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~ May 6, 2009 ~
Busy, Busy, Busy...
What a busy week! I have been planting like a mad woman readying the house and gardens
for our daughter's graduation party. I must say things are really taking shape and the
weather for the last three days has been very cooperative. I don't mind the cool, cloudy
weather while I am toiling away - in fact I find it to be perfect planting weather. The
soil is a bit wet but I have been amending as I go so I think that everything I have planted
will do just fine. Such a busy time of the year... go, go, go!
Mother's Day is this Sunday and I would recommend a visit to
Johnson Farms. They have the best
hanging baskets as well as a wide variety of annuals and perennials. A fun place for the family.
There are many green houses filled with so many beautiful plants. I know that if my family were
to take me there I would be thrilled! Don't forget to mention Savvygardener while you are there.
Johnson Farms needs to know that supporting us is valuable to their business.
I visited
Courtyard & Patio the other day to pick out some new pieces of patio furniture. They have
some really beautiful stuff. The quality is un-paralleled to what you will find at
Wal-Mart, Target or
Lowes. I really want something that will hold up over the years and their selection is fabulous. They
have wicker, aluminum, cast iron and wrought iron. Umbrellas, cushions and so much more. Mention
Savvygardener and receive a 10% in-store discount.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you Savvy moms!
~ Shelly
Preventing Black Spot...
Spring rains mean you will probably need to establish a preventive
spray program for your roses if they have been subject to black spot in
the past. The problem with fungal diseases is that they have to be prevented
- a fungicide isn't as effective once the problem is apparent. As always, it
is better to buy only roses that are disease resistant to begin with.
It's Not Too Late!
Do you feel like spring is slipping away from you? Just a few weeks ago it
seemed like we had all the time in the world to plant early veggies. If you're
like us, hectic schedules can make prime planting time slip away. Don't panic!
There's still plenty to do. In fact if you hurry you can still sneak in the
following: lettuce, onions, spinach, beets, chard, carrots, parsnips, radishes,
turnips, shallots, chives and parsley.
Bonus! Now that soil temperatures are on their way up it's also a great time
to get your tomatoes and peppers in the ground if you haven't already done so.
Tastier Tomatoes...
When selecting tomato transplants, choose healthy plants without any blooms. If
the tomato plants have blooms or, worse, fruit before you transplant, pinch off
the flowers or fruit. If tomatoes set fruit before the plant gets large enough -
that is, produces enough leaves - the fruit is small and tasteless. Removing
flowers or premature fruit allows the plant to produce more leaves that will
make larger tomatoes throughout the growing season. The formula for successful
tomato production is quite simple: Healthy leaves equal tasty fruit.
Source
A Fungus Among Us...
Don't be surprised if you head outside and find a yard full of
mushrooms. Where do these things come from? Although wild
mushrooms tend to make their appearance just about any time in
woodlands they're more likely to appear in lawns following
several days of wet weather which have been preceded by weeks of
dry weather. We've got plenty in our yard
(photo).
Mushrooms are specialized types of fungi that are important as decay
microorganisms, aiding in the breakdown of logs, leaves, fallen
branches, and other organic debris. This important role of
mushrooms results in recycling of essential nutrients.
In the vast majority of cases mushrooms are not parasitic on lawn grass and
won't cause any disease problems. Just wait for a prolonged
change in the weather and they will wither and disappear
providing additional organic matter to your soil.
Tip Top Tools...
Here's a great way to keep your gardening hand tools clean and free from rust. Fill
a 5-gallon bucket with play sand. Moisten the sand with mineral oil or even motor oil.
Plunging your tools into the sand/oil mix several times before storing them will remove
the dirt and leave a protective coating of oil on the metal surface.
Taking A Powder...
A white powdery film on your lawn is likely an outbreak of powdery mildew. This
fungal disease is favored by cool spring or fall weather, and is common in shaded
areas. Kentucky bluegrass in shady areas is especially susceptible. High nitrogen
levels also favor disease development. Fortunately, while it is not very
attractive, powdery mildew rarely causes significant damage to turf.
The Right Height...
To prevent weed germination in lawns, mow frequently at the tallest recommended
mowing height. Weeds germinate rapidly when turf is scalped by mowing too short or
when it is not mowed frequently enough. Both mistakes decrease turf density and
cause an open canopy that favors weeds. Experts recommend a range of mowing heights
to meet specific turf activities. Lower mowing heights require more frequent mowing.
Annual grassy weeds, such as crabgrass, are especially a problem on turfs that lack
density as a result of poor mowing.
Recommended mowing heights for grass types:
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Kentucky bluegrass - 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
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Tall fescue - 3.0 to 4.0 inches.
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Fescue/bluegrass - 3.0 to 3.5 inches.
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Bluegrass/ryegrass - 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
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Perennial ryegrasses - 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
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Creeping red fescues - 3.0 to 3.5 inches.
Source
Finally...
"I'm tired of hearing so much about maintenance-free gardens.
If you aren't going to get out there and live with it -
including taking care of it - then what's the point of
gardening anyway? This year I'm going to order
fewer new things and concentrate on taking care
of what I have."
~ Pamela Lord
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