Missouri Organic

This Week's Timely Tips from the Savvygardener

August 15, 2012

In This Issue
Heirloom Tomato Seeds
Colorful Closers
Tater Tidbits
Blister Beetles On Tomatoes
Making the Cut
Herb Helpers
Wake Up Sleepy Turf
Inspiration

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This Week's Phots
Shelly

Greetings!

 

I have been reveling in the cooler temperatures we have been experiencing this week. It is so wonderful to step outside and feel a cool breeze and a slight chill in the air. Yes, it was warm today but knowing that the temperatures are going to drop tomorrow makes today's heat more bearable. There is supposed to be a cold front passing through tomorrow bringing rain (you know, that wet substance that falls from the sky) and drier, cooler air. I'll believe it when I see it. Last Wednesday evening Kevin and I were at Livestrong Stadium and it poured for a full hour. I called our son at home in Mission Hills and he told us that the wind was really blowing but there was no rain. Boy, was I disappointed. I bet we have seen less than a 1/4 inch in a month's period of time. It is awful and I hope that going into fall maybe we do some catching up. A really wet winter might be just want we need. That sounds strange coming from someone who doesn't enjoy the snow but I am desperate! 

I have slowly returned to working in the yard. I spent all of Sunday outside cutting back perennials and ridding the garden of a few dead plants. The August sun is still so warm so I tried to work mostly in the shade. It felt really good to be cleaning up the beds. They were (are) a mess! I had just given up and it sure showed. I am waiting to rid my potted annuals even though they look so tired. They are leggy and just plain sick of the heat. I have revived a few but most of them just look awful. I will wait for cooler temperatures to set in before I plant mums, kale and pansies. Hopefully sooner than later.
~ Shelly
Heirloom Tomato Seeds...
hand

Many Savvygardeners are now growing Heirloom Tomatoes in their gardens. Saving seeds from these oldies-but-goodies is a great idea but maybe not as simple as you think. First of all you need to take some precautions to prevent cross-pollination from other tomato varieties nearby or the seeds may not produce the tomato you wanted. If you grow more than one variety of tomato, they should be planted at least 20-25 feet apart. In addition, a tall barrier crop (corn, pole beans, fruit trees, etc...), or a continuous pollen-producing crop (squash) should be planted between varieties to distract the bees. These precautions will prevent most wind caused cross-pollination, and cause bees to visit only one tomato variety at a time before returning to the hive to clean off their collected pollen. 

 

Save the seeds from healthy plants with the best fruit quality. Pick the fruit when ripe, scoop out seeds and pulp into a bowl with a little water then leave to ferment for 4 days (no longer or some heirlooms will begin to sprout). Separate out seed from pulp, rinse the seeds, then dry them on paper towels or a screen in a warm, dry place with good air circulation (try outdoors on warm summer or fall days). After 5-7 days, place seeds in airtight containers and store indoors in a dark, cool, dry place. If properly stored, your seeds should remain viable for 3-5 years.

Source

Colorful Closers...
flower

Mums are a gardener's best friend in the fall. As the latest blooming flowers they provide color and beauty to a garden that has otherwise been worn out for the season. When choosing mums from your local retailer buy healthy looking plants that have been taken care of - no broken stems, wilted leaves, etc... 

 

Plants with existing blooms will be limited in their ability to provide much more flowering. Those with buds about to bloom will provide you with flowers into the fall. We usually buy several plants in bloom for immediate gratification and quite a few more that we expect to bloom over the coming weeks. What a great exclamation point at the end of the season!

Tater Tidbits...

good idea

If you're harvesting potatoes remember that they will continue to grow as long as the tops are green. So dig only as many as you need for immediate use. The ones left in the ground will actually keep better there than in your home.

 

Blister Beetles On Tomatoes...

insect

This time of year gardeners may find some tomato plants virtually stripped of foliage by Ashgray Blister Beetles. Blister beetles vary in size (often between 0.5-0.75 inch long) and color (such as black, gray or brown-striped), but most are recognized by their elongated, narrow, cylindrical, soft bodies with middle body part (thorax) narrower than the head or wing covers. 

 

Hand picking is certainly an effective nonchemical method for controlling these large insects but not without its own dangers. You see, these beetles contain a substance called cantharidin an irritant capable of blistering internal and external body tissues exposed to the chemical. On tender human skin, body fluids of adult blister beetles may cause large, erect, watery blisters. Ouch! 

 

Chemical control of blister beetles is also possible. Carbaryl (Sevin) is labeled and effective but has a three-day waiting period. However, Sevin can encourage spider mites and so if you have spider mites or have had them in the past, you may want to consider lambda-cyhalothrin (Spectracide Triazicide) as it will control both blister beetles and spider mites. This product has a 5-day waiting period.

Making the Cut...

pruners

When your plants fall victim to disease one of the first courses of action is the removal of the diseased portions. Careful! The same pruners that you use to cut away diseased foliage can then transfer the disease to otherwise healthy plants. A one in ten solution of bleach and water can be used to disinfect pruners between cuts. Rather than keep a bucket of solution nearby try mixing the solution in a small spray bottle. Carry it with you and spray your pruners after each cut.

Herb Helpers...

seedlings

Keep your basil, parsley, mint, and sage, producing by pinching out the seed pods. Herbs can be used fresh, frozen, or dried. Wait until the dew has dried to cut a few stems, tie a string around this little bouquet, and hang in a cool, dry place until completely dry. Crumble and place in a jar for use during the winter.


Wake Up Sleepy Turf...

mower

If all or parts of your cool season lawn have gone dormant this summer you should prepare for a fall comeback now by starting a deep watering program. Make sure your lawn gets a morning soak twice a week and you will be rewarded with stronger, more lush growth later this fall.

Finally...

In all the recipes for happiness I have ever seen, "something to look forward to" has been given as an important ingredient. Something to look forward to! How rich the gardener, any gardener, is in this particular integrant! For always he looks forward to something if it is only the appearance of the red noses of the Peonies in the spring or the sharp aromas that fills the air in autumn after the frost has touched the herbage."

~  Louise Beebe Wilder

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