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Hot News/ Quick Tips:
Ed. note: Callers on WGN's Radio Show (sometimes I get to be on it!) asked two questions that Kathy O'Malley and Mike Nowak couldn't answer just then.
Here are the answers:
1) Peppers: although they usually like hot weather, they don't like it as hot and dry as it was this summer. Excessive hot winds and temps are hard on
them. Mine are as crappy this year as the caller's.
2) Watermelon: Melons are ripe when the underside of
the fruit turns greenish white to cream in color. Fruits should be full size, dull and the skin should resist penetration from the thumbnail. When "snapped" with the finger, the melon should produce a deep, dull muffled
sound as compared to almost no sound when not ripe. Tendrils on fruit stem will be turning brown.
On Planting Clematis (paraphrased from Garden Gate magazine 6/96, by Delilah Smittle Garden Gate Website).
PLANT DEEP!
THE REASON TO PLANT A CLEMATIS DEEP IS SO THAT IF IT SUFFERS A FREEZE, IT CAN RISE OUT OF PROTECTED, UNDERGROUND LEAF BUDS. THIS IS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS APPLIES TO PLANTING A GRAFTED ROSE BUSH.
"Dig a hole at least 18" deep and just as wide‹as deep as it needs to be to allow the two lowest sets of buds on the plant's main stem to be covered with dirt when you fill the hole. Put 6" of compost or rotted manure in the bottom of the hole. Trim off the lower two sets of leaves before planting the clematis. Water its root ball well, then set it in the hole. If the roots are circling the rootball, tease them open and spread the roots over the soil in the hole. Be sure the lowest two sets of buds are below ground level before you fill the hole. If the stem(s) is long enough for several inches of it to stick out of the hole, go ahead and fill the hole, pouring soil around the roots and stems. But is the stem is so short you'd bury it, just add soil to the top of the root ball and wait until the stem grows a foot or so before filling the hole. Firm the soil around the roots and water well. for the life of your clematis, water often enough to keep the soil constantly moist."
Are you worried about using chemicals to prevent re-sprouting after you cut down trees and brush? Ron Nowicki, landscape architect at The Land Office [LANDOFFICE@aol.com] in Downers Grove, IL, wrote TWG to offer this tip: Cut down the tree close to the ground, then cover the stump with a garbage bag (even a plastic grocery bag will do). Bury the stump and the bag with no less than 8" of mulch such as wood chips. In one year, the roots will be dead and you can remove the garbage bag if you wish. No resprouting, no chemicals! Thanks, Ron!
If you have a hot news flash (you or your best friend just donated $5 million to a public garden; there's a new committee forming to hybridize a rare form of skunk cabbage; your organization just planted a 3-mile long garden in a 1-mile long town) let us know! If you have a great tip we haven't heard before (and it will actually work), e-mail it to us! weedpatch@rsg.org
Here are the answers:
1) Peppers: although they usually like hot weather, they don't like it as hot and dry as it was this summer. Excessive hot winds and temps are hard on
them. Mine are as crappy this year as the caller's.
2) Watermelon: Melons are ripe when the underside of
the fruit turns greenish white to cream in color. Fruits should be full size, dull and the skin should resist penetration from the thumbnail. When "snapped" with the finger, the melon should produce a deep, dull muffled
sound as compared to almost no sound when not ripe. Tendrils on fruit stem will be turning brown.
THE REASON TO PLANT A CLEMATIS DEEP IS SO THAT IF IT SUFFERS A FREEZE, IT CAN RISE OUT OF PROTECTED, UNDERGROUND LEAF BUDS. THIS IS THE SAME PRINCIPLE AS APPLIES TO PLANTING A GRAFTED ROSE BUSH.
"Dig a hole at least 18" deep and just as wide‹as deep as it needs to be to allow the two lowest sets of buds on the plant's main stem to be covered with dirt when you fill the hole. Put 6" of compost or rotted manure in the bottom of the hole. Trim off the lower two sets of leaves before planting the clematis. Water its root ball well, then set it in the hole. If the roots are circling the rootball, tease them open and spread the roots over the soil in the hole. Be sure the lowest two sets of buds are below ground level before you fill the hole. If the stem(s) is long enough for several inches of it to stick out of the hole, go ahead and fill the hole, pouring soil around the roots and stems. But is the stem is so short you'd bury it, just add soil to the top of the root ball and wait until the stem grows a foot or so before filling the hole. Firm the soil around the roots and water well. for the life of your clematis, water often enough to keep the soil constantly moist."
If you have a hot news flash (you or your best friend just donated $5 million to a public garden; there's a new committee forming to hybridize a rare form of skunk cabbage; your organization just planted a 3-mile long garden in a 1-mile long town) let us know! If you have a great tip we haven't heard before (and it will actually work), e-mail it to us! weedpatch@rsg.org
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