are evidence of the moles subterranean mining.
Unfortunately, according to the turf experts at
Purdue University, control of this pest still depends on
trapping or possibly a mole-hunting cat or dog. Techniques such
as drowning with water, poisoning with car exhaust, shocking or
vibrating devices, poisons, chewing gum, human hair, underground
electric fence, or other “sure-fire” remedies simply do not work.
Adventurous gardeners that want to pursue trapping techniques can
find
more details here...
Cracking The Code...
Savvygardeners buying seeds from a catalog can be forgiven if
they are confused by all the codes and abbreviations that
accompany a seed packet. These important notes differ with the
plant and should be explained in good seed catalogs. For
example, here is an explanation of the abbreviations used to
describe a tomato cultivar:
'Quick Pick'
(F1) V FF N T A (I) 60 days.
-
'Quick Pick' = the cultivar name
- (F1)
= the plant is a first generation hybrid
- V
= resistant to Verticillium Wilt
- FF
= resistant to both strains of Fusarium Wilt
- N
= resistant to nematodes
- T
= resistant to Tobacco Mosaic Virus
- A
= resistant to Alternaria or Crown Wilt
- (I)
= an Indeterminate or vining growth pattern as opposed
to a Determinate or bush habit.
- 60
= this cultivar typically requires 60 days after transplanting
to produce a crop. This is an approximate period that is
influenced by local weather conditions.
Remember,
these and other abbreviations will be listed and explained in
good seed catalogs. Take time to pay attention to them as they
can be very important to the success of your garden crop!
Source
Finally... flower arrangement:
just two yellow daffodils,
the first to bloom ~
L.A. Davidson, The Shape of the Tree |