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Clematis Plant Looking Brown? Don't Add Water. |
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A lot of us have been having damp or humid summers and while a little water is great, too much dampness for too long can cause all kinds of problems. Even the seemingly carefree plants, like clematis, can start acting up. Problems that take hold in June really start showing symptoms in July, so keep a close eye on your plants. If your clematis was blooming fine and now the stems & leaves are starting to look brown, it's probably not because they need more water. It could very easily be a case of clematis wilt, a fungus disease that loves damp foliage and humid weather. The good news is that it doesn’t attack the clematis roots. The bad news is that all affected portions will need to be cut back. Here are some tips for avoiding and controlling clematis wilt.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.. |
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Featured Plant: Summer Squash |
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With summer squash, it’s either feast or famine. Summer squash, which includes zucchini, yellow straight and crookneck and the flying saucer-shaped pattypan, is usually thought of as prolific. Who doesn’t have a story about leaving bags of zucchini on your neighbor’s back step under cloak of darkness? But these same enthusiastic yielders can be frustratingly slow to get it in gear. Squash plants produce both male and female flowers and they tend to start off the season by producing a lot of male flowers only. So it can seem like your plants are getting ready to set fruit, but the flowers just fall off and leave you with nothing. Be patient. Once the plant is strong enough to support growing fruits, the female blossoms will appear and get the job done.
The term summer squash was coined because these squash varieties aren’t good for long term storage. Their short shelf life and perpetual harvest means you’ll need a lot of good squash recipes. If you’d care to share your favorite, I’m sure it would be more than welcome. It’s summer squash season.
Growing Summer Squash
Squash Vine Borer
Squash Bug
All Leaves and No Squash?
Stung Squash
Photo: kyra / stock.xchng |
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Gardening Question of the Week: What Can I Plant or Put on Surface Tree Roots? |
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Several people have written in to ask whether they can will in the area around trees that have lots of surface roots. They either want recommendations for ground covers or they’re thinking of adding soil or mulch. Not all tree roots will protrude above the surface, but those that do are coming up for a reason - they need oxygen. So covering the roots is seldom a wise thing to do. Either the tree suffers or your patience will, as the roots will continue to try and come up for air. Steve Nix, About.com’s Guide to Forestry, has some tips for dealing with surface tree roots, but for the most part, you’re going to have to learn to work around them.
You might be able to establish a low growing ground cover that can handle the dry shade under trees, but not compete with the tree’s root system. Something like Lamium or Epimedium would work. Or you can just move your chairs under there and enjoy of the cool respite and the knowledge that you’re doing something good for the environment by letting your tree grow. Trees aren’t just for beauty and shade. Trees also absorb carbon dioxide emitted by cars and power plants, before it ever reaches the upper atmosphere and traps heat around the Earth’s surface. Which trees offset global warming best?
Photo: © Marie Iannotti. |
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July in the GardenA Regional Gardening Almanac |
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July is an unpredictable month in the garden. About all you can count on is humidity. Gardeners just have to play it by ear. You know there will be vegetables to harvest, flowers to deadhead and a new crop of weeds. Here’s a list of garden chores to make help your garden weather the heat of summer. Most importantly, keep a close eye on pests and disease, then sit back and enjoy your garden and all the efforts you put in earlier in the year to get it where it is now. |
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What's Your Favorite Fragrant Flower? |
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My area has had a lot of rain this year. It seems to come in torrents whenever something fragrant is about to bloom. The lilacs rotted, the peonies were beaten down. Even June’s roses were a bit of a wash out. It’s all the more disappointing because I’m finding it harder and harder to find the old fashioned varieties that have a rich scent. So many hybrids have sacrificed fragrance for bigger, better, longer blooms. Thank goodness for my lavender and sweet peas.
The original owners of my yard planted some old varieties of lilacs and peonies and every spring I bless them for doing so. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if your whole garden could give off so much fragrance? What’s your favorite fragrant flower? Let us know how to bring fragrance back into our gardens.
Photo: © Marie Iannotti. |
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Lady's Mantle |
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Lady’s Mantle is an old-fashioned flower still popular today for it’s fuzzy, cupped leaves that hold water droplets after a rain and the frothy sprays of dainty yellow flowers that bloom in late spring and early summer. Lady’s Mantle is also used in making lotions and soaps. Lady’s Mantle is a long-lived perennial flower that is fairly low maintenance.
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Tomato Growing Tips |
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Tomato plants know what they like and they grow well when you give it to them. Growing the best tasting or the earliest tomato is a great source of pride for the home gardener and here are 10 tips for growing terrific tomatoes.
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Tomato Problems - Tomato Disea |
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There are many diseases that affect tomatoes. Tomato diseases are often weather dependent and can spread rapidly. Here are some common tomato diseases, their symptoms and what to do if tomato diseases threaten your home vegetable garden.
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Pruning Roses |
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Pruning rose bushes is intimidating to many gardeners, but actually very good for the plants. Becoming an accomplished rose pruner takes time and practice, but keep in mind that it is very hard to kill a rose with bad pruning. It is better to make a good effort at pruning roses than to let them grow rampant. Here are some basic rose pruning guidelines for use in your rose garden.
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| THE KNOWLEDGE NUT |
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| Did you know that........ Your thumb is the same length of your nose? |
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