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Whether It's The Weather
Looks
like Mother Nature is slowly bringing the warmer
temperatures back. This will help that frozen foliage finish
browning, drop, and then it won't be long until the new
growth should begin to reappear. Great weather ahead for
planting new trees and shrubs and evergreens and perennials
and roses and fruits and brambles and greens and potatoes
and cold hardy annuals, but do be cautious about planting
greenhouse tender and cold tender annuals. And yes, now's
the time to open up those roses, cut them back and get them
going for the season! By the way, still time to apply a
pre emergent herbicide to stop that crabgrass from growing.
[Fsh - a fish with no eyes.]
What's Bugging You?
As soon
as Buggy Joe comes out of hibernation, it's interesting how
bugs and diseases start up right then. H-m-m-m, maybe he
really is a "Buggy" Joe.
This
week, Buggy Joe is reporting yellowing lawns, especially
those that were mowed the day of the night freezes. Yes,
they will recover. Also reporting yellowing spots here and
there in lawns, many of which can be attributed to different
types of grass within the same lawn, annual bluegrass -
rough bluegrass - tall fescue - perennial ryes all growing
very quickly right now, while bluegrasses are slower to
start. Even different cultivars of the same species can
start out a lighter color than others. And new grass from
spot seeding last year are still considered juveniles and
will be lighter in color.
BJB is
also reporting the hatching of Eastern tent caterpillars,
forest tent caterpillars, and European sawflies, cressleafed
groundsel showing up in landscape beds (canary yellow
flowers), and the beginning of many complaints concerning
lumpy lawns from small piles of 'dirt'. After close
inspection, these piles are generally made up of organic
matter, soil, and excrement, and not just any excrement, but
'worm excrement', commonly known as 'earthworm castings'.
High populations of nightcrawlers will create these small
piles, which cause the soil surface to become lumpy. If a
serious problem, this is one time where light rolling may
help. "Light" rolling.
Catch
the "Buggy Joe Boggs Report" Saturdays at 8:42am on 55KRC
the Talk Station.
[If an invisible woman married an invisible man, their kids
would be nothing to look at.]
Questionmark and the Mysterians -
Your Questions Answered
WE WANT
TO KNOW YOUR TOMATO GROWING SECRETS! -If you have a secret
recipe or special thing you do to raise the perfect tomato,
let us know and we'll share your expertise. Let us know
which varieties do best for you as well! We'll update
information as we get it.
"Will
the garden stores be carrying the rose "Betty Boop"? How
about the new 2007 Knock Out "Rainbow"? -Yes we will!
Betty Boop is a very nice rose - 1999 award winner -
floribunda - yellow ivory edged red flowers. And that
"Rainbow" Knock Out is another winner in the Knock Out
series. Roses start showing up this week in the garden
stores, so now's the time to get planting!
"For
those who have problems with squirrels eating their tomatoes
(and other veggies) here's what my husband did. Two years
ago Bev's tomatoes were not blooming. Then last year he
discovered his tomatoes were blooming and the squirrels he
was feeding during the winter (corn cobs) were helping
themselves to his tomatoes. Ron, he spend 3 days in the
garage building a 8 ft by 3 ft by 5 ft cage out of 1 x 2's
and chicken wire to keep the squirrels out. He did win that
game. You should have seen the puzzled looks on the
squirrels faces trying to get to them. We even have an
albino squirrel. He even built one for our elderly
neighbor. A work of art! (Or is that handy work.)"
-Great job! I made 'critter screens' for that type
protection from PVC pipe and chicken wire (or nylon
netting. Takes some time to make them, but they do work and
they do save your tomatoes (or whatever you'd like to
enjoy)!
"Is it
okay to store my liquid garden supplies (fertilizer, weed
killers, bug sprays, etc) in the garage all the time?"
-Read the labels, but I think you will find that those
liquid products need to be protected from freezing. So
depending on your garage, in most cases, they do freeze over
the winter. Those products will need to be stored in the
basement or heated area over the winter. Granular products
are okay. Temperatures make no difference to them.
"I just
recently put down my pre emergent herbicide with fertilizer,
but dandelions and other things are popping up. How long do
I wait to apply my weed and feed?" -First, multiple
fertilizer applications to the lawn need to be at least 6
weeks apart. Secondly, putting down a weed and feed too
early makes you miss the weeds that start to grow later on.
So weed and feeds should be applied weather pending, making
sure you've given those 'other weeds' plenty of time to
start growing. Mid to late May is generally a good time.
To be honest, if weed killer are needed, try spot treating
with a water soluble weed killer such as Bonide's Weed
Beater Ultra. Then you only treat the weeds, as needed. In
many cases, you may not need a weed and feed, maybe just the
feed!
"Does
this past cold snap affect the hummingbird migration
north?" -Nope! Those male scouts are very cold hardy and
move north at their normal pace. As a matter of fact,
they've been spotted and are arriving, so make sure you have
your hummingbird feeders out. The cold didn't affect the
hummers, but it did kill the flowers they were counting on,
as well as slow down the bugs they eat, so your hummingbird
feeders will be more important than ever this spring! If
you'd like to track the migration of the hummers moving
north, or learn more about them, visit
www.wildbirdcenter.com/mas.
Mary and Patrick are 2 of the best experts I know.
"So, is
it time to do my spring open up for my roses now?" -Yes,
yes it is! So, here is our tip sheet for you to follow:
Spring
Rose Care - Although it's a very hard thing to do, try and
be patient when it comes to uncovering and cutting back
roses in the spring. Many rosarians recommend waiting until
April 15 before this process begins. Yes, your roses may
begin to slowly leaf out earlier, which is all weather
pending, but that will not affect pruning later. Remember,
pruning roses quickly stimulates new growth. Pruning too
early in the spring may stimulate quicker early growth which
will not be hardy against late freezes (just like spring
2007!). So be patient with your roses in the spring.
Here's what we suggest (again, based on the input from our
local rosarians):
1.) The
week of April 15, or as the dogwoods begin to show flowers,
uncover roses completely, rake and clean away debris, and
prune to get rid of all dead wood and dead canes. Hybrid
teas, grandifloras, and floribundas will be pruned leaving
the healthiest 5-7 canes, remaining at around 15 - 18 inches
in height. Shrub and mini roses are cleared of deadwood and
pruned to the desired size and shape. Climbers will receive
structural pruning as needed, and removal of winter damaged
canes. For you Knockout rose owners, you do have the option
of simply removing deadwood and lightly reshaping the plant,
leaving it taller and giving it the opportunity to get
taller (they can reach 4-5 feet easily), or simply cutting
the entire plant back to 8 - 12 inches above the ground,
keeping it a bit more compact for the upcoming growing
season.
2.) Go
ahead and spray your roses with lime sulfur spray, or dust
with dusting sulfur. This will help to kill any disease
spores that may have over-wintered on the rose plants.
3.) An
initial feeding (1/2 normal rate) of rose food can be
applied over the next couple weeks. As we get more into the
growing season (May and further), go ahead and begin feeding
at normal rates.
4.)
Re-mulch the soil around the roses with Pinebark mulch, and
your roses are good to go!
5.)
If you've had problems with insects and diseases in the
past, keep in mind using 'Bayers 3 in 1 Rose Care' for
systemic action, and Bonide's '3 in 1 Rose Care' for Foliar
applications, as the season progresses. You can add backup
control using Insecticidal soaps, Horticultural oils,
Earth-tone Insect Control, Fungonil, Infuse, etc. for foliar
sprays. Note: If you had problems with roseslug, rose
sawfly, or bristly roseslugs last year, mid April is the
time to use the Bayer's 3 in 1 as a soil drench.
Natorp07
["To be is to do" - Plato "To do is to be" -Socrates
"Do eo do be do" -Sinatra]
Success Tip of the Week
Taters In A Basket - Have you ever tried growing potatoes in
tough old clay soil? The results are usually less than
bad. But here's the perfect solution for growing great
potatoes. Grow them in a pot. Now, whether you've got clay
soil, live in an apartment, or don't have a garden at all,
you can grow potatoes the ole' yardboy way. And that's in a
container. Here's what you'll need:
1.) The
container - we like to use bushel baskets. They breathe
well, allow for good drainage, and they look good! But any
container, plastic, wood or clay will work, as long as it
has good drainage, and is at least 14-18 inches wide and at
least 10 - 12 inches deep. You can even use chicken wire
fencing and create a potato tube to grow them in.
2.)
Soil-less potting mix - use the good stuff for better
results. If you have a compost pile, good compost will work
too. Finely shredded is best. Folks have even used straw
and ground leaves.
Also, an
all purpose garden food, Osmocote, and or Miracle Gro.
3.) Seed
potatoes - these aren't the ones you buy from the grocery
store. These are found at the garden stores (or feed
stores) and are used specifically for growing potatoes. Any
variety will work. We don't recommend using potatoes from
the produce department at the grocery. Many have been
treated with a growth inhibitor to keep them from sprouting.
Fill
the bottom of your pot with 2 -3 inches of the soil-less mix
(or compost). Take a large seed potato, or a couple medium
sized, cut up into pieces that contain the eyes, and evenly
distribute those in the top of the soil-less mix. I usually
plant around 6- 8 -10 pieces with eyes per basket. If you're
not sure about 'the eyes', you can plant whole potatoes, or
cut them in half and plant the halves . Plant a bit heavier
than usual when planting in containers.
Cover
over with another 3-4 inches of soil-less mix, water in
thoroughly, and sit your container in the sun. Water as
needed, thoroughly moistening the soil, then letting it dry,
then watering it again. Once your potatoes start to grow,
water as needed. Again, do not over water.
Now that
your potatoes are growing, you have a couple options: 1.) As
the potatoes grow, keep adding your soil-less mix (or
compost) to the container, always keeping about 4 inches of
foliage showing. Continue this process until the container
is filled to within one inch of the top of the basket. Or,
2.) Let the foliage grow until it's approximately 3-4 inches
above the top of the basket, and then fill in around the
foliage with your soil-less mix (or compost) until the
basket is full of soil. Now you're all set for growing
potatoes!
Let
your potatoes grow all summer - remember water when needed,
especially during the heat of the summer (again, don't
over-water). Come late summer or fall when the foliage
starts to yellow, cut it off, dump out your soil, and you'll
have a basket full of taters! It's that easy. (New
potatoes are simply harvested earlier in the season) Good
Luck!
*Feeding your containers can be done by mixing a general
garden food in with the soil-less mix which is added to the
growing potato plants. You can also use Osmocote for a slow
release season long feeding, supplemented with Miracle Gro
when watering (used every 2-3 weeks early in the season,
then monthly through the summer).
Natorp07
[The Buddhist refused novocain during his root canal. His
goal: transcend dental medication.]
From the Garden to the Kitchen
"Hey
Rita what's Cooking?"
Yardboy,
we had such fun last night teaching our annual herb class at
Jungle Jim's that I decided to share what was apparently
your favorite item on the menu: my family's hummus. Really,
this is better than anything you buy and you can adjust it
to your taste, like adding horseradish, as you suggested
(but if you do deviate from my menu,don't let me know).
Hummus is a healthy and delicious appetizer, chock full of
calcium, protein, vitamin C, and fiber. As part of a
Mediterranean appetizer platter, this fits the bill! Serve
on plates with flat bread, torn (lavash), Deli olives,
Chopped Salad, Hummus, Feta chunks
Rita's
Family's Hummus
After
you make this, taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
1 can,
15 oz, chick peas, drained and rinsed and drained again
1
teaspoon minced garlic
2-4
tablespoons lemon juice
3-4
tablespoons Tahini (sesame seed paste)
2
tablespoons olive oil
Salt to
taste
Cumin to
taste - start with a teaspoon
Plain
yogurt to taste - start with a couple tablespoons
Mash
chickpeas by hand or in food processor until of desired
smoothness. Add everything else and blend well. Serve with
toasted pita wedges, raw veggies and a bowl of Mediterranean
olives or crusty bread. Store, covered, in refrigerator up
to a week.
-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 went to a seafood disco last week and pulled a mussel.]
Yardboy's "Plant to Ponder"
Knock
Out Roses - The world of landscape roses will never be the
same. Knock Out roses have revolutionized the concept of
what a great garden rose should be: drought tolerant and
winter hardy (Zones 4-9), disease-free and floriferous.
They bloom from early spring to late fall, and require no
special care to grow. Used individually, in mixed borders,
mass plantings, hedge plantings, foundation planting, in
perennial gardens or even containers, this trouble free
shrub rose suits any lifestyle.
'The
Knock Out Rose'
- ('Radrazz') The 2000 AARS winner features a season long
display of self cleaning clusters of raspberry red flowers.
Extremely drought tolerant, winter hardy, has the potential
to reach 4-5 feet high and wide, but easily kept at a more
compact 3 foot range. Research has also shown this to be
one of the best performers of all roses in a partially
shaded area.
'The
Blushing Knock Out Rose'
- ('Rosa Radyod') Season long display of self cleaning
beautiful light pink color flowers, fading into a shell pink
as it matures. Again a tough hardy shrub rose with all the
other attributes 'The Knock Out Roses' are known for - grows
3-4' x 3-4' wide.
'The
Pink Knock Out Rose'
- ('Rosa Radcon') Season long display of self cleaning
powerful deeper pink colored flowers - sharing all the great
attributes of 'The Knock Out Roses'- grows 3-4' x 4-5' wide.
'The
Rainbow Knock Out Rose'
- ('Radcor') 2007 award winner featuring season long self
cleaning displays of coral pink blooms painted with a rich
yellow center. All the same Knock Out attributes, but this
one stays a bit more compact, growing 2-3' x 2'-3' wide.
New for 2007!
'The
Double Knock Out Rose'
- ('Radtko') This 'Knock Out Rose' is actually double the
original rose! Season long flowering, the petal counts of
the raspberry red flowers (slightly fragrant) are twice that
of the original. It actually offers enhancements on the
original's easy to care for qualities like disease
resistance, insect tolerance, drought resistance, and season
long flowering, as well as showing more winter hardiness!
A more compact upright grower / 3-4' x 2-3' wide.
'The
Double Pink Knock Out Rose'
- ('Radtkopink') This 'Knock Out Rose' is a bright
bubble gum mutation of 'Double Knockout'. Season long self
cleaning flowers with all the same attributes of the 'Knock
Outs'. Grows 3-4' x 2-3' wide / available 2007 - 2008.
'The
Sunny Knock Out Rose'
- ('Radsunny') This new 'Knock Out Rose' continues on with
all the great attributes of the Knock Out series, showing
season long shades of yellow flowers. Grows a bit more
upright / 4-5' x 2-3' wide. Available in 2008.
[A jumper cable goes into a bar. The bartender says "I'll
serve you, but don't start anything."]
A
Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That
Degrees
of freeze damages are showing real well at this stage.
Please, please, be patient with your plants and do not be
too anxious to begin cutting them back or thinking you need
to remove and replant. Let them tell you what's been
damaged and how much, then let them tell you what is going
to recover. THEN, get out the pruners and clean up or cut
back as needed. Be patient.
[Two antennas met on a roof, fell in love and got married.
The ceremony wasn't much, but the reception was excellent.]
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