K-State Research and Extension Horticulture Newsletter
  • Newsletters
  • About
  • Contact
  • Pest of the Week

Planting Bulbs for Spring Color

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

Time to Plant Spring-flowering Bulbs Approaching

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Spring-flowering bulbs such as tulips, daffodils and crocus can be planted from now through October giving bulbs time to establish roots before the required chilling period during winter months.
 
Choose an area with full sun to part shade. Ideally the soil should be a sandy loam, but if not, it can be amended by adding compost to a depth of at least one-foot. Incorporate fertilizer based on a soil test or use a 5-10-5 at a rate of three pounds per 100 square feet. The soil pH should be between 6.0 and 7.0.
 
Determine the planting depth based on the bulb size. Planting depth refers to the distance from the bottom of the hole, where the base of the bulb will rest, to the surface of the soil once the hole is backfilled. Bulbs the size of tulips and hyacinths are typically planted six-inches deep while daffodil-size bulbs should be six- to eight-inches deep. In general, bulbs should be planted two to three times as deep as their width. Space large bulbs four- to six-inches apart. Small bulbs can be spaced one- to two-inches apart. Mass plantings create a more aesthetically-pleasing display when spring blooms emerge.
 
Backfill each hole halfway and water in to settle the soil. Replace the remaining soil and water again. Though you will not see above-ground growth in the fall, roots are still growing. Keep the soil moist and add mulch after the soil freezes to provide insulation and prevent bulbs from being heaved out of the soil. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments

Adding Organic Materials Directly to the Garden

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Organic matter can aide in replenishing almost any type of soil. It improves tilth, aeration and water absorption of clay soil. In sandy soils, it acts as a sponge by holding water and nutrients. Adding organic materials gathered in the landscape directly to the garden is an easy and inexpensive way to enjoy these benefits.
 
Materials such as grass clippings (untreated), leaves, old mulch and straw are some examples of organic matter that can improve the soil. Shred large materials using a mower or other tool so they will decompose more quickly. Spread a layer about three-inches thick over the surface of the garden. Till or dig in the organic matter on a day when the soil is not saturated. Warm weather will expedite decomposition and this process can be repeated every other week into November or December when the cold slows decomposition significantly. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments

Reblooming Poinsettias

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Photoperiodism, the amount of light or dark a plant is exposed to, affects the bloom of most plants. Some plants need longer periods of darkness and are known as “short-day” plants. Others require fewer dark hours, “long-day” plants.
 
Many summer flowers and vegetables are in the long-day category. Chrysanthemums, Christmas cactus and poinsettias fall in the short-day category. These plants require at least 12 hours of darkness every 24 hours in order to bloom. Growers can force blooming by controlling the light and dark periods.
 
If you have poinsettias from last year, follow these steps to encourage blooms in time for the holidays.
 
  • For no more than 12 hours each day, keep poinsettias in an area where they will receive the brightest light possible. Temperatures should be kept between 65- and 75-degrees F.
  • Provide at least 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness to the plants every 24 hours. If a completely dark room or closet is not available, place a cardboard box over the top of the poinsettias. Be sure to seal the openings of the box with duct tape to prevent light from entering. 60- to 65-degrees F is the ideal nighttime temperature to promote blooming.
Continue the dark treatment for six weeks until buds have set. Within another two to five weeks poinsettias should be blooming. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments

Planting Trees in the Fall

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Fall can be a great time to plant trees and take advantage of the root growth that can occur while the soil is still warm before freezing begins. This gives trees a head start enabling them to endure spring growth and summer stress. Early September to late October is the ideal planting time for most trees. Some trees are not good candidates for fall planting such as beech, birch, redbud, magnolia, tulip poplar, willow oak, scarlet oak, black oak, willows and dogwood. These trees will not be able to establish roots in time to survive the winter.
 
Newly planted trees require some care even when the above-ground growth is dormant. The soil should remain moist so roots do not dry out. A layer of mulch can be beneficial for regulating soil temperature and reducing water loss. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments

Moving Houseplants Inside for the Winter

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​With some relief from hot weather this week and colder temps on the way, it’s time to turn our attention to protecting cold-sensitive plants. Some gardeners move houseplants outdoors to bask in the summer heat and recover from the stress of an indoor environment. Planning for their reentry to the house is important so houseplants have time to adjust to the changes in growing conditions.
 
Before bringing any plants indoors, check thoroughly for pests. Small populations of insects, such as mites and aphids, can be dislodged by spraying the foliage with a hose. If the insects are found in the soil, soak the entire container in lukewarm water for 15 minutes. Plants with a heavy infestation may be better off discarded.
 
Once moved indoors, continue to monitor for pests to prevent spreading throughout the house. Plant growth will slow substantially indoors and will therefore require less water and fertilization. Most houseplants will benefit from receiving water only when the soil surface is dry. Fertilization will likely not be necessary until spring.
 
It is best to help plants adjust to the lower light conditions indoors gradually to prevent leaf drop. Initially, place plants near windows with the brightest light. Over several weeks move the plants further away until they’ve reached the desired location. Supplemental lighting can be provided with grow lights. Avoid cold drafts from doors and windows and heat from air vents. These extremes can put plants under stress.
 
Many houseplants come from tropical locations and favor humid conditions. Kitchens and bathrooms tend to be more humid areas inside the home. If space and lighting permits, this may be a good location for your plants. You can increase humidity for your plants by using a humidifier or grouping multiple plants together creating a microclimate. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments

Root Cellars

9/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Root cellars are a time-tested solution for storing the harvest surplus through winter. The temperature and humidity underground can provide favorable conditions for certain vegetables. Traditionally, onions, garlic, turnips, carrots and potatoes are stored in cellars. However, many types of fruits, squash, nuts and other vegetables can successfully be stored as well. Here are a few tips to increase the shelf-life of your harvest.
  • Store fruits separate from vegetables to avoid ethylene exposure to vegetables.
  • Turnips, cabbage and other vegetables with a strong odor may transmit this to nearby produce
  • See the chart below for recommended storage conditions for specific produce.
(Cynthia Domenghini)


Temperature
​(degrees F)
Humidity (%)
Produce
32-35
60-70
garlic, onions
32-40
80-90
apples, grapes, oranges, pears
32-40
90-95
beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, horseradish, artichoke, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips, radish, rutabaga, turnips
32-50
60-70
​dry beans and peas
38-40
80-90
potatoes
50-55
60-75
pumpkins, winter squash
above 50
80-90
sweet potatoes, tomatoes
0 Comments

Video of the Week: Cuttings to Grow Inside for the Winter

9/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
0 Comments

Lawn Seeding Timing

9/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Although September is typically the preferred month to reseed cool-season lawns, such as tall fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, with the heat we have been experiencing throughout the state, postponing may be a good idea.  When temperatures are elevated as they have been recently, newly-planted seeds need additional water. Homeowners who put down seed during the heat may find themselves watering several times a day. By middle to late September, we should have relief from triple digits allowing homeowners time to re-seed.
 
Our usual recommendation is don’t plant Kentucky bluegrass past early October.  However, you can get by with an early to mid-October planting for tall fescue. October 15 is generally considered the last day for safely planting or overseeding a tall fescue lawn in the fall. With a late seeding, take special care not to allow plants to dry out. Anything that slows growth will make it less likely that plants will mature enough to survive the winter.
 
Seeding after the cut-off date can work, but the success rate goes down the later the planting date. Late plantings often fail as a result of poorly rooted plants being heaved from the soil after repeated freezing and thawing. Roots are then exposed and quickly dry out. Help the seedlings establish a healthy root system prior to freezing weather by keeping them well-watered. See the August 29th newsletter for information on how to seed or overseed a lawn. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments

Harvesting Sweet Potatoes

9/8/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cold soil negatively affects the quality of sweet potatoes in taste and shelf-life. To prevent this, harvest prior to the first fall freeze. Sweet potatoes are typically ready for harvest three to four months after planting. Gently unearth the sweet potatoes in one mound to check for readiness. You may also notice die-back of the above ground growth as harvest time approaches.

​After digging, sweet potatoes need to be cured for several days. This process increases the shelf-life and flavor of the sweet potatoes. Curing should be done in a warm, humid location. Ideally the temperature should be between 85- and 90-degrees F with a relative humidity between 85 and 95%.
 
Store sweet potatoes for several weeks before consuming. During this time starches are converting to sugars which improves the flavor. Protect sweet potatoes during storage by keeping temperatures above 55 degrees F. (Cynthia Domenghini)

0 Comments
<<Previous

    Authors

    Ward Upham runs the Horticulture Response Center in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University. Other contributors include K-State Extension Specialists.

    RSS Feed

      Subscribe to the newsletter by entering your e-mail and clicking the link below

    Subscribe

    Archives

    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014

    Categories

    All
    All America Selections
    All-America Selections
    Amaryllis
    Anthracnose
    Ants
    Aphids
    Apples
    Apricots
    Army-cutworm-moths
    Ash-borer
    Ashes-in-the-garden
    Asparagus
    Bacterial-wilt
    Bagworms
    Bark-shedding
    Beans
    Bermudagrass
    Bird-feeding
    Bitter-cucumber
    Blackberries
    Blackspot
    Black-walnuts
    Blister Beetles
    Blossom End Rot
    Blossom-End Rot
    Blueberries
    Botryosphaeria
    Breaking-dormancy-early
    Breaking-dormancy-early
    Bristly Rose Slug
    Broccoli
    Brownheaded-ash-sawfly
    Brown-patch-on-fescue
    Brown-rot-of-fruit
    Budworms
    Buffalograss
    Bulbs
    Bulb Storage
    Butterflies
    Butterfly Gardening
    Cabbage
    Cabbage Worms
    Caddo Sugar Maples
    Calcareous
    Cantaloupe
    Carpenter Bees
    Cauliflower
    Cedar Apple Rust
    Cherry Leaf Spot
    Chickweed
    Chiggers
    Christmas Cacti
    Christmas Trees
    Cicada
    Cicada Killer Wasps
    Codling Moth Control
    Cold Frames
    Cole Crops
    Colorado Potato Beetle
    Columnar Trees
    Compost
    Conservation Trees
    Container Gardening
    Controlling Volunteer Trees
    Cool Season Vegetables
    Cool-Season Vegetables
    Core Aeration
    Corn Earworm
    Corn Gluten Meal
    Crabapples
    Crabgrass Control
    Crickets
    Crop Rotation
    Cucumber
    Cucumber Beetles
    Daylilies
    Deadheading Flowers
    Dormant-seeding-turfgrass
    Dothistroma Needle Blight
    Drip-irrigation
    Dr-seuss-gardening
    Dutch-elm-disease
    Early Blight
    Eggplant
    Elm Flea Weevil
    Elm Leaf Beetle
    Elm Pocket Gall
    Emerald Ash Borer
    Euonymus Scale
    European Pine Sawfly
    Excessive Rain
    Fall Armyworms
    Fall Colors
    Fall Gardening
    Fall Lawn Seeding
    Fall-webworm
    Family-heritage-gardening
    Fertilizing-cole-crops
    Fertilizing-flowers
    Fertilizing Lawns
    Field-bindweed
    Field Dodder
    Firewood
    Flatid Planthoppers
    Flooding
    Floral Arrangement Care
    Flourescent Lights
    Flowerbed Design
    Flowering
    Frost On Lawns
    Fruit
    Fruit Baskets
    Fruit Damage From Cold
    Fruit Trees
    Fungus Gnats
    Galls
    Garden Hoses
    Gardening Calendar
    Garden Seed
    Garden Spiders
    Garden Tool Care
    Garlic
    Goldenrod Soldier Beetle
    Grapes
    Grasshoppers
    Grass Seed
    Green June Beetles
    Growing Cuttings Inside
    Grubs
    Hackberry Caterpillar Butterflies
    Hackberry Psyllids
    Hardiness
    Harlequin Bug
    Harvesting
    Help For New Gardeners
    Henbit
    Herbicide Damage
    High PH Soils
    Holly
    Hollyhock
    Honeysuckle
    Hornworms
    Horseradish
    Houseplants
    Hydrangea
    Ice Melters
    Invasive Plants
    Iris
    Iron Chlorosis
    Irrigation
    Itch Mites
    Japanese Beetles
    Junipers
    Kansas Garden Guide
    Kentucky Bluegrass
    Knotweed
    Lacebugs
    Ladybird Beetles
    Landscape Design
    Lawn
    Lawn Calendar For Cool Season Grass
    Lawn Calendar For Cool-Season Grass
    Lawn Calendar For Warm Season Grass
    Lawnmower Care
    Lawn Seeding
    Leaf Scorch
    Leaves
    Lettuce
    Lilac
    Lilac Borers
    Little Barley
    Marcescence
    Maximizing Garden Space
    Melons
    Millipedes
    Mimosa Webworm
    Mole Control
    Mouse Damage
    Mowing
    Mulch
    Mums
    Mushrooms
    Mycosphaerella Leaf Spot
    Nantucket Pine Tip Moth
    Native Prairie Flowers
    Needle Drop On Conifers
    New Gardener Resources
    Nightcrawlers
    Nuts
    Oak
    Oak Leaf Itch Mite
    Onions
    Orchids
    Organic Matter
    Organic Sources Of Nitrogen
    Ornamental Grass
    Overseeding Lawns
    Overwintering Geraniums
    Paperwhite Bulbs
    Pawpaw Trees
    Peaches
    Pears
    Peas
    Peonies
    Peony
    Peppers
    Perennial Garden Clean Up
    Perennial Garden Clean-up
    Pesticide Effectiveness
    Pine Wilt
    Planting Calendar
    Plastic Mulch
    Plum
    Poinsettia
    Poison Ivy
    Poisonous Plants
    Pokeweed
    Poor Drainage
    Potatoes
    Powdery Mildew
    Powdery Mildew On Lawn
    Power Raking
    Propagating-woody-plants
    Prop Up Fruit Limbs
    Pruning
    Publications
    Quince
    Rabbits
    Raccoons
    Rain-barrels
    Raspberries
    Recommended-plants-for-ks
    Rhubarb
    Roasting Pumpkin Seeds
    Roots
    Rose
    Rose Rosette
    Roundup For Lawns
    Salad Garden
    Sawfly Larvae
    Scale
    Scale Insects
    Screen Trees
    Sedum
    Seed Germination
    Seed Germination
    Seed Tape
    Septoria Leaf Spot
    Shrub Pruning
    Shrubs
    Sidedressing
    Slime Molds
    Slugs
    Smut
    Soil
    Soil Preparation
    Soil Temperature
    Spider Mites
    Spiders
    Spirea Aphid
    Spittlebugs
    Spray Water PH
    Spreaders
    Spring Bulbs
    Spring Flowering Shrubs
    Squash
    Squash Bugs
    Squash Vine Borer
    Squirrel Damage
    Starting Seed
    Stink Bugs
    Storing Power Equipment
    Storm Damage
    Stratification
    Straw-bale-gardening
    Strawberries
    Succession Planting Of Vegetables
    Sunflowers
    Sunscald
    Survey
    Sweet Corn
    Sweet Potatoes
    Tall Fescue
    Tan/White Drupelets
    Termites
    Thatch Control
    Ticks
    Tomatoes
    Transplant Fertilization
    Tree Health
    Tree Leaves And Turf
    Tree Planting
    Trees
    Tubakia
    Tubakia-leaf-spot
    Turf-in-shade
    Twig-girdlers
    Vegetable-flowersfruit
    Vegetables
    Vegetable Seed
    Vegetable Transplants
    Velvet Ants
    Vinegar As Herbicide
    Walnut Caterpillars
    Warm Fall
    Water Damage
    Watering
    Watermelon
    Water Teepees
    Weeds In Flower Beds
    Weeds In Turf
    Weird Squash
    White Grubs
    Whitelined-sphinx-caterpillar
    Wildflower Establishment
    Wildflower-establishment
    Wildlife
    Wild Violet Control
    Wind Chill
    Winter Damage
    Winterizing Water Lines
    Winter Mulching Vegetables
    Winter Squash
    Wood Chips
    Worms From Oaks
    Yellowjackets
    Yellow Nutsedge

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.