This week's gardening tips from the Savvygardener

 

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July 20, 2005

It's Really Heating Up...
Yesterday's cloud cover gave me some much needed time in the garden. Having been away for 11 days on vacation you might say the garden was out of control. I mowed and edged the lawn, dead-headed some perennials and boy did things start to look better. The garden went from wild-n-wooly to pleasant looking in just a few short hours. It was easy yesterday because it wasn't a scorching 98 degrees like it was today. Going to the pool seems to be our only escape from these horridly high temperatures and from looking at the seven day forecast it is not going to get better anytime soon. UGH!

Don't forget how important it is to water early. With the high temperatures and humidity we are experiencing watering in the afternoon or evenings makes your plants more susceptible to disease. So give the garden plenty of water (considering we haven't had much to speak of in awhile) but remember that early morning watering is best.

Coming Soon! The Savvygardener.com Tastiest Tomato Contest. Date to be announced in next week's newsletter.

Stay Cool!

~ Shelly  

 

Houseplants, Douse Plants...
This is a great time of year to take your houseplants outside for a bath. Insect and mite populations can sometimes creep up on you this time of year, but not to worry. Take houseplants outside and gently hose them off. This will not only wash away harmful pests, but will remove dust from the leaf surfaces and leave plant pores cleaner and able to breathe easier.

 

Sweet & Corny...
Corn lovers know that standard sweet corn is at its peak for only a day or so (supersweet corn maintains its peak quality for a little longer).  Timing is everything.  For the sweetest corn harvest when silks begin to dry, and kernels exude a milky (rather than watery or doughy) juice when punctured.

 

Get More Blooms...
Deadheading roses and annuals such as petunias, marigolds, and zinnias will promote reblooming throughout the season. You can fool biannuals, like hollyhocks and foxglove, into thinking they are perennials by cutting off the old blossoms before seed pods form.

To deadhead a rose, cut the flower stem back to an outward facing bud just above a 5- leaflet or 7- leaflet leaf.  For most other flowers simply cut the stem just below the spent bloom.

 

Drinks For The Droopy?
It's not uncommon to venture out to the garden at the end of a hot day to find some pretty droopy plants.  Don't immediately assume that they need to be watered.  It may be that there is adequate moisture in the soil but your plant's roots just can't keep up with the needs of the leaves.  If the soil is already moist you are better off letting the plants catch up on their own overnight.  If they're still droopy in the morning give them a drink.
 


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Plucking Petunias...
As mentioned above,
deadheading petunias is a sure-fire way to keep them blooming all summer long.  But sometimes gardeners have trouble knowing which ones stay and which ones go.  Spent blossoms often look very much like unopened petunia buds.  If you're unsure just remember that spent petunia blossoms are shrunken and have little substance to them and come off with a gentle tug.  Immature buds feel full and hang on a little tighter.

 

Orange Means Hot...
This heat is going to affect tomato harvests.  Tomatoes ripen best when temperatures stay below eighty-five degrees.  When the temperatures hover in the mid-nineties several problems can occur.  The ripening process slows down and color compounds do not form properly.  Instead of a bright red tomato you may wind up with an orange-red one.  Try picking the tomatoes at the first flush of color and ripening them indoors.

Source

Too Tall Turf?
If you've been away on vacation and your lawn is extra tall be careful about cutting too much at once.  As a rule you should cut no more than one-third of the grass height at a time. If necessary, try setting your mower height to the highest setting for a first cutting.  Then wait two-three days and cut again at a reduced height.

 

Finally...
"Inebriate of Air - am I -
And Debauchee of Dew -
Reeling through endless summer days -
From inns of Molten Blue."

~ Emily Dickinson

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