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In This Issue
Weather It's The
Weather
What's Bugging
You
Questionmark and
Mysterian
Success Tip of
the Week
From the Garden
to the Kitchen
Plant to Ponder
Contact
Information
Up
Coming Events
Natorp's Garden Stores Hours effective 6/17/07
Sun 11-5
M-F 9:30-8
Sat 9:30-6
Mason in Bloom
"Art in the Garden Tour"
Sat. June 16
www.masoninbloom.com
College Hill Gardeners
Garden Tour / June 23
8 Gardens to Tour
681-1326
East Row Garden Club of Newport Garden Walk June 23-24
10am - 4pm each day
8 Gardens / Music / Vendors / Plant Lists
Tickets $15 sold at the Watertower Square Parking Lot /
Sixth and Washington Streets
Get Involved with
Grannys Garden School
grannysgardenschool.com
Quick Links
$10,000 Landscape
Makeover
Newsletter
Archive
Success Tip Sheets
Landscape Design Kit
Gift Cards
Rita's Recipes
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Whether It's The Weather
No
question here. Lack of rainfall has become a major issue.
(And the heat isn't helping matters either!) Keep those
sprinklers, soaker hoses, Ross Root Feeders (these make a
great Father's Day gift!), etc going until relief arrives
from Mother Nature. Anyone have a sure fired rain dance
they can perform?
[Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat
word for word what you shouldn't have said.]
What's Bugging You?
So far, I've been pretty bug free! Had several complaints
about Cucumber beetles, but other that than, pretty smooth
so far. As a matter of fact, I've had very few reports of
bagworms on evergreens so far. Anyone out there seeing any
on their plants yet?
This
week, Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension) is reporting some
complaints of artillery (shotgun) fungus shooting their
black spores on cars, siding, furniture, and people walking
by, Elm flea weevils on, yes, Elms, continued reports of
severe twisted and curled leaves on plants due to aphid
damage, sawflies on oak, pear, ash and willow, some reports
of bagworms but not many, some powdery mildew here and
there, warm season mites have hatched, Japanese beetles
already reported in a couple areas (very early!), red thread
on some turf, and lightning bugs are starting to show up at
night - don't forget their larvae feed on eggs of snails and
slugs.
Catch the Buggy Joe Boggs Report Saturdays at 8:42am on
55KRC radio.
[Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it
himself.]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
"When is
the best time to water"? -Between 5 and 9am. Next would
be late afternoon. Watering during the day presents
problems like waste of water due to quicker evaporation as
well as the possibility of burning leaves due to the
moisture and direct sunlight. Watering late evening and at
night can set your plants or lawn up for foliar diseases.
But again, if needs be, water when you can! Don't forget
using a Ross Root Feeder or soaker hoses are great ways to
water anytime without much evaporation.
"Is it
too late to plant my vegetable garden?" Not at all! Many
plants, including tomatoes and peppers, can be planted until
July 4th. Many direct seeded veggies can still be planted,
including cucs and squash and melons and pumpkins! Herbs
can be planted now as well. So plenty of time to plant that
garden!
"I see
you're having a tree sale right now, but isn't it late to be
planting trees? Won't I be watering all the time?" -Great
question! No, its not too late to plant, including trees.
And if the trees are growing in containers, they can be
moved and planted any time of the year! As far as watering,
sure we're headed into the heat of the summer, but whether
you planted last fall, this spring or right now, (besides
the first 2-3 weeks after planting) you would be watering
those newly planted trees the same. Once every week, or
something close to that. So this makes a good time to add a
few trees, especially when they're on sale and you save big
bucks!
"My
Knock Out Roses are being eaten by something. There are
holes in the middle of the leaves. I thought these were low
maintenance and no bug problems? What should I do?" -Low
maintenance, no diseases, and insect tolerant. And even
though those "rose slugs" are eating holes in the leaves,
the Knock Outs take the lickin' but keep on tickin'. Rose
slugs are an extremely small caterpillar type insect feeding
on the undersides of the leaves. Using a system rose care (Bonide,
Bayer, etc.) helps from the inside out, as well as foliar
sprays of insecticidal soaps or horticultural oils. And be
sure to spray the undersides of the leaves. But again,
"insect tolerant" not resistant.
"If my
lawn has gone dormant due to the lack of rain and heat,
should I still be watering?" -Yes, but only enough to
keep those grass crowns alive (growing right at the soil
surface). Usually, 1/2 inch of rainfall every 10 days or so
will keep the lawn dormant yet keep those crowns alive, so
once rainfall returns, they can start to re-grow.
[Excuse me, but does the name Pavlov ring a bell?]
Success Tip of the Week
If
you've had problems with grubs in your lawn, or would like
to prevent having problems with grubs in your lawn, now's
the time to apply a grub preventer. But with all those to
choose, how do you know which one is the right one?
First, remember that we're applying a grub preventer, which
will go after the early egg stages of the grubs before they
cause any damages. And with many species of beetles laying
eggs at different times over the summer, grub preventers
last for the entire season helping to control all the
different species of grub eggs.
So
you need to make sure you apply a grub preventer - and the
chemicals on the label would be either "Merit" (or
imidacloprid), or Mach 2. These are the long lasting grub
preventers. Common brand names include Scott's GrubEx,
Bayer's Season Long Grub Control, or Bonide's new Grub
Beater. Again, these last all season.
As
always, be sure to read the labels before applications -
these do need to be watered in before they become
activated. And do remember that even using these products,
there will always be grubs in the soil. So keeping your
lawn healthy is the best defense against grubs or any lawn
insect. A healthy turf means fewer weeds, less disease, and
fewer insect problems.
[Did you hear about the guy whose left side was cut off?
He's all right now.]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
"Hey
Rita what's Cooking?"
Yardboy,
with Father's Day coming up, I wanted to share a special
recipe that's a bit longer than my usual ones. I know you
love to grill, as most Dad's do, so this would be perfect
for you (or your girls if you can cajole them into grilling)
to make and enjoy. And for all the Dads who read this
column, relax and have a great Dad's day!
RITA'S OWN GRILLED BABY BACK RIBS WITH HOT & SMOKY BARBECUE
SAUCE
Sprinkle the ribs with the spice rub up to a day head. This
recipe will serve 8 people.
Rub:
You may have leftover rub so store in refrigerator up to a
month. Mix together:
3
tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika or regular paprika
1 teaspoon allspice
Ribs: 6-7 pounds meaty baby back pork ribs, cut into 6-7
rib slabs
To
season ribs: Sprinkle1 teaspoon rub on each side of each
slab of ribs. Arrange on large baking sheet; cover with
foil and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to l day.
To
grill ribs: Prepare grill with medium heat. Arrange ribs
on rack and grill until tender and cooked, turning
occasionally, about 25-35 minutes.
Reserve 2 cups barbecue sauce in small bowl. Brush each
side of each pork rib slab generously with some of remaining
sauce. Continue grilling until sauce forms a sticky
coating, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer ribs to
platter. Cut slabs between bones into individual ribs and
serve, passing reserved 2 cups barbeque sauce alongside.
Hot &
Smoky Sauce: This is a great do-ahead sauce. After cooking,
adjust seasonings. I usually add a little more brown sugar.
4
cups catsup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/3 to 1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup prepared mustard
2 tablespoons Tobasco
2 tablespoons barbeque rub (see above)
2 teaspoons liquid smoke plus a bit more if needed
Chipotle pepper powder to taste or 1-2 chipotle peppers in
Adobo sauce, chopped fine (or couple shakes cayenne - go
easy on the cayenne if using)
Combine everything in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat to simmer and cook until dark and thick, about 20
minutes. Store in refrigerator. Keeps up to a month.
-Rita
Nader Heikenfeld, CCP / Macy's Regional Culinary
Professional / Herbalist / Author / Local TV and Radio
Cooking Expert / Adjunct Professor U.C. Clermont College /
Community Press Papers / Part time Witchdoctor / Maker of
strange potions /
www.abouteating.com
[A boiled egg is hard to beat.]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
June is
a month for many occasions - its wedding month, graduation
month, dairy month, its even National Turkey Lover's month.
But the most important occasion for the month of June is
this one - June is Perennial Gardening Month!
So
what it a perennial? In this case, perennials are
herbaceous plants that come back year after year. Most die
back to the ground in the winter, and then re-grow in the
spring from the roots, although some can be evergreen.
Perennials provide bursts of foliage, as well as flower
colors that last anywhere from a week to a month or more,
yet keep coming back year after year. And being they may
flower for a short period of time, it's important to do some
planning before you plant your perennials - So that you will
have something in color throughout the summer season.
During June and July, our garden stores are stocked full of
perennials so you can visit, see how and when they flower,
and of course, purchase and plant them.
Now
each year, the Perennial Plant Association chooses their
perennial of the year. The 2007 winner is Nepeta "Walker's
Low", or commonly known as "Walker's Low" Catmint. This
perennial has no insect or disease problems, low
maintenance, it's very hardy, loves the sun, and is great as
a border plant, in rock gardens, as a ground cover, even
grows in containers. And of course, you can't beat the grey
green foliage of Catmint, and the long lasting blue violet
flowers that are great for attracting bees and butterflies,
yet is rabbit and deer resistant.
Its
unbelievable how many perennials are available for the
gardens today! June is Perennial Garden Month, so get out
to our garden stores and check them out!
[Every minute spent angry is sixty seconds of happiness
wasted.]
A Little
Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
If
you're talking with your dad this weekend, bring a few of
these things up and see him smile!
Remember when:
-A 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car to cruise in or "peel
out"
-Nobody owned a purebred dog
-It was a privilege to go out to dinner at a real restaurant
with your parents
-You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas
pumped without asking, for free.
-The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was
"cooties"
-Baseball cards in the spokes made your bike a motorcycle
-25 cents was a descent allowance
-Being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared
to what you were going to get when you got home
-Remember 45 RPM records, Green Stamps, pop machines with
cold water and glass bottles, and being "double dog dared"?
[Anyone
can be a Father, but it takes someone special to be a
"Dad".]
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