Horticulture 2020 Newsletter
No. 41 October 13, 2020
https://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html
Blog Post: http://www.ksuhortnewsletter.org
Video of the Week: Storing Tender Bulbs for the Winter
https://kansashealthyyards.org/component/allvideoshare/video/storing-tender-bulbs-for-winter?Itemid=101
Events
Virtual 70th Kansas Turfgrass Conference
The 70th Kansas Turfgrass Conference program is in place and will be held online over four days: December 7 to 10, 2020. Never did any of us think we would be attending our 70th conference in this way. Just as a reminder, your attendance and participation in the annual conference are critical for ongoing support of turfgrass research, and this year your participation is even more critical. Funds raised through the conference are used to help support research centers, pay research associates who manage the centers, and allow for ongoing research projects that improve turf management strategies and help reduce operating budgets.
Registration for the conference is a single fee that allows participants to attend whichever conference sessions they like. Presentations each morning this year focus on pesticide recertification under the Kansas Department of Agriculture categories 3A (ornamentals) and 3B (turf). Details on how to obtain recertification credits are provided in the conference program and will be reiterated after your register and once we meet online.
You can also register for the conference online at https://2020turfconference.eventbrite.com
Reminders
- Continue to transplant trees and shrubs
- Harvest tomatoes and peppers when frost threatens
TURFGRASS
Control Broadleaf Weeds in Lawns in Late October – Early November
Late October to early November is the most effective time to control broadleaf weeds in lawns. Dandelions usually produce a flush of new plants in late September, and the winter annual weeds henbit and chickweed should have germinated in October. These young plants are small and easily controlled with herbicides such as 2,4-D or combination products (Trimec, Weed-B-Gon, Weed-Out) that contain 2,4-D, MCPP and Dicamba. Even established dandelions are more easily controlled now than in the spring because they are actively moving materials from the top portion of the plant to the roots in the fall. Herbicides will translocate to the roots as well and will kill the plant from the roots up.
Choose a day that is 50 degrees or higher. The better the weed is growing, the more weed killer will be moved from the leaves to the roots. Cold temperatures will slow this process but these products will still work at lower temperatures.
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 temperatures move below 50 degrees. (Ward Upham)
Why Late Lawn Seedings Often Fail
We normally recommend that Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue be seeded in September but no later than October 15. Though plantings later than October 15 can be successful, the odds of success diminish as time passes.
The problem with late plantings is not that the seed will not come up or that young grass plants are sensitive to cold. Most often, the problem is with rooting. Unless the young grass plants have a fairly extensive root system, the freezing and thawing that takes place during winter heaves plants out of the ground, and they dry out and die.
Regardless of when planted, be sure the new lawn is kept watered through the fall. More mature lawns will need less frequent watering but all should go into the winter with moist soil. (Ward Upham)
Tucking Your Lawnmower in for the Winter
If you are done mowing for the year, be sure to service your mower before putting it away. Make sure you drain the gas tank of gasoline-powered engines or use a gasoline stabilizer. Untreated gasoline can become thick and gummy. A few drops of oil squirted inside the spark plug hole (after you remove the spark plug) will help lubricate the cylinder. While you have the spark plug removed, replace it with a new one. If your equipment has a battery, clean the battery terminals, which usually corrode during the season. A wire-bristle brush is a good tool for doing this. The battery can then be removed or connected to a battery maintainer that will keep it charged over winter. If you remove the battery, be sure to store it in a protected location for the winter (a cool basement works best). Now is also an excellent time to sharpen mower blades so they’ll be ready next spring.
Sharpening rotary mower blades is fairly straightforward. The following steps will guide you through this process:
* Check the blade for major damage. If you can’t fix it, it likely will need to be replaced.
* Remove grass and debris from the blade with a moist cloth. Dry before beginning to sharpen the cutting edge.
* Remove nicks from the cutting edge, using a grinding wheel or hand-file.
* If using a grinding wheel, match the existing edge angle to the wheel. If hand-filing, file at the same angle as the existing edge.
* Grind or file until the edge is 1/32 inch, about the size of a period. Sharpening to a razor edge may result in the edge folding over during use resulting in a poor cut.
* Particularly with a grinding wheel, avoid overheating the blade as this may warp it.
* Clean the blade with solvent or oil, much like if you were cleaning a gun, for optimum winter storage. Avoid using water because it will promote rust.
Following these tips can help you better prepare your mower for winter storage and also save you some steps this coming spring. (Ward Upham)
VEGETABLES
Hardiness of Cool-Season Vegetables
Cool-season vegetables vary in cold tolerance, with some able to take colder temperatures than others. Semi-hardy crops can take a light frost but are damaged by temperatures in the mid- to upper-20s. Examples include beets, Chinese cabbage, collards, Irish potatoes, Bibb lettuce, mustard, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, and leaf lettuce. Covering these plants when cold weather threatens can help extend the harvest season.
Plants termed “hardy” can take lower temperatures but are damaged when the temperature drops to the low 20s. These include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, carrots, turnips, and kale.
Certain root crops can essentially be stored outside even after the leaves have been damaged or killed by frost. Beets, carrots, potatoes and turnips can be mulched and harvested as needed until the soil starts to freeze in late November to December.
Growing vegetables in Kansas can be a challenge, but we have an extremely long gardening season. We can harvest from early April (asparagus) to early December. Winter is a good time to plan and prepare for next year’s crops. (Ward Upham)
Keeping Your Pumpkin Longer
If you buy your pumpkins early, there are some tricks to make them last. Make sure the pumpkin wasn’t harvested too early; before the rind developed a hard, waxy layer to keep it from drying out and shriveling. Test the pumpkin with your thumbnail. If it penetrates the fruit easily, it was harvested too early. Pumpkins also keep better in cooler weather. Even mature pumpkins may benefit from a light application of a spray wax such as that used for cars.
If you carve your pumpkins consider that the seeds can be saved and roasted. Scoop out the seeds, rinse them well to remove any strands of tissue that have remained and spread them out so they can dry. Once dry, they can be roasted on a cookie sheet for 10 to 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Roast larger seeds for the longer amount of time.
If you prefer salted seeds, soak the seeds in a brine. Make the brine by combining 2 tablespoons of salt for every 2 cups of water. Add the seeds to the brine and bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Check the seeds during the last 5 minutes and remove when done.
Note that carving reduces the longevity of pumpkins with carved pumpkins doing well to last a week. (Ward Upham)
FLOWERS
Winter Storage of Summer Bulbs
As winter approaches, we need to start thinking about storage of the bulbs that will not survive Kansas winters. The bulbs of gladiolus, caladium, dahlia, tuberous begonia, calla lily, and canna lily need to be dug and stored so they can be planted next year. Actually, the storage organ of the above plants is not a true bulb. Canna and calla lilies are rhizomes, caladium, and tuberous begonias are tubers, gladiolus is a corm, and dahlia is a tuberous rooted plant.
All of these plants should be dug after frost has at least partially browned the foliage. Then, allow them to dry for about a week in a shady, well-ventilated site such as a garage or tool shed. Freezing temperatures should be avoided. Remove any excess soil and pack them in peat moss, vermiculite, or perlite. Make sure the bulbs don’t touch so that if one decays, the rot doesn’t spread. Dusting them with fungicide before storage will help prevent them from rotting.
Caladium should be stored between 50 and 60 degrees F. The other bulbs mentioned should be stored as near 40 degrees F as possible. Finding a good spot to store the bulbs may be difficult. Some people place them against a basement wall farthest from the furnace and insulate them so the wall keeps them cool. (Ward Upham)
MISCELLANEOUS
Guide to Planting Natives in Northeast Kansas Now Available
Planting Natives in Northeast Kansas is a unique collaborative effort between K-State Research and Extension – Douglas County (KSRE), the Grassland Heritage Foundation (GHF), and the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) to pull together information on and resources for integrating native plants into your landscape, whether it be in your backyard or back 40 acres. This publication is specifically designed for those in the northeast corner of Kansas who wish to plant natives but do not know where or how to start.
In this guide, landowners will find plant recommendations and resources specifically for northeast Kansas. The guide is designed to put necessary information all in one place – instructions, plant lists, plant and seed providers, available financial and planning assistance, reference gardens and prairies, and tips and advice from local landowners who have experience. The information is broken down into five publications specific to various goals:
Gardening with Native Plants: For those wishing to tuck some native plants into existing gardens or plant a small front yard or back yard native garden.
Landscaping with Native Plants: For those wishing to replace cool-season lawns, create large native gardens, or establish native wildflower meadows up to an acre in size.
Reconstructing Prairie: For those wishing to reconstruct prairie on old fields, pastures, or cropland.
Establishing Native Cropland Borders and Buffers: For those wishing to plant native forbs and grasses to border croplands in the agricultural landscape.
Restoring Prairie Remnants: For those wishing to restore or enhance degraded, remnant prairies.
These are available on the project website for Planting Natives in Northeast Kansas at (https://plantnativeks.weebly.com/). There, you can download for free any of five publications. The website will also feature plant lists, updates to cost-share programs and vendors, and progress reports from some of our neighbors’ native plant projects. Planting Natives in Northeast Kansas was funded in part by a grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council*.
* This project/program has been funded by a grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council. However, the content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council.
Contributors: Ward Upham, Extension Associate
Department of Horticulture and Natural Resources
1712 Claflin, 2021 Throckmorton
Manhattan, KS 66506
(785) 532-6173
For questions or further information, contact: [email protected] OR [email protected]
This newsletter is also available on the World Wide Web at:
http://hnr.k-state.edu/extension/info-center/newsletters/index.html
The web version includes color images that illustrate subjects discussed. To subscribe to this newsletter electronically, send an e-mail message to [email protected] or [email protected] listing your e-mail address in the message.
Brand names appearing in this newsletter are for product identification purposes only. No endorsement is intended, nor is criticism implied of similar products not mentioned.
K-State Research and Extension is committed to making its services, activities and programs accessible to all participants. If you have special requirements due to a physical, vision or hearing disability, or a dietary restriction please contact Extension Horticulture at (785) 532-6173.
Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service K-State Research and Extension is an equal opportunity employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension Work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, as amended. Kansas State University, County Extension Councils, and United States Department of Agriculture Cooperating, Ernie Minton, Dean.
Ward Upham
Extension Associate
785-532-1438
