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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
Informaton
Up Coming Events
NATORP'S GARDEN STORES SPRING OPEN HOUSE!
March 30, 31 and April 1
- Spring Specials, Free classes on Saturday, special
activities, Local Artists, food and drinks. Visit
either store and enjoy their open house fun! More info
on natorp web site.
Buy your
Honey Baked Hams through Granny's Gardens School
and help them raise funds for the gardens and continued
educational programs. Gift certificates are available
from $25 to $50 and can be used at any Honey Baked Ham Store
at any time. The garden program will receive a % of
whatever amount you purchase. Orders must be placed by
March 26. (513) 324-2873
April 4.
Lunch and Learn - Daffodils ,
at the Civic Garden Center, Noon - 1pm.
Instructor, Bill Lee, of the American
Daffodil Society & South West Ohio Daffodil Society will
lead a tour through the Civic Garden Center's famed Peggy
Macneale Memorial Daffodil Garden. Learn the basics of
daffodil growing and showing, and catch a glimpse of the
600+ varieties that bloom over several weeks, including the
Wister Award Winners, all outstanding varieties for the home
landscape.
No cost, but registration is requested by
calling 513/221-0981, Ext.18.
April 4. Community Garden Development
Training - Constructing Your Garden Project, at the
Civic Garden Center, 6:00 - 9:00 pm.
Instructors Mary Ann Westendorf & Corina
Bullock will teach participants how to build raised beds,
paths, compost bins, cold frames and more. Learn about
alternative building materials for these features and make a
mosaic stepping stone.
No cost, if you are a participant in the
series
of Community Garden Development Training. Reservations
requested by calling 513/221-0981, Ext.16.
April 7.
Natural Easter Egg Dying at the Civic Garden Center,
10 am-Noon.
Instructors Sandra Matlow and Corina
Bullock, will show participants how to have fun as while
learning to decorate eggs with natural dyes made from
familiar plants, apply natural dried botanicals, and create
a charming basket. Wear old clothes or bring an apron.
Adult supervision suggested for younger children.
Cost: $10 per family. Reservations
requested by calling 513/221-0981, Ext.18.
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Whether It's The Weather
Warmer
weather is becoming more consistent, and that means the soil
temperatures are also warming up! Depending on where you
live, it may be at a constant where weed seeds (mainly
crabgrass) either have or will start germinating shortly.
To be honest (not to scare you), we are seeing a couple
crabgrass seedlings starting to grow in a couple thinner
areas of the lawns locally. So yes, be sure to get those
pre emergent herbicides in place as soon as you can. Of
course, as the weather warms, the soils warm and begin to
dry, which will allow tilling and planting those early crops
of onions, potatoes, cole crops, etc. As for those trees
and shrubs and perennials and pansies and Schizanthus, the
time is right for planting! Spring has sprung! Let's get
it on!
Apply pre
emergents now!
[Since a
running back runs forward, why do they call him a running
back?]
What's Bugging You?
(Not much yet,
besides the fact that I keep pestering Buggy Joe to dry
those wings and let's get started! He really needs
those consistent warm temperatures. You know, If this
was a Burger King Restaurant handing out free Double Cheese
Whoppers he'd be right there!)
Almost forgot! There is something
bugging me, and that's the continued decline of the honeybee
populations, and now, I have just been informed about an
unknown hive killer that has been wiping out bee hives from
Florida to New York (including Ohio!). There has been
much speculation as to the causes, so on this Saturday's
show, we'll talk with OSU Plant Diagnostic expert and
Central Ohio bee-keeper Barb Bloetscher to see where we
stand with honeybees and what is this new unknown problem
killing the hives. (We'll also have backyard
naturalist Patrick McCollum (forensic entomologist) on the
show as well!)
By the way, make sure you get those dormant
sprays taken care of. Time is definitely running out!
Same with the pre emergents. Time to be applying it
now.
[Why is Charlie short for Charles if they
both have the same number of letters?]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
"Is there
something I can spray now to prevent bagworms from getting
on my evergreens this year?" -Nope, sorry, no
preventatives, besides picking off any remaining bagworm
bags and destroying them before mid May. Then, in
early June, watch for new really small bagworms to appear on
your evergreens. If they do show up, then you can
spray (use Bt). Does a great job controlling them
early before much needle damage is even done. But you
have to wait until you see the whites of their eyes before
you can spray. H-m-m-m, I wonder if they have white in
their eyes?
"I saw a new product called "Feline Pine
Litter", made from air dried southern pine. The self
cleaning system pulls the feces from the litter, but the cat
urine is absorbed in the litter. The label tells me to
put this is the mulch or compost pile when it's time to
change litter. Is that right?" -Well, I
would never use anyhting that came in cintact with cat feces
or urine in my mulch or compost pile! I did go to my
good friend Dr. Gary "Doolittle" Clemons at the Milford
Animal Hospital with this issue and basically he said the
same thing, except with a lot of vet words that I couldn't
re-pronounce. His opinion, using some very impressive
names of bacteria and diseases, was "this is not a good
idea". Enough said. By the way, if you need one
of the best vets around to talk to your cats or dogs to help
them with their problems, he's the man. 831-5530
"Can I plant potatoes now?" -They like
the soils to be 45-50 degrees and somewaht dried out for
planting. Looks like we're there! Hey, don't
forget about planting 'taters in a basket'. Works
really well!
"Can I cut my roses back yet?"
-I'd wait at least another week, maybe 2 before cutting back
roses. Tax day is a nice time to start, depending on
how quickly it warms up.
"How soon should I bring my pots out of the
garage? I've been over wintering some potted
perennials and roses." -NOW! Get them
outside to stay the same temps as outdoors and come back to
life as they normally would.
"You're always mentioning several products
as good soil amendments when planting. What are they
again?" -Good question! When ever you're
planting new plants (annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs)
or preparing new beds, etc., it is advisable to add organic
matter to the soil to help improve it's make-up. If
you are a composter, good compost works great as a soil
amendment and or top dressing. But if you're not a
composter and need to purchase soil amendments at your local
garden stores, then for "bagged" products, I highly
recommend 3 - "Pine Soil Conditioner", "SweetPeet", and
"Posy Power". I have used all 3, and like what they
all can do to help improve the soil. Pine Soil
Conditioner and SweetPeet can be used both as a soil
amendment and a topdressing - Posy Power mostly as a soil
amendment, but a good one! When adding these to the
soil, I usually stay less than 20-30% amendment, 70-80%
original soil. (These can also be added to your
soil-less mixes in containers.)
[If something goes without saying, then why
do people say it?]
Success Tip of the Week
There are 3 very invasive
weeds showing up in our lawns and landscape beds right now,
so let's take a look at each one so you know which is which,
and then we'll show you how to get rid of it.
The 3 weeds are henbit, chickweed and wild
onions. Henbit has lobed leaves, square stems, and a
purple flower in mid spring. Chickweed is a low
creeper, small leaves, and has a white flower in mid spring.
Both of these are called winter annuals, as they started
growing from seeds late last fall. Wild onions or wild
garlic is easily recognized with their upright waxy green
foliage. Very similar in appearance, these are winter
perennials which begin growing in the late fall and winter.
So how do we get rid of these invaders? For chickweed and
henbit, simply rake, pull or scoop them out where you can
and throw them away. They're very shallow rooted, and
being an annual, once pulled they do not come back. If
you don't want to rake them out, you can spray if needed -
use Roundup in landscape beds, and use Bonide's Weed Beater
Ultra or Chickweed killer in the lawns. Either way,
make sure you get rid of them BEFORE they go to seed! For
wild onions or garlic, physical removal is recommended, but
you must get everything - foliage, stems, bulbs and roots.
The best way to do this is take a spade and dig and remove
the entire clump. Pitch that out and replace with new
soil. If you want to spray, smack the foliage to
bruise it, then use repeated applications of Roundup with a
surfactant added. This is for landscape beds. In
the lawns, you'll need to use Weed Beater Ultra, and it will
take repeated applications.
Of course there's one last way to get rid of
chickweed and the wild onions or garlic. If you can't
beat them, eat them! Both are highly edible. As
a matter of fact, chickweed is one of the most nutritious
green available, and when it comes to the onions, I say $.99
at the grocers, free in your yard!
[Do bald people get dandruff?]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
Yardboy, it's the
first day of spring and great to be back with you and your
readers once again! Starting next week, I'll be
sharing seasonal recipes and tips, but today I want to talk
about getting your spring and summer pantry in order.
Let's talk about herbs, spices, and other pantry foods that
have been in your pantry since last spring. Our homes
are warmer in the winter, so these aromatics can lose their
pungency. Grains can get little weevils in them.
I always check all of my spices, herbs and grains this time
of the year.
Stock up often - Start fresh! Remember, herbs and
spices are at least 2 years old when you purchase them - it
takes a year to grow and harvest, and sometimes a year to
get to the grocery shelves. Whole leaf dry herbs last
at least one year; whole spices at least two years under
optimum conditions.
Store carefully - Exposure to light, moisture and air will
quickly rob herbs and spices of their delicious flavors.
Store in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, away from
light.
Cook
spices a long time - Unlike most herbs, which flavor a dish
almost instantly, spices are slow to reveal their real
personality. Give them ample time to release their
flavors.
Boost the flavor - Toast spices briefly in a dry nonstick
skillet until aromatic for the best flavor.
Grains, Starches - Check your whole wheat flower, dry rice,
cereals, etc. If you see clumps or webbing, that means
the creatures have invaded - little pantry moths - so pitch
those out. I store long term items in glass.
Whole wheat products should be stored in the freezer.
Leavening agents - To check your baking powder (even if the
expiration date isn't near) put a pinch or two in some warm
water. It should foam right away if it's fresh.
For baking soda, put a pinch in an acid solution, like water
with a squeeze of lemon or bit of vinegar. It, too,
should foam. Baking soda usually lasts a long time.
Don't pitch out the dill or fennel seeds just yet! -
Even though they may have lost flavor, they may still be
viable enough to plant. Cover lightly with soil, water
well and put outside. In about a week, the dill should
start popping up and the fennel will follow. (You can
also check germination possibilities by placing a few seeds
between 2 layers of papertowels and keeping them moist.
Those seeds (if viable) will germinate with a week to days
or so.)
-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
[Are marbles made from marble?]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
If you're considering planting a few trees in the yard or
street tree area, you may want to take a look at the 2007
Urban Tree of the Year. Taxodium distichum / 'Baldcypress'
Hardy in zones 4-11, this tree has been chosen for its 4
seasons of interest, excellent wind resistance, wildlife
habitat and food, is relatively pest free, and has the
adaptability to grow in swampland or on the high plains.
Considered a deciduous conifer, this stately tree has
wonderful sage green needles in the summer, becoming a
russet to orangish brown in the fall (and dropping like
leaves), along with very attractive reddish brown fibrous
bark. Baldcypress can reach 50 feet plus in height and
20-30 feet wide, with a pyramidal growth habit.
Great specimen tree, highway or street tree, screening,
groupings and grove plantings, and will tolerate wet soils -
does equally well in dry soils. (Cypress 'knees' usually
develop when growing near water or extremely wet soils)
*Chosen by the Society of Municipal Arborists
[If the sky is the limit, then what is
space? Over the limit?]
A
Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
As the
temperatures continue to get warmer, there are several
things that need to be done. Get those pre emergents
applied in both the lawn and landscape beds. Rake and
fluff the mulch but let's wait before applying more.
Clean debris from the lawn and get ready to give the lawn
that first mowing. Did you have the mower serviced and
the mower blade sharpened? Continue late dormant
pruning as needed, and make sure any dormant spraying needed
is taken care of soon. As your spring bulbs are
showing good green, feed them with Espomas garden food or
bulb food. Keep Espomas entire line of natural
fertilizers in mind for your plant's feeding needs. As
perennials begin to show their little heads, this is an
excellent time for digging and dividing many of them.
As a general rule, summer and fall bloomers get divided in
the spring / spring and early summer bloomers divided late
summer or fall. Ornamental grasses are a spring
divider. Get ready to start planting all those cold
hardy veggies such as onions, potatoes, peas, cabbage, kale,
collards, brussel sprouts, broccoli, most all greens, etc.
And don't forget these will all do quite nicely in
containers or straw bales as well.
[What was Captain Hook's name before he had
a hook for a hand?]
Okay, that's it for this week.
Lot's going on over the next few weeks, so if you have a
question, stop by our garden stores and ask our garden pros,
or email us. We're the experts so you don't have to
be. Now, do yourself a favor. Go out and have
the best weekend of your life. See ya. RW, the
Yardboy. (GO BUCKS!)
[Can you 'zone
out' and be 'in the zone' at the same time?] |
