This Is Your
Big Chance!
It is nice to have an occasional "not
so good to be in the garden" day so
that I can get a few things accomplished inside. On more than one
occasion this week I have heard, "Mom,
when are you going to the grocery store?". Or better yet, "Mom, I
don't have any clean socks." Those are the types of statements
that remind me that I still have a full time job as Mom. It is
easy for me to put laundry, grocery shopping and cleaning the
house on the back burner when the weather is great outside.
During this time of year the outside of our house becomes the
focus - not the inside.
It is hard
to not be excited by all of the color that has come to life over
the past week. Daffodils are in bloom everywhere. Magnolia trees
are breathtaking and there is still so much to come. I need to
get busy and plant some pansies. It is fun to create a splash of
color with a cool weather annual. Perhaps I'll get an opportunity
this weekend. The temperatures are suppose to be in the high
60's. Perfect pansy planting weather.
You are not
going to believe what my friends at
Family Tree Nursery are doing. They are donating a $500 gift
certificate to help me raise money for The Breast Cancer 3-Day!
How cool is that? Here is how it works. Everyone
who donates or has already donated $50
or more before April 30th will
get the opportunity to have their name included in a drawing for
the certificate. Not a bad investment. Donate
$50 tax deductible dollars for a good cause and
get a chance to win
a $500 gift certificate from Family Tree Nursery. So don't wait
another second.
Donate now
and get your name posted to be eligible for the drawing.
Thanks Family Tree Nursery for supporting my efforts to help find
a cure for Breast Cancer!
~
Shelly
Keep 'Em Covered...
Gardeners anxious to get their yard and garden chores done in
spring may be tempted to remove the mulch from their strawberry
beds in March or early April. A portion of the strawberry crop
may be lost however if the mulch is
removed too early in the spring. Removal of the mulch plus
several days of warm weather may encourage the plants to bloom
before the danger of frost or freezing temperatures is past.
Temperatures of 32°F or lower may severely damage or destroy open
flowers. Since the first flowers produce the largest berries, a
late spring frost can drastically reduce yields.
To reduce
the chances of frost or freeze damage leave the mulch on until
the plants show signs of growth. Periodically examine the plants
under the mulch during periods of warm weather in the spring.
Remove the mulch from the strawberry plants when about 25% of the
plants are showing new growth (it will be white or yellow in
color). Rake the mulch to the center aisles between rows. If
there is a threat of a frost later in the season during bloom,
the mulch can be lightly raked back over the plants.
The Great Divide...
Dividing perennials is important for the garden and the
soul. The garden benefits because many perennials become
overcrowded and need to be thinned out once in a while. The
gardener's soul benefits because it provides an opportunity to
share our garden treasures with other gardeners who will go on to
expand their beauty.
Don't
divide the wrong plants! Before you start take a look at our
handy guide
When to Divide Perennials in our Features section.
Here Come Asparagus &
Rhubarb...
Among the early arriving vegetables, asparagus and rhubarb are
the most popular. Keep your eyes open as they may be
appearing already! Rhubarb usually takes several weeks to get
large enough stalks to harvest, while asparagus grows rapidly -
ready for harvest in a few days after it emerges.
Now is an
ideal time to start a new planting; however, newly planted
asparagus and rhubarb cannot be harvested until next
season. Plant asparagus in a trench about 6 inches deep. Rhubarb
should be planted shallow - only about 1 inch deep - with a
slight 'crown' or raised area over the row so water drains
easily. Keep the newly planted crowns well watered the first
season and provide weed control to encourage as much growth as
possible the first year. A vigorous first season will result in
an earlier, more abundant harvest next spring.
Source
Dig This...
Depending on which "how to" guide you're reading you might
see different references to what many simply refer to as
digging. While some people use the terms interchangeably
digging, shoveling, and spading are actually 3 different
actions. Digging turns up, loosens or removes soil.
Shoveling moves loose material from one place to another.
Spading mixes the material leaving it in the same location.
For example we dig a hole, we spade (work) compost
into the soil, and we shovel the soil mix back into the
planting hole. They're not just different actions either.
Digging, shoveling, and spading require different tools to get
the job done right.
- For digging the
best tool to use is a round-point shovel. The point at the tip
of the blade focuses the digger's weight on a very small area,
increasing the pounds per square inch on the shovel and
allowing the cutting surface to move through the soil easily.
This becomes a disadvantage if the blade hits a tough root or
rock.
- For shoveling the
tools of choice are a square-point, flat-backed shovel or the
round-point shovel. On a flat
surface the square-point, flat-backed shovel works more
efficiently. For shoveling out planting holes, the round-point
works best because its smaller head can fit into tight spaces.
- For spading, a
digging fork or a round point shovel work well.
Source
Proper Pruning...
Part of your spring clean-up may include some tree pruning.
Take your time and do it right. In particular don't leave stubs
behind when pruning. Stubs usually die and become entry points
for decay fungus. Instead cut just outside the branch collar,
the slightly thickened area at the base of the branch. As an
extra precaution remember that pruning should never be done in
damp or wet weather when the fungal spores and bacteria that
infect plants through fresh wounds spread easily.
$500 Gift
Certificate!
Everyone
donating $50 or more
to Shelly's Breast Cancer 3-Day
walk will be eligible to win a
$500 gift certificate from
Family Tree Nursery.
Details...
|
Stopping The Topping...
Has that tree in the front yard gotten a little too big?
If so you need to resist the urge to "top
it". Topping, also known as heading or stubbing, is a
damaging pruning practice that seriously damages the long-term
health of a tree. According to the
U.S. National
Arboretum many homeowners top their
trees because of a misconception that large trees are
hazardous and that storm debris will be reduced with a reduction
in size. In fact, topped trees produce
large quantities of water sprouts -
shoots that are weakly attached and are easily broken off during
storms - to replace the leaves and
branches that were lost, thereby increasing storm debris.
Zoysia Zzz's...
If you have a zoysia lawn it is still dormant and you should
not be applying any fertilizer to it. Any fertilizer
added now will just feed the weeds and they're overfed as it is.
Be patient. You should be able to fertilize your zoysia lawn in
about six weeks.
Finally... "The gardener's work
is never at end; it begins with the year, and continues to the
next: he prepares the ground, and then he sows it; after that he
plants, and then he gathers the fruits..." ~
John Evelyn, Kalendarium Hortense, 1706 |