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.
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 |