Away At The
City By The Bay...
Kevin and I actually got an opportunity to steal away to San
Francisco this week. Kevin had a conference to attend and
fortunately I got to tag along. Those of you who have children
know how hard it is to make that happen. Finding a sitter that
can not only care of the kids but run
them from one activity to another is sometimes a challenge.
Thanks to some good neighbors and friends we found the right
person to care for the kids for a few days. It was great to get
away but returning home is the best part. The old saying "There's
no place like home" is so true.
Kevin and I
balanced business with some sightseeing and eating too. Monday
was our first full day in the city and perfect it was. The
temperature was 75°
and the air was dry. The sky was a
beautiful shade of light blue and there was a light breeze
blowing in off the bay. Before the conference
began we made a trip to the San Francisco Botanical
Gardens. What a surprise that our first sightseeing event would
have something to do with flowers. Although we were in town for a
short three days we really had to balance our time between
business and pleasure. Visiting the Botanical Gardens was
amazing. I kept Kevin on his toes snapping picture after picture.
I hope you enjoy the ones we have chosen and I wish we could show
you them all. How fun it was getting to do two of the things I
enjoy most. Being outside when the weather is perfect and getting
to look at flowers I have never seen before. What a thrill.
It's great
to be home and now I am preparing (mentally
more so than physically) for the
Breast Cancer 3-Day this weekend. Cross your fingers for good
weather and keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I am looking
forward to this journey. I have spent many
hours and miles in training and the
time has arrived to complete the
challenge. I can't wait to share my experience with you in next
week's newsletter.
Happy
Father's Day to all of you Savvy Dads!
~
Shelly
When Good Mulch Goes Bad...
There's bound to be a few Savvygardeners
out there that had a pile of mulch delivered just before
all this rain began. If you didn't get your mulch covered be
careful. Hardwood mulch can become a
real problem if left too long in a damp pile. Not only
does it smell bad once it "sours" it can adversely affect plants
that it comes in contact with. Symptoms look like fertilizer or
pesticide burn or water stress. Damage can be severe enough to
actually kill plants - yikes!
Depending on the extent of the injury, plants are often able to
recover. Savvygardeners should water affected plants during hot,
dry periods to prevent further stress.
Mulch that
has soured can still be used if it is "mellowed" before
application. Simply spread the mulch in shallow layers and allow
it to air out for several days until it no longer smells. It may
also be helpful to water the mulch before application to wash
away any toxic substances.
Is That A Volcano In
Your Garden?
Speaking of mulch... When mulching
try to avoid creating "mulch volcanoes" at the base of your
trees. Unfortunately it is quite common to see trees mulched in
this manner - a ring of mulch that gets progressively deeper as
it approaches the trunk. While this is better than no mulch at
all, Chris Starbuck at University of Missouri Extension advises
us that there are some real problems to consider:
- When mulch is placed
more than about 4 inches deep, roots tend to "migrate" up into
the mulch during rainy periods or when the area is irrigated.
Then, when drought conditions occur, the plant may come under
severe stress because many of its roots are growing in a
material with much less water holding capacity than real soil.
- The surfaces of the
mulch volcanoes can become hydrophobic due to fungal activity
and will act as very effective umbrellas, shedding water to the
surrounding turf. This could easily kill a young tree by
depriving it of much needed water.
- Other possible problems
with mulch volcanoes are promotion of fungal canker diseases by
constant moisture around the lower trunk, stress from poor gas
exchange by the cells in the bark and damage from rodents that
may take up residence in the volcano.
Source
Removing Tree Stumps...
Homeowners
who have had a tree cut down on their property often find themselves with
the left behind tree stump to contend with. Stumps left behind from
tree cutting can be variously described as unsightly, taking up valuable
gardening space, and even hazardous.
Our latest feature article,
Stump Removal Options for the Homeowner, explores the options
with an emphasis on stump grinding.
Fruit Dropping, Branch Propping...
Don't be alarmed if tree fruit is dropping this time of year.
It's just Mother nature's natural thinning process designed to
prevent excessive loads. Just in case the branch loads remain
too heavy you should thin remaining fruit by hand or prop up
heavy branches to avoid breakage. Most fruit should be spaced 6
to 8 inches apart on a branch.
Source
Onward Onions...
Your onions
should be growing rapidly and enlarging
about now. Onions have a
pretty shallow root system and need
regular watering and fertilizing to keep growing.
A light application of fertilizer or
compost along the row will keep them
growing vigorously. Don't be alarmed if you
see a fair amount of the onion developing above the soil line.
This is normal. When tops begin to get weak and fall
over, onion bulbs are about full grown. At
this point, you can break over tops to encourage the necks to
dry. After a few days dig
them up to keep bulbs from
getting sunburned.
Allow your
onions to dry with the tops attached for 1 to 2 weeks before
cutting the tops, wiping
(not washing) any excess soil from the
bulbs, and placing them in a cool, dry
location for storage (or eating).
Source
A Cut Above...
The next few months will likely be very taxing for your
fescue or bluegrass lawn. Long, hot and humid days, with little
rainfall can make even the greenest lawns wilt. While it's
probably not possible to keep your turf looking perfectly lush
and green all summer you can prepare it for the heat by raising
the cutting height of your mower. Fescues and bluegrass should
be cut at a height of 3 to 3½ inches. Determine your
mowing frequency by cutting no more than one-third of the blade
height with each cutting. This means cutting when it reaches 4½
inches or so.
Finally... "Wisdom is
oftentimes nearer when we stoop than when we soar." ~
William Wordsworth, 1798 |