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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
Emerald Ash Borer
Update for N. Ky.
July 31 / 6:30pm
1045 Eaton Dr.
Ft. Wright, Ky.
Free but please RSVP
859-586-6101
Boone Co. Extension
Meyer Aquascapes
Pondarama Pond Tour
July 28 -29
Self Guided Tour
26 Landscaped Ponds
$10 Ticket
513-941-8500
aquascapes.com
August 7. Roses:
They Don't Have to be Annuals!,
at the Civic Garden Center, 6-8pm .
Cost: $10. Reservations requested by calling 513/221-0981,
Ext.18.
August 14. Gardening 101 - Lawn Care,
at the Civic Garden Center,
6 -7:30 pm.
Cost: $10. Reservations requested by calling 513/221-0981,
Ext.18.
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
Who can
complain about the weather we've had so far, besides the
lack of rain this spring and inconsistent showers this
summer? Just when the heat starts to tug at you, a cool
front moves through, and its like a fall day. But we are
still way behind in year to date rainfall, so keep up the
watering as needed. In areas where you have not received
rainfall and the ground is simply rock hard dry, if you are
using a sprinkler, it may be better for you to water forI
about 15-20 minutes, shut off the sprinkler and let that
water soak in, and then turn the sprinkler back on to finish
out. And if you see that there is a really good chance you
may be receiving a rain shower that day, try to water before
the rain gets there! That will actually help to wick the
rainfall into the soil and you'll have less runoff.
[I've learned that our background and circumstances may
influence who we are, but we are responsibile for who we
become.]
What's Bugging You
Wow,
have I been lucky so far in our garden. We just have not
had much in bug or disease problems! On the same token, I
was reminded that mid summer was here and we are getting
close to rounding third and heading for fall, when I walked
out back this morning and greeted by a huge spider web that
wrapped around me from my head to my shoes! This thing went
above the door down to the step, and I got it all. Yes, I
did the spider web two-step shuffle, and yes, I'm still
finding pieces of it on my shirt. From here on you can just
watch the spider webs increase in numbers every day.
Remember - good bugs, good bugs, good bugs. YECH!
This
week Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension) is reporting chiggers
galore (Don't forget - chiggers do not tunnel into your
skin. They feed at the base of a hair follicle by injecting
digestive fluids into the spot, which produces a 'chigger
slurry soap', which they suck out with their piercing
mouthpart. That is what makes you itch!), areas which have
received rainfall now reporting mosquito bites, folks with
ornamental potato vines having the Golden Tortoise Beetle
feeding on the leaves, warm season mite populations reaching
higher than normal numbers, yellownecked caterpillars out
and about, Potter Wasps out and about making their jug like
nests of clay (they actually lay one egg in each jug and
also place a paralyzed caterpillar or beetle larvae there to
be eaten by the hatchling larva - cool, huh?), and Japanese
beetle population pockets still partying hardy (good news is
that with the drought and drier soils, there is a good
chance both the Japanese beetles and Northern masked Chafer
populations may be reduced next year as dry soils are not
very good for their reproduction - woo hoo!). BJB also
wants to remind folks to be on the lookout for the
Bluewinged Wasp and the Cicada Killer Wasp. These monster
wasps are the good guys! The Bluewinged will be see buzzing
over the turf looking for white grubs in the soil. The
Cicada Wasp will be buzzing around looking for dog day
cicadas! The females will be seen digging burrows along the
front edges of beds or in sandy soils, while the male buzzes
around acting aggressive to anything that comes close to the
burrow. Problem is, only the female has a stinger! And she
usually is not aggressive! If they become a nuisance, a
light dusting of sevin around the burrows is effective in
getting rid of them.
-Catch
the Buggy Joe Boggs Report every Saturday at 8:42am on 55KRC
The Talk Station.
Stay
informed about the Emerald Ash Borer. Be sure to visit:
www.emerldashborer.info
or ashalert.osu.edu
Help fund EAB Research with your tax deductible
contributions. Send your contribution to:
The EAB Project c/o Horticultural Research Institute
1000 Vermont Ave, NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20005
Thank
you! rw & bjb
[I've
learned that we don't have to change friends if we we
understand that friends change.]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
"I have
seen several enormous green beetles hovering over our turf.
What are those, and should I be concerned?" -They low
flying loud buzzers are 'Green June Beetles' and they're
looking for a place to lay eggs in the turf. Usually low
in numbers, so damages from adults or larvae are minimal.
They do love lawns with high thatch or high organic matter
in the soil!
"When's
the best time to feed my azaleas?" -I use Dr. Rhodos
schedule: Immediately after flowering, again in one month,
and 1/2 rate in late fall. That would be Chris Trautman of
Mowbray Gardens in Amelia, Ohio.
"Too
late to apply a grub preventer to the lawn?" -Nope, but I
would get on it right away. And do be sure to water as
directed.
"I have
heard that planting ornamental grasses in the fall is not a
good thing due to its root system not being active. Does
this go for Russian sage as well?" Fall is the best time
for planting most all plants! There are a couple exceptions
to the rule, and some things may be best planted early
fall. Technically, ornamental grasses are warm season
grasses which means they will shut down when the air and
soil temperatures get cold. So, it is good to get them
planted early enough that they can do a little root
development before the winter. So, we will plant ornamental
grasses in the fall, and try to have them in place by late
October / or even early November depending on the weather.
What we won't do is dig and divide ornamental grasses in the
fall. That is a spring time only. As for the Russian sage,
fall planting is no problem. And again, if you're
concerned, plant in September thru mid to late October.
"We saw
Hopi crepe myrtles at the Zoo this past weekend. Waht does
"dwarf" mean in crepe myrtles, is this a good plant for
here, where would I plant it, and does Natorp's sell
it?" -Wow! Okay. let's see - dwarf means they stay less
than 8-10 feet, although some selections are listed even
shorter than that - we are planting crepe myrtles more and
more here, and if they die back in the winter, they usually
come back up from the roots - crepe myrtle loves the sun, so
give it a sunny location - Yes, we do sell it, along with
4-5 other selections. Look at Pink velour - outstanding
colorful foliage as well as pink flowers.
"Hey
Ron, Love the news letter. I was wondering about what may be
wild strawberries. We have plants/vines all around our house
that have small red berries on them that look like
strawberries. Are they and if so are they edible? If they
are do you have any good ideas on how best to prepare them?
Could Rita do a series on wild plants and berries i.e. (polk,
mulberries) so we can safely enjoy some treats we may be
overlooking?" Well, let's ask the one and only Rita for
her response! Rita?
-"OK,
Nature Boy, here's my answer. If the berries started out
with yellow flowers, they are indeed wild strawberries but
with little flavor. True, great tasting, wild strawberries
are white-flowered. What you have, and we all do in
abundance, are what are known as Indian strawberries.
They're not worth the time or effort to pick them. The poke
is too tall now to do anything with - you have to pick it
when it first comes out of the ground in short, thin shoots
and then you have to boil it *drain), and boil it (drain),
and boil it. As the plant grows, it becomes more poisonous
and never, ever, eat the berries, as they are poisonous, as
well. (rw suggests you just leave Poke alone!) Mulberries,
on the other hand, are wonderful in jellies. We didn't get
enough mulberries this year to make any jelly, but I'm glad
to know someone else besides me likes to go "wild" in the
kitchen.
Mulberry
Jelly: 3 pounds ripe mulberries, 1/2 cup strained fresh
lemon juice, 7 cups sugar, 1 bottle liquid pectin To
fix: Put mulberries in saucepan and crush. Heat gently
until juice starts to flow, then simmer, covered, for 15
minutes. Put in jelly cloth or bag, and squeeze out juice.
If you want a real clear jelly, don't squeeze but just let
drip. If you don't have enough juice for 3 cups, then go
ahead and squeeze. Measure 3 cups into a very large pot.
Add lemon juice and sugar, and stir well. Put over high
heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Stir in
pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil and boil hard for 1
minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, skim off
foam, and pour quickly into hot sterilized jars. Seal.
Makes about eight 1/2-pint jars." -Rita
[I've learned that just because someone doesn't love you the
way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with
all they have.]
Success Tip of the Week
If you
look around at the plants in your local nurseries, what
consistent factor do you see? Most of the plants, including
larger trees, have been grown in containers. Now there are
many reasons why this has become the trend in growing
plants, but one of the most important is this - it affords
all of us the opportunity to plant spring, summer, fall, and
even during the winter. The trees don't have to be dug from
the ground, no roots are cut, no transplanting shock - just
slide them out of the pot and plant. But how we water these
container grown plants will be a very important factor on
their success, especially during the summer or drier periods
of the season.
Established plants would like 1 inch of rainfall every 10
days or so. But newly planted trees and shrubs usually
require watering more often for the first 18 months or so.
You see, the container soils dry out faster than the
surrounding or backfill soils, so when you water, it's
important that you water the immediate root ball first.
That's where the tree will get all of its moisture. Make
sure the root ball gets soaked, and then water the
surrounding soils as you can. Keep them evenly moist for
the first 3 weeks or so after planting, by watering every
3-4 days. Then after the first 3 weeks, you can back off
the watering to once every 7 days.
Now
there are many ways to soak your new tree's root ball, but
one of the easiest, and becoming one of the most popular, is
using a Treegator bag - it's what the pros use! Simply zip
these bags around the trunk of your new tree, fill the bag
with water (20 gallons), and let the bag slow drip water the
roots of your tree. 100% absorption - good even moisture
right at the root zone - and it actually cuts down your
watering time by as much as 80%. Just fill the bag and let
it drip! You can keep these around your new trees all
season long to make sure they get their proper weekly
watering.
And for
the evergreens or plants with lower branches, there's the
Treegator Junior, which fits under low branches, but still
slow drip waters the plants immediate root zone.
[I've
learned that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing
and still have a good time.]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
"Hey
Rita what's Cooking?"
GRILLED CORN
WITH FRESH BASIL BUTTER
Most recipes call for herb butter to be brushed on the corn
before grilling. I like to brush the herb butter on after
the corn comes off the grill for an explosion of flavor.
4 ears
corn
1/2
stick salted butter
2 generous tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
Freshly ground sea salt and pepper to taste
Remove silk and all but one layer of the husk from each ear
of corn. Place the ears in cool water and let soak for 10
minutes. Grill, turning several times, 15-20 minutes or
until corn is tender. Outside of husks will char. Meanwhile,
make basil butter:
Yardboy, the Silver Queen corn is so good this year! And you
know me, I start the water boiling when Frank & the kids go
out to pick the corn for supper. I always add a squirt of
honey to my water when I cook corn - that's my secret that
I'm sharing with you and our readers today. There's nothing
like fresh corn from the garden, so I hope all of you take
advantage of the many roadside markets selling this treat.
If you like, you can grill the corn, too - remove the
straggly silk and any outside leaves that are hanging down,
soak in cold water for 30 minutes or longer, then grill on a
hot grill about 15 minutes or so, turning so each side gets
a bit blackened. Peel the leaves off and enjoy!
Basil
Butter: This can be made ahead and refrigerated several
days, or frozen up to 3 months. Combine the butter, basil
and salt and pepper to taste in mixer, food processor or by
hand and blend until smooth. Pack into a crock and pass with
grilled corn.
Chili
Seasoned Corn:
Coat corn with butter after grilling. Season with salt,
pepper and chili powder lightly sprinkled on.
Roasted corn salsa: Kernels from 4-5 ears grilled corn
Several ripe tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
Handful of cilantro, chopped, to taste
Squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste
Salt and pepper
Combine corn kernels, tomatoes, onion, jalapeņo, garlic, and
cilantro in a medium bowl. Season to taste with lime juice,
salt, and pepper. Serve.
-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
[I've learned that maturity has more to do with types of
experiences you've had and what you've learned from them,
and less to do with how many birthdays you've experienced.]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
1.) I
get asked a lot of gardening questions through the year, and
one very common question is "Tell me how to take care of my
hibiscus". And my response to the question is always the
same. "What type of hibiscus do you have?" To which they
respond "I didn't know there were different types!" Well,
there are, and they all 3 require different care. Let me
show you the three types we commonly see in our area.
This
hibiscus is commonly known as the "Chinese or Tropical
Hibiscus", and is not hardy for our zone. Great shiny green
foliage, available in a multitude of spectacular colors, and
truly one of the best bangs for the buck for all summer
color, this hibiscus is either grown as an annual here, or
taken inside the house during the winter season. These are
a great container plant and are seen an awful lot gracing
many patios and decks. That's tropical hibiscus.
This
hibiscus is hardy in our zone, is a woody plant, and many
selections can get as much as 10-12 feet tall! Its Hibiscus
syriacus, or commonly known as the Rose of Sharon. It's
late to leaf out in the spring, but by mid summer the new
growth becomes loaded with wonderful hibiscus flowers that
will last well into the fall, again in colors from whites to
pinks to purples to reds. That's the Rose of Sharon.
And then
we'll find the hardy perennial hibiscus, Hibiscus moscheutos
or coccineus or palustris, or commonly known as "Hardy
Hibiscus" or "Rose Mallow". These woody perennials usually
range from 3-6 feet in height, come in a variety of leaf
colors, and of course are best known for their dinner plate
sized blossoms that are simply spectacular in the garden.
These woody perennials are cut back close to the ground in
the spring, and re-grow each season to produce these
outstanding flowers. That's the hardy perennial hibiscus.
So now
you know the 3 types of hibiscus commonly grown in our
area. So if you need more information on their care, just
email me - and be sure to tell me which type of hibiscus you
have!
2.) Planting perennials in your garden or landscape is a
great way to add color that keeps coming back year after
year. But most perennials only flower for 2-3-4 weeks, or
part of the season, which is why you need to plan, before
you plant perennials - to make sure you have colors all
season long. So today, we'll take a look at just a few of
the many perennials flowering in mid summer.
-Liatrus,
or Gayflower - these long flowers come in rose, lavender and
white, and flower midsummer thru early fall.
-Gaura
or Whirling Butterflies. Flowers are white and pink on
these long stems, which will last thru late summer. As the
wind blows, the Gaura flowers resemble whirling butterflies.
-Coreopsis - a very common perennial in the garden with
yellows and whites - it's an early to late summer bloomer,
that will keep blooming as you shear off the old flowers.
-Echinacea or coneflowers, and today there are so many to
choose - these are good summer bloomers, and simply love the
sun.
-Perovskia
or Russian sage - wonderful silvery gray foliage (yes it has
a sage scent) topped with long spikes of lavender blue
flowers. A good summer bloomer.
Now
these are just 5 of the literally hundreds of perennials to
choose from that will provide colors for your garden during
the summer. We'll take a look at more in the upcoming
weeks. In the meantime, get out to Natorp's garden stores
and check out our selections of summer blooming perennials.
[I've learned that you can keep going, long after you think
you can't.]
A Little
Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
Keep
watering as needed, take plants growing indoors outdoors and
give them a good hosing off (spray if needed - and do not
leave them in the full sun as they will scorch!), keep
deadheading as needed, stop any major pruning and begin to
back off fertilizing woody plants, cut back leggy annuals,
dead foliage perennials whose foliage looks tired and worn,
feed annuals and perennials as needed, and be ready to plant
fall crops like greens, radishes, carrots, collards, brussel
sprouts, etc.
[I've learned that it's taking me longer to become the
person I want to be.]
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