Garden Solutions - September 2017

The Best Time of Year is NOW!!!

            When I was a kid, I loved summer---no school, warm sunshine and lots of fun and mischief to get into.  Now that I’m a Grandma, my thoughts on the seasons has also matured.  Over the years, I have come to enjoy all the offerings of fall.  The cool, crisp mornings that gives way to warm days and starry nights.  Fall color in Missouri is exceptional with the turning of leaves on trees-colors so vivid and alive that they jump out of the landscape.  Driving past fields of pumpkins gets the kids excited that Halloween candy is yet to come.  The treat of eating sweet grapes fresh off the vine and juicy apples plucked from the trees comes to mind.  And of course, fall sports begin.

            There is no better time of year than this abundant season to catch your bearings, reevaluate the year, enjoy the harvest and relax.  It is also the best time to take a few moments to invest in your home.  There are many simple tasks you can do now to help save yourself time in spring when you are twice as busy.

            PLANT, PLANT, PLANT! Fall in Missouri is the ideal time of year to plant all kinds of things from cool-season vegetables to turf grasses, and especially shrubs, evergreens and deciduous trees.  Yet, when it comes to planting, many gardeners only think of the spring.  Why is fall such an ideal time to plant?  First, the warm soil in the fall helps encourage root growth.  The plants roots continue to grow through our mild winters, and become well established by the spring.  This makes fall plantings much better equipped to handle the heat and drought once summer finally arrives.  In addition, our fall and spring rains help do all the work in establishing your plants so you don’t have too.  There are also fewer pests and disease problems to attack your plant while it is young.

 

            When fall arrives, I want to see bright oranges, vibrant yellows, and fiery reds.  These fall colors bring life back to our landscapes after the summer sun has faded most of the blooms.  The natural turning of leaves into their disguised color of glory brings a new energy to our yards and awakens our senses.  Right now, you can find selections of trees and shrubs especially bred for fall color.  There is no reason to have hum-drum containers during fall when there are Garden Mums and Fall/Winter Pansies to replace our burnt out summer annuals.  Fall cool floral crops are also great additions to beautiful fall containers.  Adding perennials also brings new life to containers.

            Home decorating is great fun also to add pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds and other harvest items to the landscape or porch décor.

            In addition, don’t forget fall bulbs.  Now you will find the best selection, and you have until Christmas to get them into the ground for spring blooming.  Bulbs need 10 weeks of cold weather to create their magnificent spring show.  Many varieties and colors are popping up in this category of plants as well. 

            THE POST SEASON WRAP UP.  One of the best-kept secrets to the most lavish landscapes is autumn restoration.  Just a few garden chores done in the fall will lead to spring and summer pay-offs that are well worth the work.  Things to do now include:

            Pull Weeds:  Clean up your yard by pulling weeds.  Then apply a pre-emergent such as Preen containing Trifluran.  This will keep your yard looking nice and weed free for months to come.

            Fertilize:  It is important to fertilize your evergreens and conifers at this time because their root systems continue to grow throughout the late fall and even into the winter till ground frost appears.  An application of Osmocote or plants spikes is ideal for this task.  The plants take up these nutrients and are ready to explode when the spring growing season arrives.

            Prepare Your Lawn:  Were you disappointed in your lawn this year?  Well, now is the time to prepare your lawn for next spring!  Aerate and thatch it if the soil is compacted.  This will allow the soil to drain better and give it much needed oxygen to the roots.  Seeding can be done as well as fertilizing.  Seeding in early fall will give the roots plenty of time to become established before winter.  Fertilize with a winter type fertilizer to build nutrients up in the root system.  This will keep your lawn from going into the winter hungry and it will help it take off much faster next spring.

Enjoy the cool crisp air and I’ll….see you in the Garden

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

 

 

 

Garden Solutions - August 2017

August… besides vacations, other activities that will pull you away from your list of gardening duties are fairs, festivals, family outings, and back to school preparations. It really is a good thing that August is a slow month for working in your landscape.

Here are a few health benefits of enjoying the outdoors. Studies show that depending on the activity, gardening can burn between 250 and 500 calories per hour. For many people gardening is a creative outlet, for others it’s the change of scenery from the daily grind that makes a difference. Still others find that the satisfaction of reaping the rewards (those tasty fruits and vegetables, and beautiful flowers) of your efforts is what helps to reduce stress levels.

Your main tasks for this month both begin with the letter W. Weeding and watering. It is important to stay on top of the weeds. If you let them get ahead of you and they go to seed, you are going to have hundreds more to deal with this fall and next spring. Spraying weeds with an herbicide such as Roundup is one of the easiest ways to rid of weeds.  Be very careful when spraying around the plants that you want to grow in your landscape. It generally is best to pull weeds that are growing in and immediately around your desirable plants, and spray those that are “in the open”. As far as watering goes, most plants will survive on 1” of water a week. A rain gauge will help measure the amount.

Mowing the lawn is another task that continues in August. Due to the usually hot and dry conditions that are the norm in August, you may be able to space your mowing times further apart. That is unless you have an irrigation system to keep your lawn growing vigorously.

If you are thinking about a new addition to your landscape this fall, now is the time to talk to your favorite landscape designer. Your designer can discuss your needs with you, design the changes or new additions, and get you on the schedule for a fall installation.

 

 

If you tried your hand at seasonal vegetable or square foot gardening this spring, here are a few ways you can enjoy a fall garden. Carry tomatoes, peppers and basil plants over in your fall garden. Direct sow beets, radishes, turnips, leafy greens and spinach now where other spring crops such as broccoli and cauliflower have come and gone for this year.  Replant nursery starts of broccoli and cauliflower. 

Last but not least, take care of yourself. During the hot time that is referred to as August, it is easy to over exert yourself. Drink plenty of fluids and rest in the shade as needed.

See you next month……….in the garden

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - June 2017

            I, for one, cannot believe it is the first of June already. This year is really flying by. This is the month for picnics, vacations, family reunions, and for just enjoying the outdoors in general. One of the tasks to take care of this month is weeding. If you put a pre-emergent weed control product in your landscape beds in March or April, you are due for a second application now. There are two reasons for this. First, most of the pre-emergent products that are available to the homeowner have a short life span, up to 60 days. The second reason is due to all of the rain we have had. However, there are many benefits to the very adequate rainfalls this year. One of them is the ease with which some normally difficult weeds can be pulled. So take time to clean up your landscape beds and apply a pre-emergent as soon as possible.

            The long hot days of summer are stressful to every living creature, including all your plants. If you are tired of the endless task of keeping your plants watered, it is time to think about adding mulch to your beds.

            I know that hotter weather is just ahead, so do yourself and your plantings a huge favor and apply mulch. If you have beds that have never been mulched, add 3” around all annuals, perennials, roses, trees and shrubs. Top dress previously mulched beds with an additional inch of fresh mulch. 

            Not only does mulch hold in moisture, relieving you of some of your watering tasks, it also keeps the soil cooler, so your plants will be less heat-stressed. An added bonus is that weed seeds have a difficult time germinating when buried in mulch, reducing the time you spend weeding. 

            One of the most common questions that we receive at this time of year is, “How much do I water my ______?” I will try to explain some basic guidelines here:

            Vegetables and Bedding Plants planted in the ground: established plants need at least one inch of water per week, more when bearing fruit. Check the soil around the plants, when it is dry one inch down, it’s time to water.

            Container Gardens and Hanging Baskets: check your containers every day for water. Either test the soil by touch or lift the pot to check its weight. Most baskets and many containers will need to be watered once, or even twice a day, depending on the weather. I suggest you fertilize once a week.

            Perennials: newly planted perennials need daily watering until established, at least one to two weeks, depending on weather. After they show signs of new growth, apply a one inch per week rule.

            Trees and Shrubs: newly planted trees and shrubs should be watered every 4-5 days for the entire first year after planting, unless rainfall is abundant. Place the end of your hose next to the base of the plant and let the water trickle very slowly for about two hours. This will allow the root zone to become thoroughly saturated.

            Established Lawns: your lawn should be watered when the grass blades don’t bounce back after being walked on. One inch of water per week should keep your lawn green and healthy. It is best to water early in the morning, before the heat of the day. This keeps evaporation to a minimum, and allows plenty of time for the grass to dry before nightfall, which will help prevent fungus problems.

            Newly Seeded or Sodded Lawns: for better germination, I suggest you mulch grass seed with straw as soon as it is planted. Once seed has germinated or sod has been laid, they must not be allowed to dry out. Water daily with a sprinkler until there is good growth. Early morning is again the best time. Once established, go back to the one inch per week rule.

            Water Gardens: also require an occasional addition of water. Check your pond weekly and add water as needed. Water plants have variable depth requirements, so you need to keep the water levels consistent.

            So continue to enjoy your outdoor spaces and make relationships with your plants! They can give you so much in return!

 

See you in the Garden,

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - May 2017

            This month’s article is a type of warning article…….I attended a webinar recently on the mosquito (Aedes aegypti) which is the type of mosquito that carries the Zika virus.  St Louis for some reason has been considered a hot spot for this carrier this summer.  Below are a few quick points of interest to make you aware of how to stay safe this summer.

 

            The Zika mosquito is a CONTAINER breeder, meaning that it is not found in ponds or streams, but instead in gutters, birdbaths, old tires, holes in trees, septic tanks or anything holding still water.  They fly only about ¼ of a mile from egg source, where other mosquitoes can travel up to 2-2 ½ miles.  This is a great way to keep them under control.  THESE MOSQUITOES ARE DAYTIME BITERS, where other mosquitoes attack at early morning or evening.  This is a great indicator.  They fly during mid day in bright sunlight and low humidity.  If you get bitten in the evening, rest assured that it is not the Zika carrying mosquito causing you problems.

            Permethrin (sold in our retail store as EIGHT) and Malathion are two great pesticides that work on spraying foundation plantings and trees up to about 10’ off the ground.  This is where the adult mosquitoes harbor.  If you are concerned, a foliage spray would be a great preventative.   Mosquito Dunks are an Organic larvicide (containing bacillus thuringensis) and are SAFE for pets, wildlife and humans.  We sell A LOT of this in our retail store.  This is a granular or round dunks that can be put into gutters and any container that holds water, especially animal water bowls, birdbaths, septic tanks and the like.

            Breeding sites for mosquitoes that are found need to be dumped and scrubbed to remove any eggs.  The eggs cling to the sides of containers at the water lever NOT in the water itself.  The eggs are thin and black and resemble the nyjer seed that is often fed to finches.  They line up very close to each other at the water level, but always ON the container itself.

            Zika can be a big problem this season as there are more than several states that have seen cases…………….. For more information check out this website: http://www.cdc.gov/zika/fs-posters

See You in the Garden,

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - April 2017

April is the “opener” of spring. Grass greens up, trees leaf out, shrubs begin to bloom, perennials come back, and the birds continue to sing. This is truly my favorite time of year, the time of rebirth! The seasons move so fast, this is one that you really need to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n and enjoy every day.

Now pay attention to the birds singing early in the mornings and their increased activity, which leads way to courting, nesting, and soon to be, new fledglings. Therefore, I encourage you to continue feeding our feathered friends during this important time and enjoy the antics that lie ahead. I would also like to remind you that these little birds do eat many insects, which is a great benefit for your yard and garden. You should already have your purple martin houses up and filled, and now it is time to hang up the hummingbird feeders. You can make your own nectar using four parts water to 1 part sugar (1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water). You can start with slightly more sugar in the mix to attract the hummingbirds, and then go back to the 4 to 1 mixture once the hummingbirds are frequenting your feeders. Boil together the mixture to dissolve the sugar, fill your feeders and enjoy. Change out the liquid frequently as hummingbirds are very fragile and our summer heat can quickly ferment the sugar mixture. Clean the feeder in between each filling.

            One of the bigger movements continuing across the country this year is “Protecting the Pollinators.” Last year a huge push to “Save the Monarch Butterfly” was seen everywhere. A few years ago, the Honey Bee had been known as declining. Well, the decline of these most important Pollinators is still a strong concern. Therefore, we need to make ourselves aware of the push to save ALL pollinators. We can help with this push by being aware of your surroundings and eliminating the use of synthetic insecticide products, especially on blooming plants that are visited by pollinators. It you have an insect issue, talk to a representative at your local garden center about methods of controlling pests without harming pollinators. Our food supply depends on it.   

            There is so much to talk about in April, I have made a short list of some of the more common, timely items that will need attention or guide you as we begin this most wonderful season of Spring!

·         When Crabapples are in bloom, hardy annuals can be planted.

·         Liquid weed control should be applied this month to control dandelions, henbit and other broadleaf weeds. New grass from seed MUST be mowed 3 times to make it strong enough to withstand weed chemicals.

·         Prune spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming.

·         Start cucumber, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month.

·         Termites begin swarming. Termites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae.

·         Mole young are born in chambers deep underground.

·         The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. Transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes can also start being planted outdoors.

·         Container gardening is good choice for flower and vegetable gardening if space is in short supply. It can be done by anyone, anywhere, check it out!!

·         “Natural Gardening” is here to stay………..keep your family safe and check out what organic/natural options are available to you when gardening this year. There are many.

 

Well, time is running short…see you in the garden

Sandi Hillermann McDonald