This week's gardening tips from the Savvygardener

 

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April 13, 2005

Electrifying...
Ok, who else liked those thunderstorms that passed through town Monday evening? Everyone here in the Marsh house was thrilled by the bright flashes of lightning and the low rumbling sound of thunder. In fact, once the sky turned ominous outside we took turns trying to predict when the rain and wind would arrive. My mom thinks we're crazy and I guess I would have to agree with her. There is something terribly exciting about lightning, thunder and even strong winds. Kevin has even joked in the past about how much fun it would be to actually chase a storm. For now we only have time to get kids from one activity to another and if that involves watching a storm then there you go.

Don't forget the Clearfield Farms Plant and Garden Art Auction this Sunday April 17th @ 1:00. Clearfield Farms, located in Baldwin Kansas, is a fantastic place to find beautiful and unusual plants grown especially for this area. Celebrating ten years in business, Larry Limberg is excited by the opportunity to kick off another ten by creating something fun and different for his customers. An auctioneer will be present to assist in the bidding so don't miss your chance to outbid someone for that Miss Kim lilac you've been dying to purchase. Make sure you tell their staff you read about it here.

Join me from 12-2 PM Saturday April 23rd at Audrie Seeley's Garden Center for their Spring Open House. Not only do they have annuals, shrubs, roses and perennials but this year they are offering unique gifts. There will be original work from local and regional artists and crafts persons. I'll be there to answer questions and help you choose plants for the garden. There will be a15% discount on nursery stock and a portion of the proceeds go to the Rose Brooks Center for the prevention of domestic violence. Can't wait to see you!

~ Shelly  

Tuckered Out Tulips?
Unfortunately it's not uncommon for many modern tulip varieties to "wear out" after a few years and eventually produce insignificant blooms or no blooms at all. Here are some tips to increase the chances of perennial blooming of your tulips:

  • Plant the bulbs at the depth indicated on the packaged they arrived in.
  • Water them - especially in the fall - to help develop strong roots.
  • Clip off flower heads after they have bloomed.
  • Do not remove the foliage until it has turned brown and withered.

Daffodil's Deadly Secret...
If you take my cue and decide to cut some flowering bulbs from the garden make sure you keep the daffodils separated from other cuttings.  Daffodil stems secrete a fluid that can drastically reduce the life of other cut flowers in the same vase.  After a couple of days in a vase they should be OK for sharing the same space. 

Willow Water...
A reader wrote asking us about willow water - a natural tonic for plants, made from steeping willow twigs in water, that is purported to help stimulate roots.  We have to admit that we knew nothing about this magic elixir.  A little sleuthing around the web turned up a good article and recipe for homemade willow water.  We don't know if it works but it looks like a fun project!  Check it out here...

 


Clearfield Farms
Plant & Garden Art Auction

Help celebrate the last 10 years
and help us kick off the next 10!

Sunday April 17th at 1:00 PM

Click Here to Preview Select Items
from
the Auction List!

 

 

Circular Logic...
A popular and effective way to prevent disease in the vegetable garden is called crop rotation.  By rotating the location of vegetable plantings within the garden each season you can greatly reduce the likelihood of soil-borne disease.  This method works best when you rotate crop families from place to place and the rotation includes at least three families.  The effectiveness of crop rotation is diminished when the total gardening area is quite small.  Just do your best!  Here's a list of the most common home garden vegetables and their associated families:

Family Family Members
Alliaceae Chive, garlic, leek, onion, shallot
Apiaceae Carrot, celery, parsley, parsnip
Asteraceae Endive, lettuce
Brassicaceae Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, kohlrabi, radish, rutabaga, turnip
Chenopodiaceae Beet, Swiss chard, spinach
Convolvulaceae Sweet potato
Curcurbitaceae Cucumber, gourd, melons, pumpkin, squash
Fabaceae Lima bean, pea, snap bean, soy bean
Malvaceae Okra
Poaceae Corn
Solanaceae Eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato

Second Chance Dandelions...
Readers of our newsletter know that we recommend that dandelions be controlled in the fall. However, if you missed the fall application, a second opportunity for dandelion control is approaching. Research by Purdue University has shown that good control can be achieved with an herbicide applied during or soon after the first flush of flowers. Use a combination product that contains 2,4-D, MCPP and dicamba. Examples would include products such as Trimec, Weed Out, Weed-B-Gon and Weed Free Zone. If you have only a few dandelions, consider spot treatment rather than a blanket application. There are ornamental plants that are very sensitive to drift from these herbicides, so be careful. Avoid spraying on windy days.

Source

 


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Lumpy Lawns?
Most lawns become bumpy because of the natural settling of soil over time. Professionals will apply thin layers of sand or soil over finely manicured turf and then use modified brooms to move the topdressing down to the soil surface. This topdressing will eventually help to smooth out minor undulations over many years while not harming the turf plants. Home lawns can accept up to about
¼ inch of topdressing.

If the lawn is in really bad shape, it is better to start over. Kill it with a non-selective herbicide like Roundup, till the soil to 2"- 4” deep, work it smooth, and allow it to settle with rain, irrigation, and/or time (the more time to settle the better). Then work it smooth with shallow raking once more after it settles and seed this fall. This settling part of the process is regularly overlooked by contractors and homeowners anxious to see grass, which usually results in a bumpy lawn down the road.

Source

Crabgrass Preventers...
Crabgrass preventers are another name for preemergence herbicides that prevent crabgrass seeds from developing into mature plants. They don’t actually keep the seed from germinating; rather, the germinating plant takes up some of the herbicide and is killed. With few exceptions they will have no effect on existing crabgrass plants. Therefore, preventers have to be applied before crabgrass germinates. Additionally, they don’t last forever once applied to the soil. Microorganisms and natural processes in the soil begin to gradually break them down soon after they are applied. Most crabgrass preventers are fairly ineffective after about 60 days, although there is considerable variation among products (Dimension and Barricade are longer lasting). For our area crabgrass typically begins to germinate around May 1, or a little later. Therefore, April 15 is a good target date for which to apply the preventer; this gives the active ingredients some time to evenly disperse in the soil before crabgrass germination starts. Additionally, weather varies from one spring to the next, and with it the timing of crabgrass germination. For this reason application-timing of preventers is sometimes based on the bloom of ornamental plants. The Eastern redbud tree is a good one to use: when the trees in your area are approaching full-bloom, apply your crabgrass preventer. A follow-up application will be needed about 8 weeks later, unless you are using Dimension or Barricade.

Source

Finally...
"Shall I not have intelligence with the earth? Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself."

~ Henry David Thoreau

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