Cool-season weeds will grow in lawns even in the cold. Since the grass is dormant and mowing is not needed, the green weeds are noticeable against the turf. Do not use weed and feed (weed killer combined with a fertilizer). It is far too early to fertilize warm-season grasses. Just mow the weeds down occasionally. If you feel you must control them, use a lawn herbicide labeled for use on the type of grass you have. Apply during a mild spell, when daytime highs are above 60 degrees, and follow label directions carefully.

During this cold winter, water coming out of the tap can be really chilly. When watering your indoor plants, don’t just turn on the cold water faucet. Turn on both cold and hot and adjust the temperature of the water until it feels tepid or barely warm. This is healthier for tropical houseplants and will prevent spotting on African violet foliage.

There are several short-lived perennials that are commonly used as cool-season annuals in Louisiana. Although foxglove, delphinium and hollyhock may be reliable perennials in cooler zones, they have a hard time surviving our summers. Early planting is a key to success here. Transplants should be planted into the garden in February for bloom in April through early June. After flowering, foxgloves and delphiniums should be pulled up and composted. Hollyhocks are almost always infected by rust by the time they finish flowering, and should be disposed of in the trash rather than compost.

You’ve spent nine months getting ready for the arrival of your new baby, but don’t forget about your furry family companion.

Your dog is used to being the center of attention and can have a hard time relinquishing that spot. Making gradual changes to your dog’s routine along the way can help ease the transition and before long, your pup and your baby will be the best of friends.

To help dog owners in this exciting time, the American Kennel Club offers the following tips for introducing your dog to your new baby.

n Gradually alter your dog’s routine. Start making changes to your dog’s daily routine months before your baby is born. Will his walk be in the afternoon rather than the morning? Start getting him used to what life will be like when the baby comes home.

n The nose knows. Before you bring the baby home, introduce a blanket with the baby’s scent on it to your dog. Let him sniff and become used to it.

n The first meeting. Make sure your dog is well exercised before you introduce him to the baby. Have one parent hold the baby while the other controls the dog on leash.

n Make it a family affair. Include your dog whenever you can. Make sure to give him attention and affection while the baby is around. Take your dog along with you on walks with the baby.

n Always supervise interactions between children and dogs. You should never leave an infant or toddler alone with a dog. Even the most trusted family pet can be startled by a sudden scream or cry from your child.

New garden catalogs are arriving daily, telling me that it is time to start planning this year’s garden. Spring must be around the corner!

Of course tomatoes are at the top on my list of vegetables to grow. There is nothing like a homegrown tomato fresh from the garden. If you plan to grow your own veggie transplants, now is when you ought to be ordering seeds and getting ready to plant. Tomato seeds should be planted about six weeks before the anticipated date of planting outdoors.

When perusing seed catalogs, notice modern hybrid varieties, such as Burpee’s Better Boy or Big Boy, are not as popular as they once were. Today’s gardeners are clamoring for heirloom varieties because of their full flavor and attractive fruit of various colors and shapes. Specialty mail-order seed companies and even mainstream companies are offering an expanding list of heirloom tomatoes.

Modern hybrid tomato varieties were bred primarily for commercial field production. Breeders sought firm, uniform, deep red fruit and resistance to soil pathogens. They did not focus on flavor. As a result, some of the flavor we desire in a fresh tomato was lost during their development.

Heirloom tomatoes are older varieties that have been passed from one generation to another. Unlike modern hybrid tomatoes, heirlooms are open pollinated. The prime reason for the “growing” interest in heirlooms is their flavor. Many folks feel that heirlooms have more of the robust tomato taste.

Specialty mail-order seed companies that specialize in tomatoes are a good place to look for tomato varieties to grow. Totally Tomatoes (totallytomato.com) is offering a new series of tomatoes called the “Wild Boar Series” that are new introductions from a small organic farmer and breeder. The series is the result of crosses the farmer made from his favorites among hundreds of heirlooms and hybrids, and selecting the resulting crosses for their extreme flavor, interesting appearance and coloring.

Tomato Growers Supply (tomatogrowers.com) offers more than 500 varieties of heirloom and hybrid tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Tomato Fest (tomatofest.com) only offers organically grown heirloom tomatoes with a list of a 600 varieties including paste, dwarf, determinant, heart-shaped and, of course red, orange, yellow, green, striped, brown, purple and even blue varieties.

Many seed companies, even the big-name seed catalogs (like Burpee), are offering grafted tomatoes. A grafted tomato is one that has been fused together via the propagation method of grafting. This involves placing a desirable variety (scion) on top the roots of a different variety (rootstock). The scion grows into the upper part of the plant and produces fruit of the desirable variety. The rootstock grows into the root system and imparts that variety’s characteristics to the roots.

While heirlooms may have better tasting fruit, the plants lack resistance to certain soil pathogens bred into most modern hybrids. Grafted tomatoes allow tomato growers to grow tasty heirloom tomatoes on rootstock that is resistant to certain soil diseases. Many of these rootstocks also improve plant vigor and productivity.

So do not procrastinate, decide what to you want to grow and order your seed or grafted plants now.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horjticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

TOP 10 GARDEN PLANTS

Firstly, they have been inside for way too long since it was happy winters for you. So, get them ready for spring before making them grow. The first step in looking after your plants with onset of spring is dusting them. Remember, the light of sun will help them photosynthesize but how can dirty plants do that? So, clean it first as spring has sprung up.

Clean your Plants

It’s important to clean your plants before spring sets in. Dirty leaves can’t photosynthesize and hence can’t produce the food. Give them a slight shower using a sprinkler in an attempt to clean them. This process would also remove the insects from their bodies. A simple spring gardening tip is to tie a plastic bag to your plant’s base, to prevent it plant from getting over watered. This works best for your plants.

Cut Down Mineral Build-up

Despite having watered the plants, do they appear dull? There’s more you can do to look after your house plants in spring. The minerals in the water could be responsible for this happening. Rub the plants using a dry cloth to remove the minerals. You can even scrap off the minerals with your thumb. Just make sure you are not too hard on the plants. Clean the mineral off the pots too as they too can prove to be harmful to your plants

Sunlight

Once you have given the plants shower, let them dry. Keep them in a shaded place and allow them to dry there. Direct contact with sun can cause burning of these leaves. So, till they are not dry let them not return near the sun. Once dry, keep them on the window sill but, ensure the sill’s clean.

Feeding The Plant

Here’s an important spring gardening tip. There are house plants that don’t need feeding and then there are the flowering plants which need to be fed regularly. Give them liquid feeds regularly. If you are planning to move the plants to bigger pots, add some granules of fertilizer. Don’t over-feed the plant in anyway

Pruning Cleaning

Looking after houseplants includes this greatly. Pruning simply means removing the unwanted flowers and leaves from the plant. You can remove damaged or yellowing leaves using your thumb. Wayward branches should also be removed. Regularly clean your plants using cotton so that they remain dust free. Remember keeping them out in the sunlight can make them dirty due to the dust in the surroundings.

Trim Regularly

As mentioned spring is the season of growing for the plants. So make sure you trim the plants regularly so that they grow healthily. Do not forget this spring gardening tip – remove weeds, maverick shoots and unnecessary growths observed in the plant. Apply fertilisers regularly. Make sure the fertilisers you use are acidic soluble ones so that they don’t harm the plants much.

If the sunlight is too much, keep the houseplants a little shaded such that they get enough light but are not burnt in the process.

Stop Lawn Weeds this Spring

To have a lush green lawn free of weeds this spring, early February is the best time to apply a pre-emergent.

Pre-emergents work by preventing the weed seed from germinating – so applying at the right time is important. A reliable pre-emergent proven to work well on weeds in the Cedar Creek lake area is Hi-Yield’s Weed Stopper with Dimension.

If you prefer to use an organic product our recommendation is Nature’s Guide Spreadable Corn Gluten. It’s a natural weed preventer and nitrogen fertilizer.

February is also the time to fertilize trees, shrubs, lawns and evergreens. Use a rose or all-purpose garden type fertilizer to feed roses, fruit and flowering trees, plus other deciduous trees and shrubs. If you use dry type fertilizers, be sure to water-in thoroughly after application.

Start fertilizing lawns mid – late February. Fertilizing will help bring the grass out of dormancy and boost the growth of new shoots and green up the grass quickly. We recommend a 16-4-12 balanced slow release fertilizer for Cedar Creek.

Spraying. February is a good month to make an application of winter dormant spray on fruit trees to kill damaging insects as they wake up from their winter’s nap. Spray at a time when the wind is not blowing and when temperatures are above freezing.

Pruning. Prune back trees, shrubs and roses before buds start to show. Valentine’s Day is considered the best time to trim back roses.

Freezing Temperatures. If temperatures do drop below 32 degrees use a freeze cloth to protect early flowering or tender plants.

Happy Gardening

BEST POTTED PLANTS TO GROW IN BALCONIES

For healthy growth, dedicated caring for potted plants is required. Some tips for caring for potted plants are discussed below:

1.Water – Potted plants have a limited area for roots to penetrate and absorb water. To keep the plant hydrated, regular watering of plants should be done. Water the potted plants every alternate days or at least twice in a week. Water is essential for plant growth and caring of potted plants.

2.Sunlight – Sunlight is an important factor that affects the plant’s growth. Plants that grow outside manage to absorb light in the day. Potted plants, especially the ones inside the house, need to be places in such a way that they get enough sunlight for at least 3-4 hours a day. This is an essential gardening tip for the caring of potted plants.

3.Fertilisers – Potted plants are exposed to nutrients that are present in the soil of the pot. For providing the extra nutrients, you need to care a little extra for the potted plants. Add fertilizers and compost to the soil of the potted plants. You can also use natural compost like kitchen waste, leftover food, vegetable and food debris, etc. for potted plants. Fertilisers are available in a large variety and should be used every 2-3 months, depending on the requirement of the plant.

4.Plant care – A good tip on how to care for potted plants is to trim and prune the plant in regular intervals of time. For healthy growth of potted plants, you need to trim and remove the dead leaves and stem of the plant regularly. The plant’s regeneration speeds up after regular trimming and cutting of the plant.

5.Re-potting – When a plant grows, the roots also start increasing. This is the time when roots start needing more space. Re-potting is necessary when the present pot falls short of space for both the stem and root growth. If adequate space is not provided, the plant growth may get hampered. Once the plant size increases you will either have to choose a pot of bigger size or transfer the plant to open soil. This is one essential tip in caring for potted plants.

VEGETABLE GARDENING IN SPRING: Tips

You need not be born with green hands to give that magical touch. All you need is the right spirit and knowledge to have a healthy garden. Now, there must be numerous doubts arising in your mind about those fancy tools, and expensive products to make a healthy garden. Is it really necessary? The answer is a big “No”. You can make your garden simple and beautiful through careful planning. Here are a few gardening tips for spring.

1. A survey is essential

One of the gardening tips for beginners is that a survey is essential. If you are planning a spring gardening, then make a note on the unwanted things that needs to be removed from your garden. If you are to maintain large trees, call in a specialist if needed. The next thing you need to do is make a compost pile with last year’s foliage. You also should check the fences, pathways and steps and make necessary arrangements.

2. Check your tools

Tools are some of the important items when it comes to gardening. One important gardening tip for beginners is to check if you have all the tools ready, so that you need not rush up in the growing season. Gardening tips for spring needs to be followed carefully to attain better results.

3. Clearing out

If there are dead, diseased or damaged plants in your garden, remove it in the first place. Gardening tips for spring are easy to follow and implement. All it demands is a little care. If you are a gardening beginner, make sure you don’t forget to prune the plants and shrubs.

4. Test the soil

A soil test is something that should be done if you need a healthy garden. Gardening tips for beginners should contain a detailed explanation on the soil test. A home-soil test kit is readily available with which you can check the pH of the soil. The samples are to be taken from different areas. If you want to raise the pH level, then add dolomitic lime. To lower the pH add sulphur.

5. Preparing new beds

The next step you need to do is preparing new beds. Clear the planting area and spread the area with compost of 4-inch thickness. Once you prepare the new beds, the next thing to do is plant the saplings. Once you plant the saplings, don’t forget to fertilise them.

Following the above gardening tips for spring is sure to make your garden wonderful. Follow the above gardening tips for spring and watch your garden bloom this spring.

(01/20/2014) With the bitter cold outside, the heat will be turned up inside the house. That means dryer air will be rising right towards the houseplants on the windowsill. It’s tough times for those houseplants.

Martha Foley discusses…

Gardening

5 Designing Tips for Your Desert Home Oasis

Posted

by Marylee M. Pangman

on Mon, Jan 27, 2014 at 10:00 AM

• The Potted Desert
• Robellini Palm Creates a Tropical Look

Designing Tips for your Desert Home Oasis

1. Plan your tropical garden near your home, part of your seating area. Since the majority of the plants require heavily filtered light, you can make the garden be part of your outdoor living area as you appreciate similar conditions.

2. Plan the flooring to be as cool as possible. Non-reflective colors in earthtone or blue hues work well. You might add an outdoor carpet to the seating area.

3. Think in levels or layers of plantings as you would see in a tropical garden. Low plantings around the seating areas in low pots will do well. Also bordering walkways. Then mid-height plants in taller pots or pots up on pedestals or pots with trellises for some vines.

• The Potted Desert
• Thinking in Levels

4. Further back towards walls or further from the patio, you can think about larger plants and trees, still trying to keep the layered effect of the three heights of plants in the landscape. Perhaps a couple citrus or palm trees or an evergreen Pistache tree with a mixture of hibiscus and a blue leafed agave such as the Agave colorata. And definitely keep in mind your Bougainvillea and Birds of Paradise- both tropical (shade) and Mexican (sun)!!

5. Be sure to add a water feature to your garden. It will add much to your tropical paradise in the desert.

[Photo:.water feature picture; Caption: Add a Water Feature to your Oasis]

Want to keep your money out of the compost heap? Sign up for the Desert Potted View and our Free Monthly Potted Garden tips – sign up at Potted Desert Newsletter.

Marylee is the founder and former owner of Tucson’s The Contained Gardener. With more than 15 years of successfully designing and growing potted gardens in the desert’s challenging and oftentimes harsh climate, Marylee has become known as the Desert’s Potted Garden Expert. Marylee is available for in-home or digital consultations and you can always email her with your questions and comments. Follow The Potted Desert on Facebook! Marylee is also available for business growth counseling

Tags: Marylee Pangman, container gardens, potted desert garden, summer flowers, Winter flowers, potted cactus, Potted Desert, Tucson garden, Southern Arizona, snowbird garden, Image

Posted: Saturday, January 25, 2014 12:00 am
|


Updated: 5:54 am, Sat Jan 25, 2014.

Master Gardener: Try tips to keep deer from eating your hard work in the garden

By BILL SEVIER Ask a Master Gardener

TulsaWorld.com

|
0 comments

Q: I have a small acreage on the edge of Tulsa and cannot grow a vegetable garden or flowers due to deer eating them. What can I do to prevent this? – Jim T., Tulsa

A: The white-tailed deer is both revered and maligned. Mention deer and some people have an image of Bambi while others see a large, destructive pest. 

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