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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
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is coming!
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Mason
visit www.natorp.com
for more info!
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
It's hot
- extremely hot, so make sure you're watering those newly
planted trees and shrubs, containers, etc. Remember with
this heat, tomato and peppers usually won't set fruit, and
do be cautious spraying any pesticides, herbicides, even
using fertilizers when it's this hot and plants are
stressed.
[You know it’s hot when you learn that a seat belt buckle
makes a pretty good branding iron.]
What's Bugging You
I don't
want to brag, but I really can't complain this year.
Besides the early infestation of ants, earwigs, a few
Japanese beetles, the occasional June bug getting into the
house, and that darned spider that hangs out at our back
door, I have no bugs to complain about. I haven't even seen
any major outbreaks of bagworms this year! I'm just bug
boring this year. And, I'll take it!
This
week, Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension) is reporting the
beginning of ant swarming time, mites mites and more mites,
bagworms still feeding (spray with an insecticide and they
will stop!), cicada killer wasps being reported more than
ever, funnel web spiders really getting serious on lawns and
shrubs and hedges and anything else they can get seriously
webby on, powdery mildew on many leaves now, and just as a
reminder, BJB reports that we are still in a drought
situation, and in case you haven't been outside, it is
extremely hot. (Thank you, Joe)
Catch
the Buggy Joe Boggs Report Saturdays at 8:42am on 55KRC The
Talk Station.
Stay in
touch with the Emerald Ash Borer - ashalert.osu.edu
www.emeraldashborer.info
[You know its hot when the cows are giving evaporated milk.]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
"I
recently bought and 'Aerogarden' and let me tell you, this
thing is awesome! It's great for growing herbs and veggies
indoors! But what I found really worked well, was using it
to start my tomato plants indoors. It really worked great!
Afterwards, I grew herbs and things indoors. Just wanted to
share that with your readers. By the way, can you tell me
about using Epsom Salt in the garden?" -Thanks for the
input on the Aerogarden. Never used one, but have had
several folks say it worked for them for indoor gardening.
May have to try it this winter! As for the Epsom Salt, I
have the info further down in the newsletter.
"I heard
you say that spraying bagworms now stops them from eating.
Spray with what?" -If you have just discovered that you
have bagworms on your evergreens, unfortunately they have
gotten so large that insecticides won't do a very good job
controlling them at this stage. BUT, spraying with an
insecticide like Eight, Sevin, Orthene, etc, will actually
cause them to close the hatch on their bag home, stop
feeding, and begin pupating into an adult form. But the
feeding stops! Pretty strange, huh? But it works! Again,
hand pick as many as you can and destroy them. Then watch
for the youngins next year (mid to late June) and spray at
that time if needed.
'Last
week, during the daytime, I sprayed my beetle covered plants
with Bug-B-Gone. 2 days later, most of the leaves started
dying and fell off. What did I do wrong?" -Do not spray
plants with pesticides when they are under heat and drought
stress, or when the temperatures start hitting mid 80's or
higher. Read the labels. They will have warnings when NOT
to spray plants, and it sounds like you hit the NOT time!
Time will tell as to which plants will recover.
"I want
to clear out the grass around a tree trunk, mulch it and put
in a bench. Can I use Triox around the base of the tree to
make the soil non productive?" -NO! Triox is a soil
sterilant and will harm the roots of the tree. If you need
to spray vegetation to kill it, use Roundup, Kleenup,
Espomas Weed and Grass Killer, Vinegar, but not a soil
sterilant. You can add a pre emergent herbicide to the
mulch to help prevent weed seeds from growing if you'd like.
"I
planted potatoes for the first time in my garden, and last
night, I noticed clusters of what looks like cherry tomatoes
on the potato plants! Am I crazy?" -Nope you're not
crazy, those are actually a fruit that potatoes can produce
after flowering, and they are very similar in appearance to
tomatoes. BUT, they are very poisonous, so do not eat
them! Cut them off and throw them away.
[You know it's hot when the birds have to use potholders to
pull the worms out of the ground.]
Success Tip of the Week
Using
Epsom Salt in the Garden
You may have heard or hear about this old time home remedy
as an addition to the soil for gardening successes,
especially in the vegetable garden. It has been applied to
tomatoes, peppers, roses and more, hoping to produce more
flowers, higher yields and greener plants. And although
most boxes of Epsom salt do not have uses in the garden on
the label, it is now being manufactured, boxed and specially
labeled for use in the garden.
What
is it? - Epsom Salt is a natural mineral, used for treating
a range of human and animal ailments, as well as a
fertilizer. Chemically, it is hydrated magnesium sulfate.
Magnesium is needed for seed germination and the production
of chlorophyll, as well as improving uptake of nitrogen,
phosphorus, and sulfur, as well as helping to make the
plants thicker and bushier. Low levels of magnesium in the
soil may cause yellowing of leaves between the veins, leaf
curling, stunted growth, and lack of sweetness to the
fruit. Causes and effects of deficient magnesium vary, but
we do know tomatoes, peppers and roses need high doses of
magnesium for optimum growth. Sulfur is a key element in
plant growth, as well as assisting in giving some vegetables
like broccoli and onions their flavors. It too contributes
to chlorophyll production and making primary nutrients more
available to the plants. There are many ways to add both
to the soils, but one advantage of using Epsom Salt is that
it has a high solubility and is quickly taken up by plants
(roots or foliage). Its high solubility also makes it hard
to overuse, won't burn the plants, and is safe around kids
and pets. Note: Unless your soil is magnesium deficient,
adding Epsom Salt isn't needed. It's always best to have
you soils tested first, just so you'll know for sure!
How
do I use it? - Epsom Salt can be used as a soil amendment or
as a foliar spray. If you purchased the Epsom Salt labeled
for use in the garden, follow the directions on the label.
If you are using regularly boxed Epsom Salt, here are a few
of the 'collected' recommended rates for use (and trust us,
they will vary from gardener to gardener). Again, these are
rates recommended by other gardeners, so use at your own
caution.
Roses
- Apply ½ cup around plants in the early spring, and ½ cup
in the fall. As a foliar spray, 1 tablespoon per gallon,
and spray after leaves fully open in spring, and again
during flowering.
Tomatoes and Peppers - Apply 1 tablespoon around each plant
at planting. Then for a foliar spray, dissolve 1 tablespoon
in a gallon of water. This can be used at planting, first
flower, and first fruit set, or some will spray every 3-4
weeks.
Garden Startup - Apply 1 cup per 100 sq. feet and mix into
the soil.
Trees and Shrubs - Apply one tablespoon per 9 sq. feet, 2-3
times annually. Note: There are some plants that do not
want this added. Sage is one. So again, use with
caution. Good luck!
[You know it’s hot when you can make sun tea instantly.]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
"Hey
Rita what's Cooking?"
Yardboy,
you did my work for me this week. The recipe I'm sharing
below is one yo shared with me, so thanks for that food
gift. What a timely one, as well. We have been eating fresh
corn every night, because it's something you really do have
to enjoy in the moment. And our basil is almost as tall as I
am (no short jokes, Yardboy). Now if you don't have fresh
corn, go ahead and use frozen, thawed.
Corn
and Basil Pudding
Ingredients:
6 ears of corn, cut off from the cob (about 3 cups)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
3 chicken bouillon cubes
5 eggs
1 2/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup coarsely chopped basil
Instructions:
To
get started, shuck 6 ears of corn and remove the corn from
the cob with a knife and scrape each cob to get all of the
milk. (I do this with the flat side of my chef's knife).
This makes about 3 cups. Then add the chopped onion and
minced garlic along with the salt and pepper.
Saute
all of this together over medium heat for about 10 minutes
in olive oil and butter. And to give it a little extra zip,
add the chicken bouillon cubes.
Next
combine the eggs, milk, flour and grated Parmesan cheese and
blend all together. Be sure the corn saute is cooled, then
add it to the mixture. For the final ingredient, fold in the
fresh coarsely chopped basil.
Blend
this together and put it in a 1 quart baking dish that has
been greased and bake it for about 40 minutes at 375 degrees
F.
-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
[You know its hot when farmers are feeding their chickens
crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
It may
be August, but believe it or not, garden mums are now
available in the garden stores. So I thought I'd give you a
few tips about choosing mums for lasting colors. More
garden mums are sold each year than any other perennial.
They can be planted spring, mid summer, and fall, come in a
wide array of colors, and truly are the flower of the fall
season. But when you're choosing mums to be planted this
time of the year, it's important to look at the size of the
flower buds, and how much color is actually showing, to help
determine how long your mums will be in flower.
Choosing a mum in early to mid August that is showing colors
, means that it will probably stay in color for about
another 4-5 weeks, depending on the weather. The warmer it
is the shorter the period of colors. So this mum will be
good for colors thru early to mid September at best.
Perfect for those Labor Day parties! But choosing a mum
that is showing no color right now, will give you fall
colors later in the season. So if you're planting for later
fall colors, chose mums that have very tight buds, or just
starting to develop their flower buds. Now you're talking
fall colors beginning early September and lasting until
early October, again depending on the weather.
If
you've had problems getting garden mums to over winter,
remember that planting early rather than later will help
increase your chances of getting your mums to come back next
year.
[You know its hot when you realize that asphalt has a liquid
state.]
A Little
Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
Controlling Nutgrass in Lawns and Beds - One of the most
asked gardening questions is, "I've got patches of this
light green waxy course leafed grass like weed growing in my
lawn and landscape beds, and it's growing like crazy. What
is it, and how do I get rid of it?"
It's
called nutgrass, or sometimes referred to as watergrass or
nutsedge, and it's not a grass, but is a sedge. And a
really tough sedge to try and get rid of. It grows faster
than the regular grass, it's a limey green, and it loves
moist areas or low wet spots, although it will grow
elsewhere. It is a perennial, and reproduces from seeds,
tubers, and nutlets, which is why it's so hard to get rid
of! Here are a few tips for controlling Nutgrass:
1.)
Hand pulling younger plants (plants juts sprouted from seed)
may offer some control, but once the tubers and nutlets have
formed in the ground, pulling becomes a waste of time. You
get the top of the plant, but many of the tubers and nutlets
remain in the soil, ready to regrow. So if you want to
physically remove the nutgrass, be sure to dig out the
plant, foliage, tubers and all. If drainage is a problem
(compacted poorly drained soils favor nutgrass growth), try
to make necessary corrections to eliminate the problem.
2.)
For control in the open landscape beds, Roundup or Bonide's
Kleenup is your best bet, as it will move down into the
tubers and nutlets for complete control. But, it generally
will take repeated applications before getting nutgrass
totally under control (use a surfactant for better
results). Spray it, kill it, if it regrows, treat it again,
and again, until control is had. Remember that Roundup and
Kleenup are non-selective and will kill what it they
are sprayed on. Use caution.
3.)
For the lawn, there's a couple new products available One is
called 'Sedgehammer' (can also be used in the landscape) and
does an excellent job stopping nutgrass in its tracks in the
turf (use a surfactant for better results). Spot treat the
areas infected with nutgrass (best at 3 leaf stage, then
again as needed), not the entire yard. After the nutgrass
disappears, keep watch for any regrowth, which may require a
second, possibly third application of 'Sedgehammer'. The
other is called "Nutgrass 'Nihilator' by Monterrey
Chemical. Same procedures apply, and works quite nicely
getting rid of that nutgrass. (Bonide's MSMA as well as
Weed Beater Plus also list nutgrass as a weed controlled)
4.)
VERY IMPORTANT FOR OPTIMUM CONTROL - Now here's the secret
for the best success using 'Sedgehammer' or 'Roundup' or
Nutgrass 'Nihilator for nutgrass. Use a surfactant which
helps these herbicides stick to the foliage of the nutgrass,
giving you even better results. It's a must for spraying
chemicals to control nutgrass.
[You
know its hot when the temperature drops below 95 and you
feel a little chilly.]
[And you really know its hot when hot water now comes out of
both taps.]
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