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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
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Whether It's The Weather
It's hot
and it's dry. What more can I say? Keep watering as best
you can. Stay cool and stay hydrated if you're working
outside.
[Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely
proportional to the reach.]
What's Bugging You
I'm
still good to go. Even my big 'door spider' has moved to
another location. Guess he got tired of me wiping out his
web every morning with my head. But, I did take the time to
just stop and watch a cicada killer wasp gently tuck a
cicada into one of her holes in our landscape bed -edge, and
then work like crazy bringing the soil back up and into the
tunnel. Amazing how quickly they can dig and then refill
their tunnels! We have several of these critters doing
their thing in our front landscape beds. Funny - 2 weeks
ago at the Brickyard 400, we parked in someone's lawn, and
it was absolutely/totally invaded with cicada killer wasps.
They never bothered anyone, but they were flying
everywhere! I have never seen so many in one spot like
that! Guess they came to watch "Smoke" win again at
the Brickyard!
This
week, Buggy Joe Boggs (OSU Extension - and still whining and
crying about the pressure from a little "Smoke" on Jeffy
Gordon's bumper causing him to spin out and lose the
race) is reporting a resurgence of blossom end rot on
tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and more. Yes, this is a
calcium deficiency, but due to the heat and lack of even
moisture in the soils and containers, it's not getting
transported to the fruit. So keep those plants mulched,
even moisture, and make sure there is calcium in the soil.
BJB is also reporting lacebugs everywhere (hawthorn,
sycamore, walnut, alder, birch, basswood, oak, and mums),
magnolia scale now oozing the honeydew which attracts lots
of bees and flies (and then turns black), bagworms actually
dropping out of plants where they have eaten all the foliage
and moving on to other plant victims, brown patch is showing
up in lawns, two-spotted spider mite populations have
absolutely exploded this summer, and flea beetles are
munching on weigela, itea, spirea and shrub dogwood leaves.
-Catch
the Buggy Joe Boggs Report Saturdays 8:42am on 55KRC Thee
Talk Station. ashalert.osu.edu /
www.emeraldashborer.info
[Law of
Mechanical Repair: After your hands are coated with grease,
your nose will itch or you'll have to go to the bathroom.]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
"The
cukes are coming and I need a good dill pickle recipe. Got
one?" -Nope, got two! Go to Rita's segment and she'll
have two recipes for you! How's that?
"What
are the yellow flowers in my lawn (very low growing
groundcover and it's not dandelions) and how do I get rid of
them? Seems like I'm seeing them everywhere this year!"
-Actually there are a couple weeds that will bloom yellow
(black medic and yellow woodsorrel) but the one you've been
seeing all summer with a very cute small yellow flower (but
profuse!) is "Birdsfoot Trefoil". And believe it or not,
it's actually seeded and used as a no mow groundcover for
slopes, hillsides, roadsides and other hard to mow areas.
Actually tougher than crown vetch and is a long lived
perennial legume that really does bloom all summer! Grows
in rough and tough soils, and will reseed itself. Heck,
it's sold in some garden stores for exactly that. It's also
sold in farm stores to be mixed in with the pasture
grasses. Guess its an excellent forgage for livestock! But
in a desirable turf, it becomes an unwelcomed weed. It's in
your lawn basically because the lawn has thinned, and like
most weeds, that's where they get started. Low fertility
soil, low mowing, and drought stressed lawns are perfect for
this weed to move in. (I say "weed" as it is only a weed
when in desirable lawns!). So correct all of the reasons
why the lawn is thinning and that should help eliminate the
Birdsfoot Trefoil. And yes, treating with Bonide's Weed
Beater Ultra or Plus a couple times should also help get rid
of it. Thicker lawns mean fewer weeds.
"I have
tomato hornworms on my tomatoes which are in planters up on
a deck area. How did the hornworms find my tomatoes?" The
adult moth finds the plants (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant,
and potatoes) and then lays eggs on the undersides of the
leaves. By the way, it could be tomato or tobacco
hornworms, as they both feed on the same plants. To tell
the difference, the tobacco hornworm has 7 diagonal white
stripes and a red horn / tomato has V-shaped markings and
the horn is black).
"My
Autumn Joy Sedum always flops over this time of the year.
What can I do to prevent this?" -1.) Place a grow ring or
peony ring over them before they start to grow in the spring
(for support) 2.) Cut them in half in early June. This
delays flowering by a couple weeks, but keeps them shorter,
stockier, and less apt to flop over.
"Ron,
you mentioned getting several reports of in ground bee, wasp
or yellow jacket nests. What should we do if they are a
problem?" Well, here's a quote from our good friend The
Bug Dog - "I've forced myself to be very unafraid of wasps
buzzing around me or even landing on my arm or clothing. In
most cases, they are simply inspecting me to determine if
I'm food or not! On the other hand, if one strikes me or
persists in buzzing loudly in front of me, I must assume
that I may be close to a nest and this worker is giving me a
warning to move away. Honey bees, bumble bees and many wasps
do give "warnings" if you are willing to listen! Stinging is
really the last resort and the behavior can be very risky
for the bee or wasp. Honey bees actually die after stinging
because their barbed stinger gets stuck and pulls off the
tip of the abdomen when the bee departs. My general
recommendation about social bees and wasps is to try and
avoid getting near their nests. They'll be gone after the
first hard frost. However, if you happen to find a nest that
has been built under the mulch in a flower bed, a hole in
the lawn, or other place where you may regularly need to
perform maintenance, control may be necessary. There are all
kinds of wasp and hornet aerosol sprays on the market, but
these are generally inadequate for control of bees and wasps
that nest in the ground or in wall voids. Only the umbrella
wasps, Polistes, can be easily hit with these sprays. If you
can locate, during the day, where the yellowjackets or
bumble bees are entering their nests, try to determine where
the wasps or bees land before crawling into the nest
chamber. Make a mental note of this. Your strategy will be
to dust this area with an insecticide, AT NIGHT, when the
bees and wasps are unlikely to fly or be disturbed. My
favorite insecticide to use is Sevin 5% or 10% garden dust,
but you can find other garden dusts with pyrethroids.
Thoroughly dust the landing spot with the dust so that the
next day most of the bees or wasps will walk through the
material. Once they walk through the insecticide dust, the
insects will carry the material into the nest. There, the
bees and wasps will groom themselves and each other,
distributing the insecticide throughout the colony. I've
been pretty successful at knocking out a colony with one
application, but sometimes a rain or irrigation can wash
away the insecticide dust, so another application may be
necessary in a few days." -Dr. Dave Shetlar
[Law of
rugs and carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly
sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly
correlated to the neatness and cost of the carpet/rug.]
Success Tip of the Week
It won't
be long until September is here, and September means turf
month - and that means you need to be evaluating your lawn,
right now! So, where do you start when evaluating your lawn
in August?
First, take a look and see how much desirable grass
remains.
If
the turf is brown, look closely to see if the crowns are
still green and viable. If so, they will fill back in this
fall with the usual fall fertilization.
If
there are voids in Bluegrass lawns, 4-6 inches in diameter,
they'll fill in on their own. But if those 4-6 inch voids
are in turf type fescues or perennial ryes, spot seeding
will be needed to fill in the voids.
If
you find perennial grassy weeds like zoysia, nimblewill
growing in the turf, or even tall fescue clumps in a
bluegrass lawn, treat those now with Roundup, and then
reseed those areas in September.
If
your lawn has 50% or more broadleaf weeds, you should
consider total renovation, which means everything is killed
with Roundup (2 applications 10 days apart may be needed),
and then reseed the area in early September.
If
the lawn is 70% turf grass and 30% weeds (or less), a good
fall feeding followed by a late fall or early spring weed
control will work quite nicely. Even with this ratio of
turf to weeds, plan to over seed the lawn to help thicken it
up.
Evaluate your lawn now, so you can do whatever is needed to
be ready for September.
Remember, September is turf month, which means time to core
aerate the lawn, over seed the lawn to thicken it up or to
reseed the lawn if you're renovating, and time for the first
fall feeding. So make sure you've got your turf plans in
place.
[Law
of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know
what you are talking about.]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
"Hey
Rita what's Cooking?"
Yardboy,
as you requested, here's a nice dill pickle recipe, along
with, you guessed it, Nell's (that sweet mom of
yours) famous pickled peppers. I will also be sharing Nell's
recipe in my syndicated column, since I get so many requests
for it this time of year.
MY
MOM'S DILL PICKLES -
The only
variable here is the dill. You can use fresh or dry dill
heads. If you have to use dill seed, use 2 tablespoons per
jar. Don't use waxed cucumbers from the store as they won't
pickle well. You can use regular table salt here but the
problem with that is the anti-caking agent put into the salt
causes a bit of cloudiness in the pickles. Make sure you
use a vinegar that's reduced to 5% acidity. Some vinegars
are 4% and that won't work. My Mom gave me this recipe from
her old Ball Blue Book.
8
pounds pickling or small cucumbers, cut into halves
lengthwise.
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup canning, pickling or Kosher salt
1 quart 5% acid vinegar (I like cider but clear works well,
too)
1 quart water
3 tablespoons mixed pickling spices
Green or dry dill heads (1 large one per jar) or 2
tablespoons dill seed per jar
Combine sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a big pot. Tie
spices in a cheesecloth bag or put in teaball. Simmer 15
minutes. Pack cucumbers into hot clean jars, leaving 1/4"
head space; put dill in each jar. Bring vinegar mixture to a
boil and pour boiling liquid over cucumbers. Wipe rims
clean, adjust caps and process pints and quarts 15 minutes
in boiling water bath. This recipe makes about 7 pints.
Good add ins:
jalapeno
or other hot pepper, sliced down the center; clove of garlic
Kosher style:
add to
each jar a bay leaf, a clove of garlic, 1/2 teaspoon mustard
seed and if you like, a piece of jalapeno or other hot
pepper
RON'S MOM'S (NELL) FAMOUS PICKLED PEPPERS -
Now I
usually don't add 2 cups sugar; I'll start out with half a
cup, taste the brine, and go from there. If you have
extremely hot peppers, though, the 2 cups of sugar is not
too much. My sister, Christine, makes a version of these
pickles and uses no sugar at all. Sterilizing Jars:
Wash
jars and lids, then place in big pan, covered with water.
Bring to a boil and boil 15 minutes. Keep in hot water until
you're ready to fill them. Meanwhile, make brine and prepare
peppers:
Brine:
6 cups
clear vinegar, 5% acidity
2 cups water
2 cups sugar (see note above)*
Put bring ingredients into pot. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile,
prepare peppers:
To
Prepare Peppers:
Wash.
Leave whole with a slit down the center, or cut into slices
as desired. I like to remove seeds if I slice them, but
this is optional. Remember the membrane that the seeds are
attached to is the hottest part of the pepper, and the seeds
are the second hottest part. Place peppers in sterilized,
hot jars, packing tightly. Pour boiling brine over,
covering peppers. Add seasonings, such as garlic, bay leaf,
slices of sweet bell, herbs, etc. as desired, or leave
plain. Seal and let cool away from drafts. Store away from
heat and light. No need to process these as the vinegar, if
you use 5%, keeps bacteria out. Chill before serving.
-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
[Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
It's
this time of the year when I get all fired up about an
under-used deciduous shrub, that looks pretty ordinary
during the season, but starts to bloom about now and then
produces the most electrifying violet to metallic blue
berries you have ever seen! There are several selections to
chose from, but I am partial to Callicarpa 'Early Amethyst',
or commonly known as 'Beautyberry'. Bushy shrub with
arching branches, gets 4-5 feet tall and wide (some get
larger), loves the sun, and probably looks best in massed
plantings. Flowers are pink/white and appear lavender at
first, flowering all along the new growth, followed by its
spectacular berries. Cut this one back in the spring like a
Butterfly Bush for lots of new growth and loads of fall
berries. Trust me, you'll not see another berry quite like
this one. Well worth the season wait.
[Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a
machine won't work, it will.]
A Little
Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
I'm seeing naked ladies everywhere in the yards right now,
and I haven't had anyone in the car with me so I can yell,
"Hey, look at those naked ladies!" It's one of my favorite
gardeners jokes. 'Naked Ladies', 'Resurrection Lily'.
'Surprise Lily', 'Forgotten Lily', 'Magic Lily', they go by
a variety of names. Lycoris squamigera is the genius
species, belongs to the Amaryllis family, and is native to
Asia. They are herbaceous perennial bulbs, that send up
daffodil like foliage in the spring, which dies back, and
then in late July or into August, the bare flower stalks
appear (called "scapes"), ranging in heights from 12 to 36
inches, and produce an absolutely wonderful lovely pink
Amaryllis like flower cluster, which by the way is slightly
fragrant. They grow in sun or light shade, which is why you
see them a lot growing around old houses, in the grass,
close to or under larger trees. Lycoris can be dug, divided
and transplanted after the foliage dies in the spring, or
after the flowers die back in the summer. But either way,
they really don't like to be disturbed. So dig, and replant
right away. They may hesitate a year before re-growing or
re-flowering, but usually will re-establish. Usually
planted 6-8 inches deep, 6-8 inches apart. "Hey, look over
there! It's a naked lady in the garden!" Gotcha!
YA GOTTA KNOW TO MOW!
Mowing your grass properly is one of the most important
things you can do in maintaining a healthy good looking
lawn. So here are a few tips for mowing the grass:
-Never remove more than 1/3 of the grass blade each time you
mow and
throw those grass clippings back into the turf
-Change directions each time you mow, and try to mow when
the grass is dry.
-Mow at a higher level rather than too low, and always mow
with a sharp mower blade. Sharpen at least 2-3 times during
the mowing season, if not more.
-And mow when the grass needs to be mowed - not when it's
convenient for you.
[Wilson's
Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like,
they will stop making it.]
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