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February 23, 2005

Good Neighbors, Good Fences...
Although it is a cold wintery day, signs of spring are everywhere. Kevin and I had lunch with our six-year-old son Jake today and as we were leaving the school I noticed several daffodils up and ready to bloom. A couple of warm days and the nondescript backdrop of the school will be brightened up by a splash of bright yellow. Isn't that exciting?

As I type this week's newsletter, our neighbors Ben and Emily are putting up a new cedar fence. Ben and Emily are the type of neighbors you are excited to have. They've proven to be able gardeners and the fence is another tangible example of their interest in improving the value of their property. The fence is serving a dual purpose. First, Sophie, the newest member of their family (and a golden retriever) is now the size of a small horse, needs a place to run around. Second, the fence also adds a different look and feel to their landscape. I love it when people understand the importance of outside improvements.

The Johnson County Home & Garden Show is this weekend from Friday through Sunday at the Overland Park Convention Center. A good time to meander through the aisles to get ideas for planting and landscaping. The weather is supposed to warm up so it will be a good time to get out and about.

~ Shelly  

This One's A Cut Above...
When we started Savvygardener.com one of the things we wanted to provide was information that was truly useful to area gardeners based on our weather, our climate, our everything.  A great example of this is one of our most popular and informative articles -
The Shrub Pruning Calendar.  A Savvygardener.com exclusive, this is the Kansas City area gardener's definitive guide to when, and when not, to prune a wide variety of shrubs.  Check it out!  We'll bet it answers some questions and clears up a lot of mystery.

Early Bloomers...
With some of the coldest weather behind us, you may soon see adventurous bulbs pushing through the ground - especially snow drops, crocus, and early daffodils.  Keep an eye out!  Matted leaves and dead grass left over from fall may create a barrier to these upstarts.  Help them a little by gently raking away any debris and allowing the foliage and flowers to break through the soil more easily.

Paper Or Plastic?
Bagworms are evident when you see those funny little brown bags hanging from Junipers and many other trees and shrubs.  It's actually the bagworm eggs that are over-wintering in those sacks.  In late May and early June, these eggs will hatch and the very tiny caterpillars start feeding.  Start your control measures now by removing the brown bags and disposing of them.  This is a very effective, chemical-free way to reduce the damage they might otherwise cause later this year.

A Clean Start...
Here's another important tip for seed starters.  Make sure you thoroughly wash last year's plastic seed-starting containers.  Believe me it makes a difference!  And if your seedlings have had disease problems in the past, you'll need to use a mixture containing 10 percent household bleach and water to really sterilize the containers.

Begonias, By Golly...
Savvygardeners who want to have tuberous begonias for summer-long flowering in pots, beds, or hanging baskets outside should start the tubers indoors during late February or early March.  Sprout the tubers by placing them, hollow side up, fairly close together in shallow, well-drained pans.  Use a mix of equal parts perlite, sphagnum, peat moss, and vermiculite; or chopped sphagnum moss and perlite.  This should be kept damp (not soggy) in a shady window with a temperature in the lower 60s.  Transplant the tubers to pots or baskets when growth starts, normally within 3 weeks.  Place them outside only after all threat of frost has passed.

Source
 


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Cold Season Seeding For Cool Season Grass...
OK, we've said it many times before: "The best time to overseed cool-season grasses (such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass) is September."   This is because the turf has more time to mature before crabgrass germination in the spring and the heat stress of summer.  That being said, wintertime dormant seeding is sometimes appropriate to help fill in bare spots.  (Dormant seeding is not recommended for large areas due to the possibility of erosion occurring before the seed becomes mature enough to hold the soil.)

Dormant overseeding is done during the winter (December through February) when it is too cold for germination to take place.  As with any seeding program, it is vital that good seed-soil contact is achieved.  There are several methods that are commonly used in dormant seeding. 

  • One method is to seed when there has been a light snowfall of up to an inch over unfrozen soil (light enough that bare spots can still be seen).  Spread seed by hand on areas that need thickening up.  As the snow melts it brings the seed into good contact with the soil where it will germinate in the spring.  
  • Another method is dependent on the surface of the soil being moist followed by some freezing weather.  As moist soil freezes and thaws, small pockets are formed on the wet, bare soil which are perfect for catching and holding seed.  As the soil dries, the pockets collapse and cover the seed.  
  • Verticutting can also be used as long as the soil is not frozen. 

The idea here is to get the grass seed germinating in the spring as early as possible.  Keep in mind that there are some limitations on what herbicides can be used for weed control.  Tupersan (siduron) can be used as a crabgrass preventer on new seedings but is relatively short-lived.  Other pre-emergence herbicides require that the turf be well established before application.  Turf that has been mowed several times is usually considered mature enough for herbicide application.

Source

Finally...
"The more help a man has in his garden, the less it belongs to him."

~ William M. Davies

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