Wow, Wild
Weather...
It's Wednesday night,
late, and I am just sitting down to
write this editorial. I would have done it earlier but I was too
busy watching Mother Nature flex her muscles.
Yikes... we got a
taste of some extreme weather tonight! The rain was torrential.
Strong winds to boot. I don't think we received any of the 60
or 70 mile per hour gusts they were talking about but boy what a
storm! Of course Kevin was outside
standing underneath an oak tree watching the storm rolling in. He eventually had to
come in once the rain started to blow sideways. Good idea don't
you think? The men in my family are so entertaining.
Speaking of which... Here is a
cute little story that I can't resist telling. As I was putting
our boys to bed tonight I was talking with Jake, our youngest,
and he said that if a tornado came and took the roof off that he
would be OK because he sleeps on the bottom bunk and he wouldn't
get wet. I assured him that there was not going to be a tornado
and even if there was one we'd have all gone to
the basement. That way everyone would be safe including the top
bunk sleeper Noah. Don't you just love it!
I have been planting
like a mad woman. I've been trying to get most of it done by
mid-day however due to the heat and humidity
(photos). Everything is
finally coming together. I think I talked last week about
simplifying and I am still on task. I am aiming to have all of my
planting done by this weekend.
Next weekend is Father's Day
weekend and the
Breast Cancer 3-Day. I am excited that the walk
is finally here. After many hours of training I am ready to begin
my journey. Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Here's
to the fight against Breast Cancer!
~
Shelly
Dividing Daylilies...
One of the reasons we love daylilies is their fuss-free
nature. Generally they don't need to be divided as often as many
other perennials. However if you want to increase the number of
your favorite cultivars you may want to divide them once in a
while. Savvygardeners should be able to get four new plants from
a healthy, 4-year old daylily. Divide them immediately after
flowering, and replant them right away.
Minimize Mosquitoes...
According to
K-State Research & Extension, this year's mosquito monitoring
indicates the species that overwintered as eggs in Kansas are
already having a very good year. The species that overwintered as
adults - including the West Nile virus-carrying Culex mosquitoes
- are rapidly expanding in numbers.
While
eliminating sources of standing water is the most effective way
of keeping mosquito populations in check it is sometimes
impractical for gardeners. Here are some good tips for
dealing with standing water that can't be removed.
- Drain or empty the water
in dog bowls, wading pools and
birdbaths at least once-a-week.
This will ensure egg-stage mosquitoes never have time to
reach maturity.
- Irrigate lawns and gardens
carefully. Where soils have high clay content, for example,
irrigating slowly or irrigating several times lightly will
allow the clay to absorb the water, rather than causing
puddles and runoff.
- Stock ornamental ponds with
mosquito larvae-eating fish, such as goldfish.
- Remove in-water plants from the
edges of garden ponds to allow fish access to the larvae living
and developing there.
- Using a retail product to control
mosquito larvae will be more effective and less costly than
trying to control the flying adults.
Monitor Those Melons...
Recent and expected warmer temperatures
are sure to give watermelons a growth
boost. Keep an eye on them! As
vines from different plants begin to intermingle, and the canopy
becomes thicker, the chances of developing anthracnose increase.
It's a good idea to scout watermelon patches once or twice a week
for this disease. Look for multiple small brown to black spots
on leaves. These spots are typically associated with leaf
veins. As the spots coalesce and dry out, the leaf may appear
tattered. It's a good idea to implement a preventive fungicide
spray schedule, especially during rainy periods. Chlorothalonil,
mancozeb and azoxystrobin (Quadris) are labeled for anthracnose
control. Azoxystrobin should be rotated with one of the other
fungicides to help prevent potential resistance problems.
Source
New Trees From Cuttings...
Now is a good
time to start new trees and shrubs from existing ones. Many
ornamental trees and shrubs can be reproduced by taking cuttings
from new growth that occurred this spring. Though these
softwood cuttings root relatively easily, they are
susceptible to wilting and need close attention to watering and
relative humidity.
-
It is best if cuttings
are taken after a rain or several hours after the plant has
been well watered.
-
Stems should be mature
enough that they snap rather than bend when placed under
pressure.
-
Cuttings should be
about 6 inches long with cuts made at an angle just below a
node, the area where a leaf joins the stem. The angle provides
a larger cut surface and more area for the cutting to callus
and root.
-
Strip off the lower
leaves and place the cutting in a moist rooting media after it
has been dipped in rooting powder. Several rooting mediums are
suitable including sand with peat moss, sand with vermiculite,
perlite with peat moss, and perlite with vermiculite. A
suitable medium should provide good moisture-holding capacity
and be open enough to provide good aeration to the roots.
-
Relative humidity
should be kept at a high level by enclosing the container or
containers in a plastic bag. Use wooden dowels or a similar
object to keep the plastic off the top of the cuttings.
-
Place the rooting
container in bright, indirect light and check often for
watering needs.
Though some
plants can be rooted directly in water, roots formed in water do
not adapt well to soil. When roots are about 1 inch long,
cuttings can be removed from the propagation chamber and potted.
Source
Battling
Botrytis Blight...
Look for Botrytis blight to be a problem with peonies during
prolonged periods of warm, wet weather. Watch for blooming
flowers that turn brown and foliage or stems that develop black
lesions or spots. Promptly remove any infected plant parts and
dispose of them in a trash bag. By removing debris, you will
reduce the risk of spreading Botrytis throughout your landscape.
Prevent or at least minimize the incidence of Botrytis by
allowing enough space between plants for good air circulation and
by keeping mulch off of developing shoots. Any watering should be
done early in the morning so the plants can dry by evening.
Source
Give 'Em Room To Breathe...
Just
because your plant is wilting don't assume it's due to lack of
water. Plants can wilt from lack of oxygen too! Soil can
become over-compacted and cause root systems to suffocate. The
problem is often made worse by assuming the plant is thirsty and
adding water unnecessarily.
Improving the
soil for better air and water circulation is easy. Simply add
peat moss or other loose organic material in and around the root
area of your plants. Everyone will breathe easier!
Disappointing
Turf?
If
the appearance of your lawn after mowing is not what you expect
there are a few things worth evaluating.
-
Check your mowing height.
You should mow as high as possible for the specific
grass type (2½ to 3 inches is a healthy height for most
lawn grasses).
-
Consider your mowing frequency.
A higher mowed turf will need to be
mowed less frequently and scalp less often than a closely mowed
turf.
-
Probably most importantly, check
the sharpness of your mower blade.
Dull or damaged mower blades do not cut cleanly and
leave ragged leaf tips. These ragged
wounds are very stressful to the turf plant, and provide an
excellent opportunity for some disease pathogens to penetrate
and infect the plant.
Finally... "Birds sing after a
storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever
remains to them?" ~
Rose F. Kennedy |