Tools with wooden handles need protection from wear and tear. Store these tools in an area where they will not be exposed to poor weather conditions. This will help prevent splintering. Wooden handles that are becoming rough can be sanded lightly and coated with a light application of wood preservative, boiled linseed oil or polyurethane. After a few minutes wipe off the excess coating. Clean the dirt off the metal parts to prevent rust. Some quick maintenance will increase the life of your tools and save you money from having to replace them. (Cynthia Domenghini)
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Black walnuts are ready for harvest when the hull is soft enough to be dented by your thumb or when they start falling from the tree. Walnuts must be hulled soon after harvest to avoid a stain leaching through to the meat of the nut. The stain discolors the meat and gives it an undesirable flavor. Walnuts can be hulled several ways, but the easiest is to mow over them with the lawn tractor breaking the shell but not the nut. Wear gloves when handling black walnuts as the dye they contain is very difficult to remove and will tint anything it touches. Spread the hulled nuts onto the lawn or on a wire mesh and spray with water to wash them. Alternatively, you can soak them in a tub of water. To dry the nuts, spread them out in a cool, shady, dry location for about two weeks. (Cynthia Domenghini) Perennials are currently transferring sugar to the roots for storage. These reserves will provide energy for their survival during winter. Perennial weeds, including dandelions, go through the same process. Winter annual weeds such as henbit and chickweed are beginning to pop up and can easily be controlled while they are small. Fall applications of herbicides, such as 2, 4-D or combination products (Trimec, Weed-B-Gon, Weed-Out) that contain 2,4-D, MCPP and Dicamba, are effective because the chemicals will be moved to the roots along with the sugars. It is important for the plants to be actively growing for herbicides to work. It is best to apply herbicides when the outdoor temperature is 50 degrees F or higher. Weed Free Zone (also sold under the name of Speed Zone) contains the three active ingredients mentioned above, plus carfentrazone. It will give a quicker response than the other products mentioned especially as the temperature drops below 50 degrees F. Weed control begins with prevention. Maintaining a healthy, dense lawn and mulching planters in early summer reduces the need for herbicides later in the year. Once weeds have germinated applying mulch is not as useful for control. Hand pulling young weeds is practical for small areas before the roots become established. (Cynthia Domenghini) Planting lawns in late fall lowers the success rate of the seedlings because the roots are not established enough when freezing temperatures arrive. As the soil freezes and thaws repeatedly, the young seedlings are pushed out of the soil where they dry out and die. It is recommended to establish tall fescue seed in September but no later than October 15 to give the seedlings enough time to develop roots. You may have success planting after this date, but it is less certain. Keep newly planted lawns watered through the fall and ensure even mature lawns are watered periodically. The soil should be moist going into winter. (Cynthia Domenghini) If you are done mowing for the year, be sure to service your mower before storing it away.
Not all cool-season vegetables tolerate our winter temperatures. Semi-hardy crops can withstand light frost but suffer damage when the temperature drops in the 20s. Chinese cabbage, collards, Irish potatoes, Bibb lettuce, mustard, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard and leaf lettuce are all examples of semi-hardy crops. Row covers can be used to help extend the harvest season of these crops. “Hardy” vegetables such as: cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips and kale can tolerate temperatures to the low 20s before they show signs of damage. Root crops including: beets, carrots, potatoes and turnips can be left in the ground beneath a layer of mulch after the leaves die back from frost. They can be harvested as needed until the soil begins to freeze in late November to December. (Cynthia Domenghini) When selecting pumpkins for your home check for maturity by pressing your thumbnail into the rind. If the rind is hard and sounds hollow when thumped it was likely harvested at maturity. Pumpkins that are soft or haven’t developed a solid color will rot more quickly. Pumpkins harvested at maturity have a waxy coating that protects them from drying out. You can create this artificially using a spray wax which may help prolong the pumpkin’s life. Harvested pumpkins last longer if they are kept cool, which isn’t always a possibility when displayed outdoors during our extended summer weather days. Carved pumpkins have a much shorter shelf-life, sometimes only a few days up to a week before noticeable rotting occurs. To extend the life of carved pumpkins be sure to clean out the inside thoroughly, removing all seeds and loose string. Soak the inside of the pumpkin in a 10 % bleach-water solution for several hours. Avoid using a real candle inside the pumpkin since the heat will speed up rotting. Pumpkins have a high water concentration, so if there’s a freeze in the forecast, bring your jack-o-lanterns inside. (Cynthia Domenghini) It may feel like this is the summer that won’t quit, but winter temperatures are bound to arrive eventually. With that in mind it’s time to consider how to protect the underground root structures of more sensitive plants such as gladiolus, caladium, dahlia, tuberous begonia, calla lily and canna lily. The storage organs or rooting structures of these plants are commonly referred to as bulbs. Actually, canna and calla lilies are rhizomes, caladium, and tuberous begonias are tubers, gladiolus is a corm, and dahlia is a tuberous rooted plant. Each of these plants should be dug after the foliage has turned brown from frost. Allow them to dry for a week in a protected area such as a garage or shed. Clean the soil off the roots and pack them separately in peat moss, vermiculite or perlite. Rot can easily spread from one plant to another so keep the roots from touching during storage. Applying a fungicide to the roots can provide extra protection. Most of the plants will store best as close to 40 degrees F as possible. Caladiums need to be stored between 50- and 60-degrees F. (Cynthia Domenghini) |
AuthorsCynthia Domenghini runs the Horticulture Response Center in the Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources at Kansas State University. Other contributors include K-State Extension Specialists. Archives
March 2024
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