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March 9, 2005

Anything Goes...
Well if last weekend's weather did not give you the gardening itch then I am not sure what would. How lucky we were to have two beautiful days strung together. I spent most of Saturday morning with my girlfriends, training for the Breast Cancer 3-Day. We walked 10 miles and believe you me, I was bushed when I finally got home. I went upstairs to rest for awhile but could not stand it. The urge to be outside with a rake in my hand was just too great. So the rest of the day was spent cleaning up. Leaves - always seems to be plenty of them around and then the debris left behind by the roofing company. Nothing major. Nails, bits and pieces of old shingles. Things I did not want hanging around in the yard or garden. It was great to be in my element - piddling around, enjoying the littlest of tasks.

It is hard to believe that it snowed briefly last night. March is the month where anything goes when it comes to weather. It is typical for the pendulum to swing from warm to cold in just hours. It's a tough month, not as tough as February but tough nonetheless. It looks as if the temperatures will be in the low to mid 40's and some 50's for the next 10 days. A good time to get caught up on seed planting and any other thing that wasn't accomplished this winter. Before you know it, the weather will be perfect for planting and we will all be spending our time outside... I CAN'T WAIT!

~ Shelly  

Armed And Ready...
As you walk through your gardens take along a hand pruner and cut out the dead branches from your shrubs. The living branches should be recognizable by the appearance of leaf or flower buds.  The dead ones are the "dead-looking" ones with no green visible underneath the brown outer bark layer.

For more assistance check out Pruning Shrubs in our Features section.

Staggered Start...
Getting the timing right on seed starting is pretty important.  Start too early and your plants will get leggy before it's time to put them outside.  Start too late and you miss out on valuable growing time (especially if you want the first tomatoes on the block).  Seeds are cheap, time is unrecoverable.  Instead of starting all of your similar seeds (tomato for instance) at the same time, try starting 1/3 of them each week for three weeks.  If warm weather is early, you'll be ahead.  If cold weather lingers you'll still have seedlings at the appropriate transplant time.

A Day For Potato Heads?
While it's traditional to plant potatoes on St. Patrick's Day Savvygardeners should be aware of two assumptions made in setting this date.  First, that your soil is consistently 45º or higher.  The recent warm-up means sunny locations may be ready.   

The second assumption is that the soil is dry enough to be worked.  Working in overly moist soil can make a mess that will be hard to correct later.  How can you tell?  Grab a handful of soil and squeeze.  If it holds together like clay it's too wet.  If it crumbles like a cupcake it's ready for planting.

Watch the weather and your soil closely.  You really want to get those 'taters planted between now and the end of March.

Time For Tomatoes?
A quick check of our Seed Starting Calendar reveals that it's time to start seeds for those warm-weather vegetables like tomatoes and peppers.  Tomatoes can be found in many, many gardens.  Why not yours?  If you need some help getting started just read Seed Starting Tomatoes in our Features section.
 


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Iris Leaf Spot Control...
Now is a good time to begin control measures for iris leaf spot by removing old, dead leaves. Iris leaf spot is a fungal disease that attacks the leaves and occasionally the flower stalks and buds of iris. Infection is favored by wet periods during the spring, and the emerging leaves eventually show small spots. The borders of these spots are reddish, and surrounding tissue first appears water-soaked, and then yellows. Spots enlarge after flowering and may coalesce. Though the disease will not kill the plant directly, repeated attacks can reduce plant vigor so that the iris may die from other stresses. Spores are passed to nearby plants by wind or splashing water.

Because this disease overwinters in old leaves, removal and destruction of dead leaves will help with control. For plants that had little infection the previous year, this may be all that is needed. Plants that were heavily infected last year should be sprayed with chlorothalonil (Daconil) or myclobutanil (Immunox) starting in the spring when leaves appear. Repeat sprays every seven to 10 days for four to six sprays. Iris leaves are waxy, so be sure to include a spreader-sticker in your spray to insure good coverage.

Source

Thyme For Renewal?
If you grow thyme in your garden you may want to rejuvenate your plot this spring.  Thyme, a low-growing, woody perennial herb, should be started from seed every two to three years.  This is because older plants produce coarser, lower grade stems and leaves.  Thyme seeds often germinate poorly when planted directly in the soil, so it's best to start plants indoors now for transplant later.

Now Cut That Out...
So, you think it's too early to cut the grass?  Not the ornamental grass!  In early spring before new growth begins you should remove the previous year's foliage to promote earlier and more healthy growth.  Use hand clippers, a pruning saw, or sharp shears to cut your grasses back to within 3 to 5 inches of the ground.  To minimize the mess try tying the grass into a standing bundle before cutting.

While you're at it take a look at the centers of the plant clumps.  If the center of the clump shows little or no growth, it should be divided.  Separate and replant the vigorous growth on the outer edge of the clump.  Stand back and watch them grow!

Finally...
"When speech comes from a quiet heart, it has the strength of the orchid, and the fragrance of rock."

~ Stephen Mitchell, Four Watercolors by Tao-chi

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