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June 8, 2005

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
 


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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.

  1. 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).
  2. Consider your mowing frequency. A higher mowed turf will need to be mowed less frequently and scalp less often than a closely mowed turf.
  3. Probably most importantly, check the sharpness of your mower bladeDull 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

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