Katrina's Curse...
It is hard to sit at my desk today and write about my garden.
After seeing what has happened in Louisiana, Alabama and
Mississippi it seems unfair to complain about powdery mildew and
black spot. Or better yet, to show you pictures of our
butterfly bush and go on about how much we have enjoyed the
butterflies and humming birds flying around taking in the sweet
nectar. The people affected by Katrina are worried about
survival. Where will they live? How will they find food, water
and other basic necessities for survival? These people
desperately need our help. We need to give money, our time,
prayers and whatever else it takes to help all of those in need.
We need to let these people know that we care and will rally
together to assist in any way we can.
Please
visit
www.redcross.org to learn more
about what is needed. Together we can help make a difference.
~
Shelly
Tomato Trickery...
With summer gradually coming to an end you may want to try a
couple of tricks to get the most out of your tomato plants.
- By removing some
of the leaves, more sunlight will be
allowed to reach your tomatoes. The shady protection they
provide is not needed as much now that fall is closing in.
- Lopping the tops
off the plants will help ensure that the plants' energy will go
into finishing existing fruit production rather than the now
hopeless task of producing new fruit.
These
tricks (and a little luck) will help keep those tomato plants
producing as long as possible.
Salad Serendipity....
There's still time to seed some
fall salad crops for this season. With the
recent mild weather and rainfall some fall-season
vegetables can still be seeded now with a
decent chance of developing
before freezing weather stops their progress.
To increase your odds, try lettuce, radishes, and spinach.
These salad crops grow rapidly and can
withstand a light freeze. A hard early freeze
could stop
everything in its tracks but it's certainly worth the risk for
fresh salad greens.
The Great Divide...
It was certainly a good summer for many
plants, and Savvygardeners who took
good care of their perennials might notice them bursting
from their beds. Sound familiar? If so, they need some relief.
Once they are done blooming for the year it's time to divide
them.
You'll know
your plants need to be divided if:
- They are
spreading beyond your desired range for them.
- The
flowers are not producing as well as in the past.
- The
center of the clump of flowers is dying.
- The
lower areas of foliage are sickly.
For a quick
but effective description of the dividing process you can read
"Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials" in our
Features section.
Packing Up The Peonies...
Peonies aren't particularly fond of being uprooted and
transplanted but from time to time it may become necessary.
Maybe their home has become too shady or another project is
displacing them. Our friends at
Bannister Garden Center offer a few simple steps to get it
done right:
- Cut the stems to
near ground level this month.
- Carefully dig up
as much of the root system as possible.
- Replant the peony
in a hole large enough for the roots.
- Make sure the
buds are one to two inches below the soil surface.
- Toss in some bone
meal and firm the soil around the plant.
- Water thoroughly.
Keep in
mind - transplanted peonies often refuse to bloom the first
spring after transplant. Your patience will be rewarded in
subsequent years.
Heirloom
Tomato Seeds...
Heirloom Tomatoes have been increasing in
popularity recently. Saving seeds from these oldies-but-goodies
is a great idea but maybe not as simple
as you think. First of all you need to take some
precautions to prevent cross-pollination from other tomato
varieties nearby or the seeds may not produce the tomato you
wanted. If you grow more than one variety of tomato, they should
be planted at least 20-25 feet apart. In addition, a tall barrier
crop (corn, pole beans, fruit trees, etc), or a continuous
pollen-producing crop (squash) should be planted between
varieties to distract the bees. These precautions will prevent
most wind caused cross-pollination, and cause bees to visit only
one tomato variety at a time before returning to the hive to
clean off their collected pollen.
Save
the seeds
from healthy plants with the best fruit quality. Pick the fruit
when ripe, scoop out seeds and pulp into a bowl with a little
water then leave to ferment for 4 days (no longer or some
heirlooms will begin to sprout). Separate out seed from pulp,
rinse the seeds, then dry them on paper towels or a screen in a
warm, dry place with good air circulation (try outdoors on warm
summer or fall days). After 5-7 days, place seeds in airtight
containers (plastic film canisters are good) and store indoors in
a dark, cool, dry place. If properly stored,
your seeds should remain viable for 3-5 years.
Source
Weed Whackers...
Dandelions, clover, and other broadleaf weeds that were a
problem last spring and all summer should be controlled this
fall. The period from late September to mid-November is the
ideal time to control broadleaf weeds in turfgrass because
broadleaf weeds are most susceptible to herbicides at this time.
The turf and weeds must be actively growing for this to be
effective so be sure your lawn is well-watered before applying.
Apply on a sunny day with moderate temperatures, no wind, ample
soil moisture and no rain in the 24-hour forecast. An
herbicide containing two or more active ingredients including
2,4-D, MCPP, dicamba, triclopyr, or clopyralid will control most
broadleaf weeds with one application. As always, be careful when
using broadleaf herbicides as they may damage the stuff you want
to keep - like flowers, trees, shrubs,
or vegetables.
Source
Finally... "Water is the driver
of Nature." ~
Leonardo da Vinci |