July - August 2010
Please refer to the 'Green Sheet' for updates and great ideas by our own Kathrine Neville, Chair of Horticulture for the Federated Garden Clubs .
Did you know that broadleaf plantain can produce more than 36,000 seeds per plant and crabgrass, my personal favorite, can produce more than 100,000 seeds per plant? No wonder it feels like the battle will never be over with these weeds.
If you are having a difficulty with a particular weed and cannot ID it , take a digital photo or two andemail them to
Todd Mervosh who is the weed specialist at CT Ag station
todd.mervosh @po.state.ct.us
Of course if you feel like taking your sample to him personally he can be found at 153 Cook Hill Road, Windsor CT.
Once you know the type of weed it is you can fiind out more bout it at the UMass 'Weed Herbarium' data base. Look up the common name, scientific name or plant family. Photos in every stage of growth are there as well. This is a great place to come and learn
Remember to fertilize your roses , butterfly bushes, delphiniums, repeat blooming daylilies and other repeat bloomers that you want blooming from summer into fall. Deadhead continuously . Yes, its a chore, but well worth the effort.
Be bold and cut back heavily and you will be rewarded with more blooms .
You can use liquid feed like fish emulsion or liquid seaweed as a fertilizer.
Wait till after mid August to divide and transplant most perennials. Bearded iris is the only perennial that should be transplanted in July.
Fall and spring flowering plants can be moved after mid august. If you know where your dormant Oriental poppies are planted as well as bleeding hearts, mid August is the time to divide and move them.
Do not neglect your container gardens. They require heavy feeding. The hotter it is , the more you need to water and fertilize these hard workers. After all they exist just for your summer pleasure. Let them do their job.
Those of us with lawns remember to put your mowers up to three inches . This well help with reducing water evaporation . Its been unseasonably hot and humid so your grass is probably not in great shape. Plant grass seed between mid August and mid September. This is the best time because young grass plants will have less competition from weeds that like hot dry conditions ( spurge, crabgrass and purslane)
Veggie Gardens
What can we still put in during July ? Arugula, basil, beans, beets, borage, carrots, chard, cilantro, dill, Pak Choi, sage, salad greens , stir fry greens, summer squashes and thyme .
Flowers? Try cardinal climber vine, cleome, cosmos, four o'clocks , hyacinth bean, marigolds, morning glories, nasturtiums and sunflowers.
Seeds to plant in mid to late summer for fall crops?
Arugula, beets, broccoli, broccoli raab, cabbage, carrots, chard, chervil, cilantro, dill, bronze fennel, kale, lettuce, mache, mustard greens , Pak Choi, peas,radicchio, radishes, snap peas and spinach.
Remember if you are shopping for fertilizers check out the Organic Materials Review Institute for information .
The above information was taken from the latest issue of Ct Gardener. You can get a subscription by calling 203 292 0711
Check out this weather related site that is specific to the state of Ct
February
This month has been rainy, snowy, dark and dreary . The groundhog saw his shadow on February 2nd so we all know what that means!!
Trying to be optimistic we think of spring on its way. Go out and cut a few branches of spring bloomers , like forsythia . Bring them indoors and watch as the blooms open slowly. Keep them out of the hot sun, and preferably in a cold room.
Hamamelis ( witch hazel) is a lovely shrub to bring in . The plant smells spicy and the flowers are really lovely. Cut some long branches and try to make sure the vase you select is not wobbly.
Keep feeding your feathered friends. This is a very stressful winter for them, and we must remember to feed them. Water is also important. You can put out peanut butter on half of an orange and they will love it. Nuts and seeds are also appreciated.
Enjoy the seed catalogs.Last week I placed my order with Burpee Seed and I just received it today. Lots of veggies will be coming up in our raised beds. Put your orders in early as things have been selling out.
Keep a diary if you can. It may sound silly at this time of year, but there are lots of things you can write about . Weather related issues are always interesting to read about and you can check to see if the reasons a plant may have failed, or succeeded , are related to the the temperature outside.
Countdown to the last frost day and go backwards to see when you want to start indoor seeds.
Take photographs of your garden . What a fantastic way to keep track of what goes on in your garden!
Even if you just want to use the catalogs to practice combining color schemes for your garden, that is a fun thing to do. You might be surprised to see what plants have true blue colors, or blue violet or blue red. There are 'hot ' and 'cold' versions of every color. Make a little scrapbook as Amy Sampson suggested at our January meeting . Its great practice to see what color schemes go together and which ones don't.
Enjoy these last few miserable weeks of winter. The sweetness of spring will be even better when you remember how hideous this winter was.
