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 Greetings! I didn't mind spending last Sunday inside, just being all lazy. I loved listening to the thunder and the rain. Those sounds are so soothing to me. I was thankful that the rain finally found its way to our area. There have been a few occasions where the local weather experts said it was going to rain and then it simply passed us by. That is always so frustrating. But the rain came, gave the gardens a good soak and everyone is content for now. It is humid and windy today and the clouds are thick. I checked to see if a shower is headed our way but nothing on the map for now. Hot the rest of the week with temps in the high 80's maybe even 90's. I think I am scared for summer to arrive. I'm afraid it is going to be hot, hot, hot!
On Saturday, Kevin, Morgan, Kevin's parents (who were in town visiting from Maryland) and I headed down to the City Market. We had not been there for awhile so it was fun to meander along, stopping to see what various vendors had to offer. We ended up purchasing a few different varieties of basil, rosemary, parsley and a couple more tomato plants. We also came home with some beautiful brown eggs. Almost too pretty to eat. A trip to the City Market just wouldn't be complete without a visit to Planters Seed and Spice Company. It is a an historic landmark that has been around since the early 1900's. A very cool place if you have never been. I could wander around in there for hours. That's something my family loves to hear :-) |
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Preventing Black Spot
Recent and upcoming rains mean you will probably need to establish a preventive spray program for your roses if they have been subject to black spot in the past. The problem with fungal diseases is that they have to be prevented - a fungicide isn't as effective once the problem is apparent. As always, it is better to buy only roses that are disease resistant to begin with.
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It's Not Too Late!
Do you feel like spring is slipping away from you? Just a few weeks ago it seemed like we had all the time in the world to plant early veggies. If you're like us, hectic schedules can make prime planting time slip away. Don't panic! There's still plenty to do. In fact if you hurry you can still sneak in the following: lettuce, onions, spinach, beets, chard, carrots, parsnips, radishes, turnips, shallots, chives and parsley.
Bonus! Soil temperatures are up, so it's a great time to get your tomatoes and peppers in the ground.
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Tastier Tomatoes...
When selecting tomato transplants, choose healthy plants without any blooms. If the tomato plants have blooms or, worse, fruit before you transplant, pinch off the flowers or fruit. If tomatoes set fruit before the plant gets large enough - that is, produces enough leaves - the fruit is small and tasteless. Removing flowers or premature fruit allows the plant to produce more leaves that will make larger tomatoes throughout the growing season. The formula for successful tomato production is quite simple: Healthy leaves equal tasty fruit.
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A Fungus Among Us...
Don't be surprised if you head outside and find a yard full of mushrooms. Where do these things come from? Although wild mushrooms tend to make their appearance just about any time in woodlands they're more likely to appear in lawns following several days of wet weather which have been preceded by weeks of dry weather.
Mushrooms are specialized types of fungi that are important as decay microorganisms, aiding in the breakdown of logs, leaves, fallen branches, and other organic debris. This important role of mushrooms results in recycling of essential nutrients. In the vast majority of cases mushrooms are not parasitic on lawn grass and won't cause any disease problems. Just wait for a prolonged change in the weather and they will wither and disappear providing additional organic matter to your soil.
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Tip Top Tools...
Here's a great way to keep your gardening hand tools clean and free from rust. Fill a 5-gallon bucket with play sand. Moisten the sand with mineral oil or even motor oil. Plunging your tools into the sand/oil mix several times before storing them will remove the dirt and leave a protective coating of oil on the metal surface.
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Take A Powder...
A white powdery film on your lawn is likely an outbreak of powdery mildew. This fungal disease is favored by cool spring or fall weather, and is common in shaded areas. Kentucky bluegrass in shady areas is especially susceptible. High nitrogen levels also favor disease development. Fortunately, while it is not very attractive, powdery mildew rarely causes significant damage to turf.
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The Right Height...
To prevent weed germination in lawns, mow frequently at the tallest recommended mowing height. Weeds germinate rapidly when turf is scalped by mowing too short or when it is not mowed frequently enough. Both mistakes decrease turf density and cause an open canopy that favors weeds. Experts recommend a range of mowing heights to meet specific turf activities. Lower mowing heights require more frequent mowing. Annual grassy weeds, such as crabgrass, are especially a problem on turfs that lack density as a result of poor mowing.
Recommended mowing heights for grass types:
- Kentucky bluegrass - 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
- Tall fescue - 3.0 to 4.0 inches.
- Fescue/bluegrass - 3.0 to 3.5 inches.
- Bluegrass/ryegrass - 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
- Perennial ryegrasses - 2.5 to 3.5 inches.
- Creeping red fescues - 3.0 to 3.5 inches.
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Finally...
"Science, or para-science, tells us that geraniums bloom better if they are spoken to. But a kind word every now and then is really quite enough. Too much attention, like too much feeding, and weeding and hoeing, inhibits and embarrasses them."
~ Victoria Glendinning
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