This Week's Gardening Tips from the Savvygardener
Missouri Organic Mulch, Compost, Bulk Soil
 
In This Issue
~ Bitter Cucumbers? ~ The Cutting Gardener ~ Bulbs That Bloom In Autumn
~ Revitalize Herbs ~ Plucking Petunias ~ Too Tall Turf?
~ Thump Goes The Melon   ~ Inspiration
 
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~ All About Composting
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~ Houseplant Care
~ When to Start
Seeds Indoors
~ Seed Starting Indoors
~ Vegetable Garden Calendar
~ Seed Starting Tomatoes

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Shrub Pruning Calendar
~ Pruning Clematis 
~ Gardening in the Shade
~ Summer-Flowering Bulb Care
~ Drought-Tolerant Flowers for KC
~ Preparing for a Soil Test
~ Changing the pH of Your Soil
~ Growing Herbs
~ When to Harvest Vegetables
~ Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
~ Organic Pesticides & Biopesticides
~ Cold Frames & Hot Beds
~ When to Divide Perennials
~ Dividing Spring Blooming Perennials
~ Forcing Bulbs Indoors
~ Overseeding A Lawn
~ Pruning Trees
~ Pruning Shrubs
~ Planting Trees
~ Deer Resistant Plants
~ Trees that Survived the Storm
~ Stump Removal Options for the Homeowner
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This Week's Photos

~ July 22, 2009 ~

Wild Things...
Weird... it is July 22nd and the temperature is around 80°. I am not complaining but you would have to admit that the weather this summer has been different from summer's past. It is hard to believe that a month ago we were experiencing temperatures in the high 90's with the heat index screaming past 100°. Have we been displaced? All I can say is that if the remainder of our summer continues the way it has gone this month, I will be more than pleased. Change is good!

It has been a lot like Wild Kingdom around our neighborhood this week. I was driving home the other day from dropping one of the kids from only God knows where and out of the corner of my eye I see a large deer running through my neighbors yard. You can only imagine my reaction. I stopped the car, blinked a couple of times and when I decided that it was real I automatically started to think about how to help this poor creature. Of course this happened in a matter of seconds and once I got my wits about me the deer was long gone. I called City Hall to give someone a heads up and they had already received a few calls. I really felt sorry for the poor thing. A sheer look of fright was on its face. I only hope it didn't get hurt and that someone rescued it and put it back where it belongs, whereever that might be. Foxes, geese, rabbits, a few toads and now a deer. We must be living "Where the Wild Things Are".

~ Shelly   

Bitter Cucumbers?
A bitter taste in cucumbers is the result of stress that can be caused by a number of factors, including heredity, moisture, temperature, soil characteristics and disease. Most often this occurs during the hot part of the summer or later in the growing season.

Two compounds, cucurbitacins B and C, give rise to the bitter taste. Though often only the stem end is affected, at times the entire fruit is bitter. Also, most of the bitter taste is found in and just under the skin. Bitter fruit is not the result of cucumbers cross-pollinating with squash or melons. These plants cannot cross-pollinate with one another.

Often newer varieties are less likely to become bitter than older ones. Proper cultural care is also often helpful. Make sure your plants have the following:

  • Well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5.
  • Plenty of organic matter also helps.
  • Mulch helps conserve moisture and keep roots cool during hot, dry weather.
  • Adequate water especially during the fruiting season.
  • Disease and insect control.

Source

Revitalize Herbs...
If your basil and thyme look like they need an extreme makeover you can revitalize them by cutting them back severely. This will stimulate a clean new flush of growth, free of any insect and disease damage incurred since spring.

Thump Goes The Melon...
Watermelon growers may have some pretty big fruit by now. You don't want to harvest your melons too early! Just check for these tell-tale indicators of ripeness:

  • The underside ground spot turns from whitish to creamy yellow.
  • The tendril closest to the melon turns brown and shrivels.
  • The rind loses its gloss and appears dull.
  • The melon produces a dull thud rather than a ringing sound when thumped.

The Cutting Gardener...
When gardens are blooming the way they have been lately it's a shame not to spread the beauty around. How? By bringing some of it inside! Before you try it yourself there are some procedures to follow if you really want to do it right:

  • Start when flower stems are full of water - either early morning (6 to 8 AM) or late evening (7 to 9 PM).
  • Carry a clean bucket filled with very warm (100 to 120º F) water.
  • Always use sharp, very clean scissors or pruners when cutting. 
  • Immediately place any cut flowers in the bucket of warm water.
  • When you bring the flowers in, re-cut each flower under water.  This pulls water into the stems more quickly.  Flowers that are not re-cut immediately after picking can lose up to 60% of their vase life.
  • Place the bucket of re-cut flowers in a cool area, such as the basement and allow them to hydrate or harden for at least one hour (although overnight is best).
  • Arrange, display, enjoy!

Source

Plucking Petunias...
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.

Bulbs That Bloom In Autumn...
The savviest of Savvygardeners know that there are a number of autumn-blooming bulbs that really perk up the fall garden and landscape. Autumn crocus (Colchicum autumnale) also known as meadow saffron, mysteria, or naked boys produces pink to lavender crocus-like flowers in the fall and there is no foliage present when the plants are in bloom. Dark green leaves will emerge in the spring, remain until summer, then turn yellow and die to the ground. After which, the flowers magically appear in the fall again.

Colchicums should be planted immediately after purchase or delivery in August or September or they will start to bloom in their packaging. Plant the corms in clumps, 2-3 inches deep in well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Pretty!

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...
"Birds by day and skunk by night search for juicy grubs under damp mulch covering the potatoes. They hurl the thatch aside, unearthing the biggest and best spuds, it green, toxic and fit only for compost. It is nip and tuck whether the sun or I will get to them first. Robins are especially vigorous in searching our the grubs. The garden feeds a large and varied clientele."

~ William Longgood

 

 


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