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Hot-weather gardening tips: more water and mulch, fewer weeds and pests

Hot-weather gardening tips: more water and mulch, fewer weeds and pests

By BRAVETTA HASSELL World Scene Writer on Jul 6, 2013, at 2:26 AM  Updated on 7/06/13 at 7:25 AM

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Water will be best absorbed when temperatures are cooler, but don’t wait to water if your plants are showing signs of heat-stress. MATT BARNARD/ Tulsa World

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Home Garden

Russell Studebaker: Create garden style with Joseph’s coat

Over time, even fashions change in landscaping, but the good plants remain the same.

Gardening teaches kids life lessons

In the Brady Heights Community Garden, brother and sister Brendan and Ryan Dalton, respectively, are growing carrots and tomatoes, lettuce and green beans.

Tulsa made it through a treacherous and hot week last month, and don’t think we’re out of the woods yet.

Here are a few hot weather gardening tips to keep in mind as we march toward the thick of summer. Keeping an eye on your garden – observing your plant beds, shrubs and trees – will help you decide how to remedy problem areas that crop up during this season.

Weeds

During the summer, weeds have a way of seemingly springing up overnight, stealing away the nutrients the plants you want to survive need. Get rid of them by picking them out by hand.

Water

Be mindful of the weather forecast. When you see a cool day appearing soon on the horizon, hold off watering until then. That way more of the water is absorbed by the soil and plant roots as opposed to being vaporized by the heat. But if your plant is showing signs of heat-stress, water as soon as possible.

The amount of water needed will vary based on the plant variety, so pay attention to labels. Beyond that, when you do water, do it early in the morning if possible. During the hottest stretches of the summer, think about watering deeply (longer) and less frequently.

When it comes to container plants, you already know they will dry out the fastest – the smaller the container, the quicker. Check the soil, but plan on watering pots once to twice a day when weather really heats up.

Mulch

Mulch, mulch, mulch. It keeps plant beds warmer in the winter and in the summertime holds in moisture for your plants to use. Protect your garden beds and tree zones with it.

When considering what mulch to put down around perennials and shrubs, check with the OSU Extension Office to find out what mulch is most appropriate.

Fertilizers, pesticides

In terms of fertilizing, some light feeding of a stressed-out plant may be helpful.

For pest control, pick them off if you can. Strong blasts of water can propel some harmful critters off your plants as well.

And try to stay away from chemicals. During the summer’s most intense heat, your plants will have enough to deal with from environmental conditions. Chemicals also drive pollinators away.


Bravetta Hassell 918-581-8316

bravetta.hassell@tulsaworld.com

Home Garden

Russell Studebaker: Create garden style with Joseph’s coat

Over time, even fashions change in landscaping, but the good plants remain the same.

Gardening teaches kids life lessons

In the Brady Heights Community Garden, brother and sister Brendan and Ryan Dalton, respectively, are growing carrots and tomatoes, lettuce and green beans.

Only active print or digital subscribers of the Tulsa World are allowed to post comments on stories posted to Tulsaworld.com. After you fill out the form below and click submit, your comment will be published instantly online along with your screen name.

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Garden ornamental tips for the month of July

winchester

slideshow

* If your hosta and azalea stems have a white powder covering them, it is probably the waxy coating of planthopper insects. They don’t do much damage, but can spread diseases. Spray with garden insecticide if unsightly.

* Keep pinching back mums to keep them blooming longer and make them bushier.

* Lamb’s ear tends to have their lower leaves die after a heavy rain. This forms ugly mats that will rot stems and roots. Pull away the yellow leaves to keep up airflow.

* Fertilize crape myrtles, butterfly bushes, and hydrangeas with 1 Tablespoon of 10-10-10 per foot of height. www.caes.uga.edu/applications/publications/files/pdf/C% 20944_4.PDF Fruits and Vegetables

* Before you spray an insecticide on your vegetables, check the label. Each insecticide has a waiting period after application before you can harvest.

* Although tomatoes are self-pollinating, they need movement to transfer pollen. If it is hot and calm for several days, gently shake plants to assure pollen transfer and fruit set. Hot temperatures can interfere with blossom set.

* Water stress in sweet potatoes can result in cracked roots. A potassium deficiency causes long, slender roots. Too much nitrogen reduces yield and quality. www.caes.uga. edu/applications/publications/files/pdf/C%201023_1.PDF

* Most fertilizer recommendations are for 100 square feet, so keep your garden’s square footage a simple fraction of that. For example, a 4 X 12 foot garden is exactly 50 square feet and would require exactly one half the fertilizers required by a garden of 100 square feet.

* Okra pods get tough if allowed to grow too large. Pick regularly.

* Mulch strawberries heavily to protect them from heat and drought.

* The time of day vegetables are harvested can make a difference in the taste and texture. For sweetness, pick peas and corn late in the day; that’s when they contain the most sugar, especially if the day was cool and sunny. Other vegetables, like lettuce and cucumbers, are crisper and tastier if you harvest them early in the morning before the day’s heat has a chance to wilt and shrivel them.

*Start a fall crop of Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and kale indoors. Outdoors, sow pumpkin, beans, squash, cucumbers, and crowder peas. Plant carrots mid-month. www.caes.uga.edu/applications/publications/files/pdf/ C%201023_1.PDF

* Pick squash regularly to keep up production. If the vines wilt, check the base of the stem for “sawdust”. This means the plant has squash bores in the stem. Remove infected plants (thus removing the bores) and plant new seeds. It is good to change your planting location to hopefully prevent the new plants from being attacked.

* Sunflowers are ready to harvest when the back of the head turns brown.

* Keep an eye out for tomato hornworm. They can do enormous damage overnight. They also attack Nicotiana. When you see damage, check under leaves and stems to find them. Hand -pick to dispose of them.

* Don’t plant all your beans at once. If you stagger the plantings every two weeks you will have fresh beans longer. Soak bean seeds overnight before planting for faster germination.

*Use bamboo poles to form a large teepee-like structure. Use twine to create a trellis though all but one section of the teepee. Plant pole beans along the twine. Watch the beans grow into a house that kids love to play in. The section that was not tied with the twine is the entrance to the bean teepee.

MISCELLANEOUS

If you keep your houseplants indoors all summer, keep them out of the draft of the air conditioner. Plants react to an air conditioner’s cool air in various ways. Some drop their leaves, others don’t bloom well and some fail to bloom at all. Information about Extension Solutions for Homes and Gardens can be found on the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension website at www.caes.uga.edu/extension/cherokee or by contacting the Cherokee County Extension Office at 100 North St., Suite G21 in Canton at (770) 479-0418. The Georgia Extension Master Gardener Program is a volunteer training program offered through county offices of the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

Tips and best plants to grow for a fragrant, night-time garden

datura.JPGView full sizeBrugmansia is a fragrant choice for a night garden.

Some plants can perfume the memory of an evening for years.

Nicotiana sylvestris entices with its sweetness. Asiatic jasmine wafts wonderfully at night in a garden and triggers instant nostalgia.

Other elements to include: light-colored flowers, variegated foliage, water, a place to sit and lighting.

To start planning an evening garden, look at location. If the garden
is exposed to the western sun, consider a spot with partial shade for
the night garden.

The smallest yard can still have a spot for evening enjoyment, on a
deck, porch or small terrace. There’s no reason you can’t have an
evening garden in containers.

NIGHT GARDEN PLANTS

Scented plants:

Brugmansia (datura, angel’s trumpet)

Calla lilies

Daphne caucasica

Geraniums, scented (pelargoniums)

Heliotrope, white forms

Lilies, white Asiatic or Oriental such as ‘Casa Blanca’

Nicotiana sylvestris (flowering tobacco)

Phlox paniculata ‘Norah Leigh’ (variegated phlox)

Rosa ‘Gertrude Jekyll’

Trachelospermum asiaticum and jasminoides (star jasmine) (for sheltered locations)

Vitis species (edible grapes)

Light-colored plants:

Anemone hybrida ‘Whirlwind’ (Japanese anemone, many white hybrids)

Phygelius ‘Moonraker’ (Cape fuchsia)

Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’ (variegated willow)

Weigela ‘Briant Rubridor’

Grasses:

Stipa gigantea (giant feather grass)

Miscanthus sinensis ‘Morning Light’

Elymus magellanicus (Magellan’s blue grass)

Trees:

Acer japonicum (Japanese maple)

Styrax japonicus (Japanese snowbell)

Albezia (silk tree)

MORE ONLINE:

HGTV also offers plants and info on how to grow a night garden, including maintenance tips:
Spend a little
more time deadheading the spent flowers. This will encourage more
flowers to bloom, which in turn means more night color in your garden.
And more night color will beckon you to relax in a garden custom-made
for the stars.

Weekend Gardener has planting a moonlight garden, with more plant ideas (many white ones) plus some suggested combinations.
Overall remember, the idea behind a moonlight garden is to reflect the
glow and stillness of nighttime, and to create a special area that
really offers its best qualities at night.

Dulcy Mahar, in one of her columns for Homes Gardens of the Northwest from 2009, included a list of plants to “perfume your night garden.”
To truly indulge yourself in late-summer evenings, pack the garden with
as many scented, pale August bloomers as you have space for.
Fortunately, scent and pale color often go together. There is a logical
connection.

— Homes Gardens of the Northwest staff

If you want to automatically receive a free daily homes and gardens tip, sign up at OregonLive.com’s newsletter subscription site.

Marianne Ophardt: Tips for buying a garden hose

Garden hoses can be vexing things. They are heavy and a nuisance to haul around the yard, plus they can kink. Nevertheless, they are an essential gardening tool. Last year when we needed a new one, I did not do much research and bought what seemed to be a long-lasting quality hose. The problem was that it weighed a ton and became a chore to move.

I should have taken more time to do my homework. Here’s what I’ve learned:

Garden hoses typically come in two diameters, 5/8 inches and 3/4 inches. You even can find hoses that are one inch in diameter. Many gardeners find that a 5/8 inch hose is adequate for their purposes. The 3/4 inch hoses tend to be more expensive and heavier.

Garden hoses also come in different lengths, from 25 to 100 feet long. Of course, the longer the hose, the heavier and the more costly. (Notice the trend?) The longer the hose, the lower the volume of water per minute that it delivers. To calculate this, go to: http://bit.ly/1aDRygL.

The material a hose is made out of also greatly influences its price. As with any garden tool, the better the quality, the higher the price.
Rubber and PVC reinforced hoses generally are more expensive and more flexible. High-end reinforced hoses are more resistant to abrasions, punctures and bursts. You also will find that the more a hose is reinforced, the higher the cost and the heavier the hose. The best-quality hoses will have hexagonal or octagonal brass couplings.

There also are coiled hoses. These are typically 3/8 inch diameter and usually come in 25- or 50-foot lengths. They are made out of polyurethane. They are lighter, easy to get out and use on the patio for watering containers, but they tend to kink when extended and often tangle when coiled.

Quality garden hoses can be pricy. To keep your hose in good condition, here are some tips:

1. Store your hose where it will be protected from degradation by ultraviolet light.

2. Don’t leave the hose where cars or bikes will run over it.

3. Don’t let your hose kink, causing a spot that will be weak.

4. Drain and coil your hose after every use, coiling it into loops about 24 to 36 inches in diameter. Store the coiled hose flat and off the ground in a container like a hose pot. Hanging a hose from a single hook can damage the walls of the hose, so use an arched hose rack.
There are also hose reels that can be used to coil and store hoses.

5. Drain the water from the hose before it freezes in the fall and then store it in your garage or storage shed over the winter.

Safety note

Many garden hoses, especially older types, have been deemed unsafe for use for drinking water because of harmful chemicals and heavy metals that they contain. While many of the new hoses today are labeled as safe for drinking water, it’s still best not to make a practice of drinking from them because germs, molds and bacteria can build up inside.

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

Lawsuit Alleges That Olive Garden And Other Restaurants Illegally Added Tips

Olive Garden

Professional tennis player Ted Dimond filed a lawsuit claiming New York restaurants are adding tips to bills, the New York Post reported.

Dimond says Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, Marriott Marquis Hotel, and Applebee’s have all unlawfully added gratuities to his bill.

His attorney told the Post that those chains were the worst offenders.

The article points out it is illegal in New York to add a surcharge to a listed menu price unless the party is eight or larger.

Half the chains did not immediately respond to the New York Post to comment. One hotel said it was unaware of the law.

Marriott spokeswoman Cathleen Duffy told the Post that the Times Square hotel’s Crossroads American Kitchen and Bar charges 18 per cent gratuity on parties of six or more and that the policy is clearly stated on the menu. She said she wasn’t aware that the law only applied to groups of eight or larger.

July gardening tips: How to fight mold and fungus

July is here with its steamy heat and sudden storms. What this means to the gardener is that conditions are ripe for mold and fungal diseases in the garden.

This year’s weather has been atypical so far, but we can still make plans for gardening based on experience. We can still scout and monitor for mold and fungal diseases. And we can reduce our expectations for the perfect summer harvest.

In the flower garden, annuals and early blooming perennials may be looking shaggy. Trim these plants back to improve appearance and promote more bushy growth. Trimming plants back also will allow for more air circulation around adjacent and later-blooming plants, thus reducing conditions for mold, mildew and fungus.

In the vegetable garden, use straw not only as a mulch to retain soil moisture and reduce fluctuations in soil temperatures, but as a barrier between fruits and vegetables and the damp soil. Remember that good air circulation is necessary to reduce the chance of mold and fungal diseases in the vegetable garden. Remove any rotted and diseased material to the trash to prevent the spread of disease. Disinfect gardening tools using a week bleach solution or rubbing alcohol after each cut of diseased plant material so as to prevent further spread of diseases.

In the lawn, turf typically planted in the Mid-Atlantic area is a cool-season variety. Unless lawns receive 1 to 1-½ inches of water weekly, they will go dormant. Raise mower-blade height to its maximum. The longer grass height will serve to shield grass crowns and prevent scorch and burn. Lawns will need ¼ to ½ inches of rain weekly to ensure continued growth. Should rainfall be less than this weekly amount, watering may be required. Remember, turf will typically return to green when cooler weather and regular rainfall resumes.

Pruning of shrubs and trees — with dead, damaged or diseased limbs going first —should continue. Prune flowering trees and shrubs after bloom drop has finished.

For more information, contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension Horticulture Help Desk at 24 Pehlam St. in Warrenton, or call 540-341-4950 extension 1, or by e-mail at http://www.fc-mg.org.

Fauquier Master Gardeners also have a table at the Warrenton Farmers Market on Saturdays from May through September.

Gardening Tips at Swansea Public Library

Click here for more.

What should you know about?

Board Vacancies in Seekonk

For a full look, click here.


When is something happening?

July 10th

Friend, Foe or Escargot: Sex and Death in the Garden

How do you keep pests from infiltrating the garden and turning it into a
naked jungle? A garden attracts insects by the dozens, from aphids to
slugs, sawflies to tiger bee flies. Some are beneficial, while others
are not, so before you wage war on them, take another look at the life
in your garden. The Swansea Public Library is pleased to present Pam
Gilpin, expert gardener who will talk about bugs in the garden on
Wednesday July 10 at 6:30PM in the Reference Room.

Although it may appear as though pests are devouring your plants, Pam
Gilpin will help you understand that another wave of insects may be
coming to the rescue. Don’t reach for the spray bottle. This talk will
help you tell the good guys from the bad guys and help you understand
how bugs live and die and work to create a happy, healthy, ecofriendly
garden space.
Sign up today for this free workshop. It is open to the public and will
take place in the Library Reference Room. For more information,
contact the library at 508-674-9609 or visit our website at www.swansealibrary.org

Where is something happening?

Hayward Field

Attleboro Fireworks on July 4th

7:00-7:45 P.M. COASTLINE SHOW CHORUS stroll through the crowd

7:45- 9:00 P.M BIG NAZO WALK stroll through the crowd

9:28 P.M. MAYOR TO SPEAK

9:30 P.M. NATIONAL ANTHEM -Robin Hughes

9:31 P.M. FIREWORKS BEGIN

Why should you check back?

We will have the latest Seekonk Arrest Logs

Lumley counts on butterflies

PA Photo/Ian A Kirk/Butterfly Conservation.

Actress and wildlife enthusiast Joanna Lumley explains why she’s supporting this year’s Big Butterfly Count and what she’s doing to encourage these pretty insects into her own garden

She’s banged the drum for the Gurkhas, she’s the ambassador for an initiative to combat climate change and waste – but most recently, actress and keen gardener Joanna Lumley has turned her attentions to the plight of the humble butterfly.

Backing this year’s Big Butterfly Count, the world’s biggest survey of butterflies organised by Butterfly Conservation and Marks Spencer, Lumley explains: “I’ve been fascinated by butterflies ever since being brought up in the Far East where they were, like many things there, huge, bright and extraordinary.

“The great heartbreak is to see how few there are today. Looking out on my garden now, and walking up and down it as I do every day, I’m not seeing any.

“This huge, scientific survey is actually counting the effect of mankind upon the natural world.”

The public is being asked to take 15 minutes to participate in the count, which runs from July 20 to August 11 (prime time for butterfly activity), to help identify trends in species that will aid us in planning how to protect butterflies from extinction, as well as understanding the effect of climate change on wildlife.

Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indicators. Butterfly declines are an early warning for other wildlife losses. Almost three-quarters of UK butterfly species have decreased in population during the last decade, while the number of UK’s larger moths has crashed in the past 40 years, according to a recent reports by a group of leading conservation organisations.

“The predictions are that numbers will be down again this year,” says Butterfly Conservation surveys manager Richard Fox.

“As butterflies had such a bad year last year because of the wet weather, it’s likely that fewer offspring will emerge.

“The Small Tortoiseshell has had eight bad years in a row and has declined by 74% since 1976. The weather last year would have been a major contributing factor but there are other things going on. They need suitable habitats to thrive.”

This year’s cold spring should not have affected numbers because cold snaps tend to happen when butterflies are dormant, so the insects simply come out later, he explains.

Lumley’s own London garden, with its wild area of meadow planting at the end, should be a haven for butterflies, but she has seen few this year.

“That’s quite a good area for butterflies, but I’ve maybe seen three this year,” she explains.

She’s nailed a moth overwintering box, featuring a nectar column, onto her pear tree, but so far it remains empty.

“Like the bees, suddenly there’s been something catastrophic happening. Something we are doing is wrong. I suspect we have to blame it on our methods of farming, but I think it’s also down to our way of living in our urban environment, getting rid of gardens and putting down decking, paving stones and tarmac, treating our vehicles as more important than our creatures.”

Lumley, who is also the MS sustainability champion, has planted many butterfly-friendly species in her garden.

“I love nettles, as do butterflies. We’ve got a tiny cottage in Scotland, on a wild hillside, and we have a meadow garden there. It’s important not to be too tidy in your garden, because butterflies love species that aren’t necessarily the smartest flowers. In London, I have Michaelmas daisies, buddleia, lavender, honesty, dandelions. Butterflies like all of these.”

She’ll be doing two butterfly counts – one at her London garden, the other in her Scottish retreat – and hopes that she’ll have more luck during the three-week count than she has so far.

The Butterfly Conservation offers the following tips to attract butterflies to your garden:

:: Choose sunny, sheltered spots when planting nectar plants, because butterflies like warmth.

:: Select different plants to attract a wider variety of species.

:: Prolong flowering by deadheading regularly, mulching with organic compost and watering well.

:: Don’t use insecticides and pesticides which kill butterflies and many pollinating insects.

:: Grow plants which will attract butterflies including buddleia, Verbena bonariensis, lavender, perennial wallflower, marjoram, phlox, nasturtium, escallonia, cone flower, aster, sweet rocket, lobelia and herbs including chives, thyme and mint.

:: Information: Big Butterfly Count takes place from July 20 to August 11. For details go to www.bigbutterflycount.org

Lawsuit Alleges That Olive Garden And Other Restaurants Illegally Added Tips

Olive Garden

Wiki Commons

See Also

Professional tennis player Ted Dimond filed a lawsuit claiming New York restaurants are adding tips to bills, the New York Post reported.

Dimond says Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Ruby Tuesday, Marriott Marquis Hotel, and Applebee’s have all unlawfully added gratuities to his bill.

His attorney told the Post that those chains were the worst offenders.

The article points out it is illegal in New York to add a surcharge to a listed menu price unless the party is eight or larger.

Half the chains did not immediately respond to the New York Post to comment. One hotel said it was unaware of the law.

Marriott spokeswoman Cathleen Duffy told the Post that the Times Square hotel’s Crossroads American Kitchen and Bar charges 18 percent gratuity on parties of six or more and that the policy is clearly stated on the menu. She said she wasn’t aware that the law only applied to groups of eight or larger.

Garden Tips for July

Ryan Sproul

Ryan Sproul




Posted: Tuesday, July 2, 2013 12:00 am


Garden Tips for July

Ryan Sproul

Grove Sun – Delaware County Journal

Vegetable Garden


Make fall vegetable garden plantings in late July. Fact Sheet HLA-6009 gives planting recommendations.

Lawn

Brown patch disease of cool-season grasses can be a problem.

Meet water requirements of turfgrasses.

Fertilization of warm-season grasses can continue if water is present for growth.

Vegetative establishment of warm-season grasses should be completed by the end of July to ensure the least risk of winter kill.

Mowing heights for cool-season turf grasses should be at 3 inches during hot, dry summer months. Gradually raise mowing height of bermudagrass lawns from 1½ to 2 inches.

Sharpen or replace mower blades as needed. Shredded leaf blades are an invitation to disease and allow more stress on the grass.

Tree and Shrub

Control bermudagrass around trees and shrubs with Poast, Fusilade or Glyphosate herbicides. Follow directions closely to avoid harming desirable plants.

Fruits

Continue insect combat and control in the orchard, garden and landscape.

Check pesticide labels for “stop” spraying recommendations prior to harvest.

Harvest fruit from the orchard early in the morning and refrigerate as soon as possible.

Flowers

Divide and replant crowded Hybrid iris (Bearded Iris) after flowering until August.

General Landscape

Water plants deeply and early in the morning. Most plants need approximately 1 to 2 and 1/2 inches of water per week.

Providing birdbaths, shelter and food will help turn your landscape into a backyard wildlife habitat.

Insect identification is important so you don’t get rid of the “Good Guys.”

The hotter and drier it gets, the larger the spider mite populations!

Expect some leaf fall, a normal reaction to drought. Water young plantings well.

Well hopefully we can continue to get a shower or two and keep our gardens, pastures and crops growing. Even though it is officially summer, the temperatures seem cooler than what we normally have. Let me know if there is anything I can help you with. Have a good week!!

Ryan Sproul is the extension educator, for ag and 4-H youth development, with the OSU Extension Services in Delaware County. For more information, or to contact Sproul, persons interested may call 918-253-4332 or email ryan.sproul@okstate.edu.

More about Ryan Sproul

  • ARTICLE: Rain Damaged Hay?
  • ARTICLE: Water and Politics
  • ARTICLE: Horticulture Tips For June
  • ARTICLE: DelCo residents report seeing army worms

More about Grove

  • ARTICLE: Arkansas teams capture youth softball titles
  • ARTICLE: Grand Lake Golf Report
  • ARTICLE: GRDA Police encourages safe, smart and sober boating during July 4 holiday season
  • ARTICLE: Grove Sun’s Sunspots For 07.02.13
  • ARTICLE: Celebrating Independence Day in Grove

More about Grove Sun

  • ARTICLE: Arkansas teams capture youth softball titles
  • ARTICLE: Grand Lake Golf Report
  • ARTICLE: Boats, budgets and tourism top Tuesday’s Grove Council meeting
  • ARTICLE: Grove Sun’s Sunspots For 07.02.13

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