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March 30, 2005

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

 


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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

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