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August 24, 2005

Constant Change...
Hang on, it appears we are riding the extreme weather roller coaster. A couple of weeks ago all I could think about was how badly we needed the rain. And then the rain set in and has decided to stay, and stay, and stay some more. The extended forecast shows a chance of rain for the next four days. A pattern that will soon break and the sun will appear again. Don't be fooled by these cooler temperatures. Summer is not over and I am pretty sure that we will once again experience hot, humid temperatures. Nonetheless I am enjoying the cooler weather and reveling in the fact that everything in the garden is so green.

Most of my summer perennials are finished so once I have the opportunity I will need to get out into the garden and start cutting things back. I am amazed by how quickly the grass has been growing. We have a fescue, bluegrass blend and it performs much better when the weather is cooler. The color is such a beautiful shade of green. Green being the preferred color over brown.

Now that the kids are all back in school we have settled into a nice routine. Boy, do I love a good routine. More time for gardening, looking at gardening magazines and concentrating on projects that have been left behind. I would give you a reason why they've been left behind but there really isn't a good one. Imagine.

~ Shelly  

Twig Dieback Of Oaks...
According to K-State Research & Extension we should be on the lookout for twig dieback on pin and other oaks caused by a fungal disease called Botryosphaeria canker. Affected trees show a wilting or "flagging" of the terminal growth on the ends of branches. Dieback usually extends 4 to 6 inches down the twig with leaves bending back toward the twig before turning brown. Dead leaves remain attached to the tree. If you look closely at the twig you should see a rather marked transition from healthy to diseased tissue. Take a knife and scrape away some of the outer bark tissue. Healthy tissue is light green, whereas diseased tissue tends toward brown to black.

Botryosphaeria canker differs from oak wilt in that only the tips of branches are affected. Oak wilt affects whole branches (see article below). This disease causes such minor damage that chemical control measures are unwarranted. Dead twigs on small trees can just be pruned off if desired.

Source

Colorful Closers...
Mums are a gardener's best friend in the fall.  As the latest blooming flowers they provide color and beauty to a garden that has otherwise been worn out for the season. 

When choosing mums from your local retailer buy healthy looking plants that have been taken care of - no broken stems, wilted leaves, etc...  Plants with existing blooms will be limited in their ability to provide much more flowering.  Those with buds about to bloom will provide you with flowers into the fall.  We usually buy several plants in bloom for immediate gratification and quite a few more that we expect to bloom over the coming weeks.  What a great exclamation point at the end of the season!

Tater Tidbits...
If you're harvesting potatoes remember that they will continue to grow as long as the tops are green.  So dig only as many as you need for immediate use.  The ones left in the ground will actually keep better there than in your home.

 


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Savvy Strawberry Strategy...
It may be difficult to think about next year's strawberries already but this is a critical time for the 2005 crop.  In August and September the cell size of next spring's fruit bud is determined.  The more favorable the growing conditions now, the bigger the cells this fall, which means bigger berries in the spring.  Yes!  Unfortunately just a week without water can stress the plants and reduce next year's berry production.  Plants require one to two inches of water per week through the summer.  Take extra care in watering so that the soil does not remain soggy for any prolonged period of time.

Oak Wilt Worries...
This time of year always seems to bring lots of questions regarding "oak wilt"This troubling tree disease can really devastate our beautiful oak trees, but thankfully it's actually quite rare In case you've got an oak and are worried about oak wilt we've unearthed an excellent resource published by the USDA Forest Service.  How to Identify, Prevent, and Control Oak Wilt can be found  here...

 

Lawn Fertilizer Calculator...
Our friends at the Purdue University Turfgrass Program have developed another nice on-line tool for gardeners.  This time they've created an on-line fertilizer calculator that will assist you in purchasing and applying the right amount of fertilizer for your lawn.  Check it out for yourself...

Terrific Turf...
Each year K-State Extension rates the varieties of tall fescue and bluegrass that are best suited for our area.  With grass seed sowing time upon us we thought you would like to know about the top performers.  Note that most seed is purchased in blends or mixes.  Look for mixes with one or more of these varieties:

Tall Fescue - Apache III, Constitution, Riverside, Cayenne, Pure Gold, Turbo, Blade Runner, Bingo, Finesse II, Forte, Padre, Regiment II, Scorpion, Silverado II, Coshise III, Grande II, Raptor, 2nd Millennium, Finelawn Elite, Legitimate, and Tahoe

Bluegrass - Moon Shadow, Impact, Langara, Sonoma, NU Destiny, Odyssey, Champlain, Freedom II, Misty, Award, Liberator, Awesome, Princeton 105, Champagne, Excursion, and Baronette

Source

 

Finally...
"August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a matchflame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away."

~ Elizabeth Maua Taylor, Writer

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