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Greetings!
I would like to think that we have broken the back of 100° days. I have been anxiously looking ahead to the forecast and for the next ten days no 100° temperatures! I had better keep my enthusiasm in check. It is just August the 8th after all. If we can get through August and into September it should be smooth sailing from there. The not so positive news; no rain in the immediate forecast. As it looks for now, no rain until late next week. The chances seem to increase into the weekend. I am keeping my fingers, toes and anything else I can cross in hope the rain will find its way here.
I have to say one of the most beautiful annuals I purchased this year was two Kimberly Queen ferns (photos). They are huge and thriving in this heat. I do call them annuals because I leave them outside until the frost kills them in mid to late October. I have often thought about moving them inside to over winter but it is more work than I am willing to take on. Now don't think that I haven't been watering them, because I have. Their needs seem to be less than other annuals and for that I am grateful. Never planted any? Get some next spring. They are beautiful anywhere you put them and worth every penny! |
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Still Time To Divide Iris...
Late summer is ideal for dividing, moving and planting iris. The old foliage wilting from the summer's heat can be trimmed back at least halfway. Trimming also helps when dividing iris to prevent moisture loss while the plants get established. Follow these simple steps to divide your iris plants:
- Dig Iris with a potato fork, being careful not to damage the rhizome.
- With a sterile knife, cut the rhizome vertically. Each division should be approximately 2 inches long with 2-3 fans.
- Dig a shallow hole mounded in the middle and spread the roots around the mound.
- Set the plant with fans facing to the outside of the garden to make room for expanded growth.
- Fill the hole with soil, being careful to leave rhizomes partially exposed, and water well.
- Water the newly planted iris regularly if the weather is hot and dry being careful to avoid overwatering.
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Hardcore Tomatoes...
During stressful weather (and usually aggravated by excessive fertilization) the central core of a tomato may become tough and turn greenish white. The walls also may become pale and corky. This is usually a temporary condition known as "hard core." Fruit that develops later is often free of this condition.
Older varieties of tomatoes normally have five distinct cavities that are filled with seeds and jelly-like material called locular jelly. However, many newer tomato varieties possess genetic traits to make the fruit meatier and firmer with the seeds being produced all over the inside of the fruit rather than in the five distinct cavities. These types of tomatoes do not seem to produce a hard central core nearly as readily as ones that are not as meaty.
The older variety, Jet Star, which has been widely grown for many years by Kansas gardeners, has a tendency to produce a hard core when stressed. Newer varieties such as Mountain Spring, Mountain Fresh, Daybreak, Sun Leaper, Sunmaster, Celebrity, Carnival, and other 'semi-determinate' varieties are less likely to suffer from this condition.
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Garden Toppers...
If you have a vegetable or annual garden that is normally empty in the fall and through winter you should consider planting a green manure crop there at the end of this growing season. The name green manure is given to any crop which is grown only to be tilled back into the soil. As it rots, the nutrients in the crop foliage and roots will be taken up by the next crop planted in the same place. Green manures from the legume family, such as peas, beans, and clovers, have an added bonus - nitrogen-fixing bacteria living around their roots can draw nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form the plant can absorb. This nitrogen will then be available to subsequent crops.
Green manures also act as "cover crops" protecting the soil from compaction and erosion caused by wind and rain, as well as reducing the extent that weeds take over bare soil.
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Garden Plans For You To Enjoy...
If you have big landscaping plans for this fall it's time to start making decisions on which plants you will purchase and where they will be placed. As you do your shopping try to imagine how long you will live in your current home. The average American family moves every five years. If you think you might move within five years consider buying the biggest plants you can afford. If you buy small you won't be around to fully appreciate your garden when it matures.
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Bitter Cucumbers or Better Cucumbers?
Wondering why your cucumbers are bitter? Well, the bitter taste in cucumbers is the result of stress that can be caused by a number of factors including heredity, moisture, temperature, soil characteristics and disease. Most often this occurs during the hot part of the summer or later in the growing season. Sometimes these happen at the same time.
Two compounds, cucurbitacins B and C, give rise to the bitter taste. Though often only the stem end is affected, at times the entire fruit is bitter. Also, most of the bitter taste is found in and just under the skin. Bitter fruit is not the result of cucumbers cross pollinating with squash or melons. These plants cannot cross pollinate with one another.
Often newer varieties are less likely to become bitter than older ones. Proper cultural care is also helpful. Make sure your plants have the following.
- Well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.5. Plenty of organic matter also helps.
- Mulch. A mulch helps conserve moisture and keep roots cool during hot, dry weather.
- Adequate water especially during the fruiting season.
- Disease and insect control.
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Compost Considerations...
We get a lot of e-mail about compost piles. There's always a question or two about what should not be composted. Here are a few don'ts when it comes to back yard composting:
- Weeds- Many weed seeds can remain viable and germinate next year when the compost is used.
- Pet Waste - While many animal manures make valuable soil amendments, parasites carried in dog and cat feces can cause diseases in humans.
- Meat, Fish, Bones - These items will develop an awful odor, attracting rats and other unwanted critters.
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Oh Say Can You Seed?
Yes you can! The best time to start new cool-season grass seed is late summer/early fall. Temperatures seem to be normalizing and as long as it doesn't get crazy hot again in the next 7-10 days you'll be able to get started. Seeding this time of year takes advantage of warm weather for proper seed germination while allowing the new turf to thrive as the temperatures cool into fall.
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Finally...
"On making mistakes in the garden:
That's how a gardener learns. It's not like making a mistake with the baby that the psychotherapist will trace back directly to you 20 years later. Plants don't point a finger. If they live, they don't carry grudges. If they die, unless you've killed an entire species or a rain forest, you feel only momentary guilt, which is quickly replaced by a philosophical, smug feeling: Failure is enriching your compost pile."
~ Anne Faver
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