Timely Tips from Over the Garden Fence
You can catch George Wedel on Over the Garden Fence, 9:05 am Saturdays on AM 590 WKZO.
And return here each week at www.wedels.com for the latest in Wedel's timely tips.
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TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM OVER THE GARDEN FENCE JUNE 21, 2003 What a great growing week we have been blessed with. Warmer temperatures have many garden plants growing by leaps and bounds. In our garden, potatoes and sweet corn have doubled in size in the last five or six days. The Japanese tree lilac by the drive has burst forth in all its glory, and in the perennial garden daisies, Siberian iris, Blue Hills salvia, delphinium, and dianthus plants are all making a brilliant statement. Even the annual plantings of begonia, petunia, streptocarpela, and angelonia are nearly at their peak. All these blooms are possible for every gardener who has provided needed moisture. Rainfall this spring has been very spotty and in general much less than most gardens require. For our plantings to excel this summer, I suggest in good loamy vegetable gardens soils to provide one-half inch of moisture twice a week. Mulched perennial flower beds need three-quarters of an inch of moisture per week. Annual flowers would thrive with one-quarter inch of moisture every two days. Lawns should get one-half inch of irrigation twice a week. Always take into account recent rainfall amounts and your soil type. Light, sandy soils will require more moisture and heavy types will usually need less. One more note about plant moisture needs: porch and deck planters and hanging baskets should never be watered until checking soil with your finger. The quickest way to ruin a potted plant is to over water it. Here are some tips; never use saucers under pots to hold water, have adequate draining holes to provide for excessive rainfall to exit container, and always touch soil before adding water. True "green thumbers" sometimes look at their garden and landscape and say to themselves "it's full", but when new or especially attractive plants are seen, well, then there just might be room for a few more choice plants. A visit to Wedel's Nursery this week will reveal some real choice plants that "green thumbers" will want to include in their plantings. Some new arrivals include Spirea Billardii Triumphans, a most striking shrub with large, purple rose flowers in dense conical seven-inch blooms that resemble astilbe. Spirea Triumphans grows to five feet tall and blooms June through August. Dappled-leaf globe willow, without a doubt, has been the most popular recent introduction at Wedel's. Dappled willow is grown as a shrub or with a short four-foot trunk before branching into a perfect globe shape. Shrubs need yearly pruning and look great kept at three to five feet. Dapple willow leaves are outstanding; first green, then silver, then pink-tinged. Plant connoisseurs will be interested in the Japanese White Pine, Korean White Fir, and the majestic Blue Atlas Cedar. Some new plants in Wedel's perennial plant department include pink flowering pampas grass, white flowering compact pampas grass, Salvia Argenta with fuzzy silver leaves and white flowers, and daylily varieties Wineberry Candy, Purple Grand Masterpiece, as well as the new All American Baby with white and fuchsia edged flowers. Some outstanding ornamental shrubs include Pink-a-Boo Deutzia, which stays under six feet and has stunning pink flowers, purple leaf Diablo Ninebark, and the excellent low temperature Shamrock Holly. Shamrock Holly is a compact grower and has sharp green foliage with black berries through the winter. Shamrock evergreen holly will do well in full or partial shade. Whether you are in need of additions to your garden and landscape or just are interested in great plants, a stop at Wedel's Nursery is sure to be enjoyable. Before venturing out this morning, let's note some chores that should be attended to in most lawns, landscapes, and gardens. Arborvitae leaf miners are active in many landscapes. Check your arborvitae plants for this little leaf miner that tunnels in stems and creates a lot of brown foliage. Arborvitae leaf miner is controlled with a spray of 10% Permethrin. Woolly spruce gall aphids are now active on Douglas firs. If fir trees are infested with this aphid, the needles will discolor and begin to curl. Control woolly spruce gall aphid on fir trees now with a spray of Isotox. Some marigold plantings are showing red spider mite damage. Isotox sprayed once every two weeks will give good mite control on marigolds. Reports of cutworm damage in vegetable gardens has been widespread. Cutworms feed on most any vegetation or fruit. They are seldom seen because they feed at night. The most often seen sign of cutworm activity is seedlings cut off and laying limp on the ground. Control cutworms in vegetable and flower gardens with Bug-B-Gon granules. Most all gardeners with perennial flower gardens are reporting a rash of insect problems. Four-lined plant bug damage shows up as round brown spotted leaves, spittle bugs seem to be on everything from poppies to pine trees, and aphids are curling leaves and tender new growth on many plants. A once-over spray of Pyrethrin / Canola Oil will give very good control of these pests. I have seen several gypsy moth caterpillars recently. The larvae are most destructive to many deciduous trees and shrubs in our area. The larvae are dark with irregular yellow markings on their backs. As they mature, there are five pairs of blue spots and six pairs of red spots on their back. Often the gypsy moth caterpillars may be seen swinging on long, thin threads moving from tree to tree. They will continue to feed for at least another week or two. Kill the gypsy moth caterpillar with sprays of natural Spinosad or sprays of Sevin. Ticks are turning up in places where most folks have never seen them before. Apparently more roving raccoons, opossums, deer, fox, and coyotes have triggered a great abundance of ticks. Hikers, campers, baseball and soccer players, golfers, and gardeners are all vulnerable to tick bites. For the best protection, wear pants, not shorts, tuck pants into socks, and spray ankle area with insect repellent. Protect pets with veterinarian approved flea and tick protectors. For tick-free lawn and garden areas, apply a spray of 10% Permethrin or spread Permethrin granules. It used to be a rule of thumb that June is too late to plant a summer garden. Certainly, this is not true anymore. Success can be assured if a few important "green thumb" steps are adhered to. First, and foremost, is to select flower and vegetable transplants that are not overgrown. By the time June planting time rolls around, many plant sources have only tired, worn out plants that have stopped growing. These plants establish very slowly. For your garden, pick out actively growing plants from Wedel's that will be off and running as soon as you move them to your garden. These plants will bloom sooner and fruit earlier. There is still time to direct seed some flowers and vegetables into the garden. Seeds of calendula, cucumber, zinnia, sunflower, beans, and short-day corn can all be planted now with success. Vegetable plants that desire warm soil can be pushed along by spreading black weed barrier around them. The weed barrier will warm the soil, prevent weeds, and speed up the growth. June planting can be successful if proper soil conditioning, fertilization, weeding, and watering practices are followed. So, if you missed planting in May, plant now for a bountiful harvest of blooms and vegetables all summer and autumn. Before we take your calls Over the Garden Fence this morning, I would like to share some exciting news from a great organization - Kalamazoo in Bloom. Kalamazoo in Bloom's mission is to beautify our parks and public spaces with beautiful flowers each summer. They buy the bedding plants and organize a huge group of volunteers to plant and tend them. Kalamazoo is home to a thriving annual and bedding plant industry and Kalamazoo in Bloom is happy to support them as they create colorful displays of blooms. They strive to encourage awareness and community pride and they encourage and sponsor civic and student activities that support gardening, landscaping, horticulture, and environmental protection. In 2002, Kalamazoo in Bloom (formerly Flowerfest of Kalamazoo) was the recipient of the Michigan Parks and Recreation Community Service Award as well as the first place award from America in Bloom, a national organization that recognizes communities that stand out in the beautification and utilization of community resources. The planting projects of Kalamazoo in Bloom made a significant contribution toward the winning of the America in Bloom award. Now for some fun! Wedel's Nursery, Florist and Garden Center will host the First Annual Kalamazoo in Bloom Garden Party on Thursday evening, June 26, 2003, from 6:30 to 9:00 pm. Wedel's will provide a colorful setting and demonstrations on popular gardening topics. A silent auction will be featured with donated items such as lunch with Mayor Robert Jones, art work, a kitchen design by Daryl Ann Letts, dining out certificates, a membership to the Nature Center, a membership to a local fitness center, and much more. Special guest speaker Deanna House will prepare some of her favorite party finger foods and those attending will have an opportunity to sample these treats, which will be prepared by Wedel's Garden party Café. Music by the Chris Earley Jazz Trio will set the mood. Tickets for the First Annual Garden Party are available in advance at Wedel's or through the Kalamazoo in Bloom office at 381-3597 for $25. A limited number of tickets will be available at the door beginning at 6:00 pm. Kalamazoo in Bloom is a non-profit corporation with an all-volunteer board. Come join the "green thumb" fun next Thursday, June 26, at Wedel's. Again, the phone number for tickets is 381-3597. George Wedel <--Back. |
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