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.
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 |