September 2022 | kcgmag.com GARDENER The Kansas City Low-Impact Lawn Care | Rose Report | Hasta Luego Monarchs Drought Tolerant Gardening | Butterfly Caterpillar Silk Fall planning and planting for a Spring Garden
2 September 2022 | kcgmag.com editor’s notes So long summerIndependently owned and operated since 1996 GARDENER The Kansas City EDITOR Elizabeth Cavanaugh CONTRIBUTORS Lauren English Sean ScottKristinaHollandHowleyLenoraLarsonJasonMispagelDennisPattonTamraReallDeniseSullivanAnnTannerWoodbury DISTRIBUTION PublishersSolutions,DeliveryInc. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISTRIBUTE the magazine at your place of business, please contact Mike Cavanaugh mike@kcgmag.comat913-648-4728 NEED MORE MAGAZINES? mike@kcgmag.com913-648-4728 CONTACT US P.O. Box 8725 Prairie Village, KS 913-648-472866208 ADVERTISING Mike Cavanaugh mike@kcgmag.comat913-648-4728 EDITORIAL Elizabeth elizabeth@kcgmag.comCavanaugh913-648-4728 HOW TO SUBSCRIBE See details on page 27. SUBSCRIPTION Elizabeth elizabeth@kcgmag.comCavanaugh913-648-4728 WEBSITE kcgmag.com In this issue September 2022 | kcgmag.com About the cover: Planted now, daffodils will be blooming in spring. Learn more about planning for your spring garden beginning on page 14. 4 Ask the Experts 6 Low-Impact Lawn Care 8 Plants on Your Plate–Tomatillo 10 Rose Report 11 Water Garden Tours 12 Hasta Luego Monarchs 14 Planning and planting for Spring 16 Drought Tolerant Gardening 18 Butterfly Caterpillar Silk 20 Kids Ask Dr. Bug 22 Indoor Gardening 24 Upcoming Garden Events 26 Garden Calendar 27 The ABC’s of Bird Feeding 27 Subscribe 27 Hotlines At first glance on my garden stroll, the garden looks glum now. A summer season of excessive heat and humidity, paired with the lack of adequate rainfall, has left the landscape dull and fad ed. As I continue on though, bright and lively foliage appears. Beyond the tired daylilies and weary an nuals there is life in the garden. From hosta and hydrangea leaves, to boxwood and viburnum, foliage is what gives the garden life after such a brutal Septembersummer.22marks the autum nal equinox, the first day of fall. Temperatures gradually start to come down, and the highly antici pated autumn colors begin to appear on trees and shrubs. Some might be enthusiastic about autumn’s arrival. All kinds of good things return in September—sweater weather, foot ball, and pumpkin carving, just to name a few. But wait a minute. I’m not done with summer! I like longer daylight days. I revel in hearing neighbor hood kids at play with their carefree attitudes and free-spirited living. Summer has always been a time of easy meals, minimal schedules, and making memories. Even now, after the kids are grown and out of the house, I still get melancholy about summer winding down. So why is it so difficult to say goodbye to summer? I know all too well. Winter! The long, cold winter awaits in just a few months time, and I’ve never really been a fan. These days Mr. Gardener says that he is looking forward to the season change. “You just have to dress for it,” he explains, and by “it” he means the weather. And of course he’s right. With the right at tire (and attitude to match) the cold est winter day can be comfortable and downright enjoyable. I’ll let you know. {sigh} The mighty sycamore has started her leaf drop, mostly in re sponse to surviving the heat. The lightning bugs have disappeared and the crickets and cicadas have quieted. Soon the days will grow shorter and climate conditions will change, signaling a significant shift in the landscape. The scenery will transition with showy fanfare we know as fall. We’ll admire the au tumn colored foliage on trees and shrubs and we’ll watch for those late-blooming perennials with their last push of blooms before frost. In the meantime, there’s plenty to do before winter arrives. The Garden Calendar on page 26 is a perfect place to start. Dennis Pat ton, Johnson County Extension Agent, helps us to remember all aspects of our garden, from trees and shrubs to houseplants and veg etables. Use his list of tasks to stay on target with completing those fall chores.Consider planting now for the spring garden. Whether including new drought-tolerant shrubs like Kristina Howley mentions on page 16, or including spring-blooming bulbs among the perennials as sug gested by Sean Holland on page 14, planting now is a wise deci sion. Giving plants a head start on getting established before a new growing season is a wise decision indeed.SoI guess this is goodbye, dear summer. Thanks for the memories. I’ll see you in the garden!
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 3 stillThere’stime. Fall offers another opportunity to grow fresh, tasty salad crops. Spinach and lettuce, for example, prefer cooler growing conditions. To get the best results, be sure to use Osmocote® Smart-Release® Plant Food Flower & Vegetable. If you grow your own, grow with Osmocote ® nourished by Osmocote Plant ®Food reservedrightsAllLLC.Company,ScottsThe,2022©
CALADIUMS IN FULL SUN AND SHADE
Ask the Experts
Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000. Emerald Arborvitae struggle with dry soil and heat. Some druplets can turn brown or white from summer heat. Heart-to-Heart Lemon Blush caladium
Question: I noticed in your demonstration garden located at the Extension office you have caladiums growing in full sun. I thought they were shade loving plants. Answer: Caladiums can take full shade to sun. Recently I had the opportunity to tour the Lake Placid, Florida area, where about 99% of the world caladium supply is grown. Their fields were in the blazing hot summer sun. Caladiums can develop either shade or sun tolerant leaves. Plants grown in the shade and moved to the sun will burn, but new sun tolerant leaves will develop. The other key to growing in the sun is even soil moisture is required. Ca ladiums will not take dry soils. Be brave and try this colorful foliage plant in just about any location. They can put on quite a show in a sunny area. DOES TROPICAL MILKWEED ACTUALLY HELP MONARCH BUTTERFLY
Question: I have a row of Emerald Arborvitae screening my patio. They are perfect for this spot and have been in the ground for over five years. Back in July sever al rapidly turned brown and died. Why did they die as they were established?
4 September 2022 | kcgmag.com EMERALD LIMITATIONSARBORVITAE
Answer: Emerald Arborvitae fills an evergreen niche. Growing about 3 feet wide and 10-12 feet tall, it fits nicely in tight spaces. While this plant fits many loca tions, it does have its limitations. The challenge is it has a very shal low root system and does not toler ate drought conditions. The combi nation of dry soils and heat are even more deadly. This is the combina tion we experienced in July. The best recommendation for this plant is to never consider it es tablished. Water even during tem porary drought conditions. This could be during the heat of sum mer or even dry winter conditions. The tree gives no warning it is in distress and declining, it just turns brown and dies. Other tips for suc cess include reducing competition from grass, and to use mulch to keep the soil cooler and help retain moisture.
Question: I was saddened to see our monarch butterfly placed on the endangered list. I have planted several milkweeds in my garden but have shied away from the tropical as a friend told me it can spread a disease to monarchs. I want to do all I can to help so what is your take on tropical milk weed? Answer: The potential issue with tropical milkweed is a proto zoan parasite, Ophryocystis ele ktroscirrha or OE for short. OE levels can build up in the milkweed and adversely affect the growth and development of monarchs. The issue with OE tends to be a more of a problem in temperate cli mates where the tropical milkweed does not die back, becoming pe rennial. In climates where tropical milkweed is an annual, like the KC area, the risk is lower. The Xerces Society recommends cutting the tropical milkweed back a couple of times during the growing season to reduce the spread. This is difficult to do if you have eggs or caterpil lars.The other concern with tropi cal milkweed is it does help delay the migration in the fall since a late food source is available. Xerces says to remove it in the fall, again, this is difficult to do. What does this all this mean? My take might not be embraced by all. Plant tropi cal milkweed, treat it as an annual, and do your part to help the mon archs.
CLARIFY THE NEED TO OVERSEED LAWN
BLACKBERRY FRUIT DAMAGE CAUSES
Question: My blackberries had a heavy set of big berries. When I started to pick there were partially brown berries and some of them had an off flavor. What caused these brown spots in the berries and how can I prevent them? Answer: A blackberry is a com posite of many tiny berries called druplets. Some of these druplets can turn brown or white when ready to pick. There are a couple of reasons for the off color. One is stink bug damage. Their feeding can damage the berries. The other and most likely cause this sum mer was the broiling hot summer sun. When temperatures climb to over 90 degrees the sun can burn or scald the individual druplets. The sun cooks the berries. Damage from either can impact the flavor. Since most blackberries ripen during the heat of summer this can be difficult to control. Provide good soil moisture, enough leaf canopy to help shade the plants, or put up a shade structure reducing the sun rays on the developing fruits.
Question: Do I really need to overseed my yard every fall? Some companies make it sound like it is an annual practice like fertiliza tion. Answer: Your goal in caring for a lawn is to never need to over seed. Overseeding a lawn is only necessary if you have patches that have died due to summer stress and other factors. If you have a good stand, maybe a little thin in areas, fertilization in September and No vember will probably help the lawn thicken up and fill in on its own. Assess your lawn and only seed if necessary.
DENNIS HorticulturePATTONAgent
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 5 Your Destination for Trees Fall is Time for Planting We have the best selection of trees in the Midwest, and our nursery experts are ready to help you make the right choices for your landscape. 27610 E Wyatt Rd, Blue Springs, MO | www.ColonialGardensKC.com
Red clover Violet
6 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
The path to perfect, emerald weed-free lawn is fraught with deception. That perfect lawn may add monetary value to a home, but it devalues the environment sur rounding it. Weeds are somehow considered “unhealthy,” when in fact many pesticide-free “weeds” are edible and packed with nutrients and minerals that promote good health. Some may find a mono culture of emerald fescue to be the ultimate display of stewardship and neighborliness, though more and more neighbors reject this way of thinking.I’llkeep wishing for and tinker ing with better turf alternatives, but in the meanwhile, I’ll follow the yellow brick road, not to the Em erald City, but to a more sustain able community where a few good weeds are tolerated.
Woodbury.ScottbyPhotos
Low-Impact Lawn Care Every now and then I’m chal lenged to recommend a na tive alternative to tall fescue turf grass for lawns. Buffalo grass is the go-to alternative, but it usu ally comes and goes with the tides, looking good for a while, then be coming inundated with weeds. I’ve seen one or two buffalo grass lawns survive long-term, for the grace of turf experts who prescribe regular doses of fertilizer and broad-leaf herbicide (sometimes referred to as “weed and Similarly,feed”).pristine, weed-free, emerald-green fescue lawns get the same weed and feed treatment. The problem with turf fertilizers is that they often end up in unintended places. The granules spill on the driveway or sidewalk, and then wash into the storm drain that feeds to a nearby creek, river, and here in the lower Midwest, eventually the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a huge pollu tion problem. That’s why I wish for a fescue turf alternative, but cur rently I’m not aware of anything that works as well. Mowed tall fes cue withstands running, jumping, and walking better than any other known plant. So I propose a differ ent way of growing turf grass. Let’s warm up to dandelions. The fresh flowers are pretty good to eat and the spring leaves (bitter like radicchio) are great in salads and soups, especially miso. Check out Marcella Hazan‘s recipe (Essen tials of Classic Italian Cooking) for potato-arugula soup and substitute dandelion greens for arugula. You can also prepare the roots into bit ters for cocktails (see Botany at the Bar: the Art and Science of Making Bitters), CommonOo-la-la!violet (a native plant) is also edible and showy. Its leaves are tender and edible (especially in spring) and the fresh flowers add a splash of blue or purple color to a salad. Euell Gibbons (author of Stalking the Wild Asparagus) says that a half cup of chopped violet leaves has the vitamin C content of five oranges. Wow! You might also try eating broad or lance-leaf plan tains. Their fresh or steamed leaves are nutty in flavor. Leave the clover alone. Clover leaves are edible and a great addi tion to salads as long as your lawn is pesticide free. Also be mindful if you have dogs, as you might need to sort and wash your greens before consuming them. Clover flowers are full of nectar that sustain native bees. If you mow the grass high (as high as your mower allows, or a little higher if you replace the wheels), and less frequently, the weeds in your fescue lawn will bloom more profusely and provide more of what bees need. Gerardo Camilo (an entomologist at St. Louis University) found greater bee diversity in St. Louis neigh borhoods that have more flowering weeds than in neighborhoods free of weeds.Ifwe are to reduce our carbon footprint (i.e., the carbon we re lease into the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels in lawn mowers and vehicles), we should encourage more plants, native or non-native, in our lawns. We should supple ment the grocery list by foraging greens from the lawn and garden. We should switch to manual or electric garden equipment, and while we’re at it, why not convert some lawn into garden.
SCOTTHorticulturistWOODBURY Scott Woodbury was the horticulturist at Shaw Nature Reserve for 30 years and stepped down from that position in June 2022. He continues to work on contract for Shaw Nature Reserve to carry out native landscaping education, and has launched his own business called Cacalia: Native Garden Design and Wilding.
The Yellow Brick Road to
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1-½ cups seeded, chopped long green chiles ½ cup seeded, finely chopped jalapeño peppers 4 cups chopped onions 1 cup bottled lemon or lime juice 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon ground cumin (optional) 3 tablespoons dried oregano leaves (optional) 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon black pepper Wash hands, work surfaces, and equipment with warm, soapy water.
PLANTS ON YOUR PLATE Tomatillo
If you choose to peel chiles, slit each pepper along the side to allow steam to escape. Peel using one of these two methods: Oven or broiler method - Place chiles in a hot oven (400°F) or broiler for 6 to 8 minutes until skins blister. Range-top method - Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place peppers on burner for several minutes until skinsAfterblister.blistering skins, place peppers in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop pep pers.Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir frequently over high heat until mixture begins to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2O minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into clean, hot pint jars, leaving ½-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace if needed. Wipe rims of jars with a dampened, clean paper towel; apply two-piece metal canning lids. Process in a boiling water canner for 15 minutes (adjust for altitudes above 1000 feet as recommended). When time is up, turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars sit in water for 5 minutes more. Remove jars and let sit undisturbed on counter for 24 hours, checking for vacuum seal after 2 hours.
DENISENutritionSULLIVANNinja Green Tomatillo Salsa
Along with the usual assort ment of tomatoes that we are accustomed to plant ing, this year our garden includes a ‘cousin’ that we sometimes have difficulty locating when it is time to plant – tomatillos. This weedylooking plant tries its best to take over the space while we try to just keep it contained! The tomatillo is native to Cen tral American where it grew wild (hence its desire to spread) and was domesticated in Mexico where it has been grown as a food crop for hundreds of years. Tomatillos are also known as husk tomatoes, Mexican green tomatoes, Mexican ground cherry, and strawberry to matoes. They are a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, as are tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, andThepeppers.outer paper-like husk of the tomatillo resembles a Chinese lan tern and acts as a sort of protection to the fruit inside. Tomatillos are ripe when the fruit fills and splits the husk, however the fruit itself should be green and firm. Fruit that is yellow will tend to a sweeter fla vor, rather than the characteristic tart flavor expected of a tomatillo. After peeling the husk away, the to matillo will be sticky, which is nor mal and easily washed away. Tomatillos are rich in Vitamins C and K, which provide immune support and help our bodies heal from injury. They also provide nia cin that helps our body turn carbo hydrates in to energy and potassi um that aids in muscle contraction and regulation of blood pressure. Of course, as with all fruits and vegetables, there is also fiber which aids in digestive health. As a traditional part of Mexi can cooking, tomatillos are often found in stews, moles, and salsas. For a quick fresh green salsa, sauté 2 cups chopped tomatillos, ½ cup diced onion, ½ cup diced green chili, and 1 minced garlic clove in 2 tbsp. oil. Add ¼ cup of water and heat until the vegetables are soft. Purée mixture in a blender and add 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro if desired. If you have an abundance of tomatillos (like I am expecting) the recipe below is our favorite to preserve some of that garden goodness to enjoy long past gardenHelpseason.usevaluate our mass media efforts. Scan this code to tell what you have learned from this article. Thank you!
Denise Sullivan (@MUExtJacksonCo) is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, serving Jackson and Platte Counties. For research based nutrition and food safety information and programs, call 816-482-5850 or visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/urban-west-region.
MAKES ABOUT 5 PINTS INGREDIENTS 5 cups chopped tomatillos
Preparing Tomatillos: Remove the dry outer husks from tomatillos; wash thoroughly. They do not need to be peeled or seeded. Chop tomatillos. Preparing Peppers: (Wear plastic or rubber gloves and do not touch your face while handling or cutting hot peppers. If you do not wear gloves, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before touching your face or eyes.)
NUTRITION INFORMATION (2 tablespoons) Calories: 10, Total Fat: 0g, Saturated Fat: 0g, Sodium: 89mg, Carbohy drates: 2.5g, Fiber: 0g, Protein: 0g Visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation for more infor mation and safe, tested recipes like this one (https://nchfp.uga.edu/ how/can_salsa/tomatillo_green_salsa.html).
8 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
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Rose Report few tasks, fragrance, and fun
Falling in Love Chrysler Imperial Granada Double Delight Mister Lincoln Tiffany By all these lovely tokens September days are here, With summer’s best of weather And autumn’s best of cheer. Helen Hunt Jackson, September, 1830-1885
LAUREN ConsultingENGLISHRosarian Lauren English is the Kansas City Rose Society Garden Chair at the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden in Loose Park and an American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian. She can be reached at laurenenglish.kcrs@ gmail.com or at the Ask a Rosarian hotline, kcrosehelp@gmail.com.
10 September 2022 | kcgmag.com September is one of my favor ite months in the Rose Gar den because the vivid colors replace summer’s sun-bleached petals and there is not as much work to do, but to enjoy the form and fragrance and wait for winter work. Let’s start with what we are doing at the Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden in Loose Park this month and what you can do inContinueyours. to water a minimum of 1 inch a week if inadequate pre cipitation.Stopdeadheading by mid-Sep tember. In the fall, roses instinc tively send their sap down into the roots so there is no danger of fu ture freezing sap rupturing the cell walls. Deadheading interferes with that process and runs the risk of damaging the roses. Pull off spent petals from the rose blooms to make the bush look more tidy. Do not fertilize this month un less you use organic fertilizer, as we do in the Rose Garden, at the beginning of September Continue spraying fungicide every two weeks and insecticide if needed.Inaddition, September is the perfect month to take a sweetheart, friend or family member on a fra grance treasure hunt at the Rose Garden. The Kanas City Rose So ciety recently added a Fragrance Award Roses page (and Hybridizer page) on the www.kcrsroselibrary. com website where all can learn about the six James Alexander Gamble Fragrance Medal winners. Visitors may also use the Pink Gar den Guide, found in mailboxes at the East and North entrances of the Rose Garden, to help find these six divine roses. The fragrance win ners are: ‘Double Delight’ in the NE Quad, ‘Chrysler Imperial’ and ‘Tiffany’ in the SE Quad, ‘Grana da’ in the SW Quad and ‘Falling in Love’ and ‘Mister Lincoln’ in the NWDon’tQuad. miss the Kansas City Rose Society’s free annual event “Jazz in the Roses,” sponsored by KCRS members Adrienne Fisher and Amy Hiles of The Fisher Hiles Team, Better Homes & Gardens Kansas City, from 5 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 11. Bring your family, friends, dogs, blankets, pic nics and swing and sway the night away. And, please consider support ing our spectacular Wine and Roses Fundraiser from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 15, in the Rose Garden. You may purchase tickets on our website at kansasci tyrosesociety.org.Ilookforward to seeing many of you in the Rose Garden this month. The Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden remains the Crown Jewel of our city!
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Tanner.AnnbyPhoto
Invitation to Hasta Luego Monarchs 24 FREE and family-friendly event
Monarch on Swamp Milkweed Join this theythesetheMonarchmoretoberSaturday,Olathe,PollinatorcelebrationannualatthePrairieinonSeptem-24,from9a.m.2p.m.tolearnaboutlifeandjourneyfacingbutterfliesasmigratesouth.
12 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
Hasta Luego Monarchs! What does this phrase mean to you? For the Johnson Coun ty Extension Master Naturalists, this celebration represents one of our last chances this fall to bid the beautiful monarch butterflies fare well with our best wishes for their upcoming journey to their overwin tering site in Mexico. There is nothing like a beauti ful orange monarch butterfly to lift your spirits in the heat of the sum mer or in the early weeks of fall. These butterflies are beginning their migration south, and their numbers are increasing in our area as the fall season progresses. The monarch butterflies have spent the summer reproducing. It all starts when a monarch butterfly lays an egg on a milkweed plant. Their se lection of milkweed is not random. Milkweed is the only food a mon arch caterpillar can eat. Unlike oth er butterfly caterpillars that make a chrysalis to overwinter in our area, the monarch caterpillar will emerge from its chrysalis and die within a few short weeks, unless it is part of the current fourth generation of monarchs that are destined to carry their legacy to Mexico to overwin ter. Yes, monarch butterflies have an annual four generation migra tion that takes them from Mexico in the spring north to Canada and beyond, and then back to Mexico in the fall. It is an amazing journey in such a short time, and it requires four generations of monarchs to complete the journey. The Johnson County Master Naturalists have held the annual Hasta Luego Monarchs event for eight years to celebrate this fan tastic journey. Our celebration this year will be at the Pollinator Prai rie near downtown Olathe at 320 S. Blake Street on Saturday, Septem ber 24, 2022, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. The family-friendly Hasta Luego Monarchs event is free to the public. We will have educa tional booths of interest for every one, plus a fun activity for the kids, where each child will have the op portunity to take home a small prize from the event. The group “Mon arch Watch” will be at Hasta Luego Monarchs to share their knowledge about the monarch butterfly and to update us on how we can best help this struggling species. Represen tatives from Monarch Watch will be tagging monarch butterflies for release in the Pollinator Prairie gar dens. This is so exciting! One never knows if your tagged monarch but terfly will be rediscovered in Texas, Mexico, or Whereverbeyond.their journeys take them, monarch butterflies are al ways welcome at the Pollinator Prairie. Since it opened in 2012, this native habitat has provided food, shelter, and water for butter flies, moths, birds, and more. Pol linator Prairie’s seasonal gardens provide plants for different species of insects and wildlife to meet their unique needs throughout the year.
The Pollinator Prairie Garden is free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset every day of the year. The gardens of the Pollinator Prairie are linked by an accessible trail that winds around four gardens, including one dedicated to monarch butterflies. The Monarch Garden is labeled as “Nature’s Great Migra tory Wonder” and describes how monarch butterflies migrate to cen tral Mexico where they overwin ter in large clusters on trees in the mountains. The monarch butterflies return in the spring when the fe males lay eggs on milkweed. While the monarch caterpillars need milk weed to feed, the adult butterflies need nectar for water and energy. In addition to milkweed, you can find other nectar plants in the Monarch Garden such as asters, coneflowers, and Joe Pye. In short, Hasta Luego can be translated to mean “Until Later”. Please join us in this celebration to bid the monarch butterflies farewell prior to their annual pilgrimage to Mexico.For more information on the Hasta Luego Monarchs event or the Pollinator Prairie, you can check out the Pollinator Prairie page on Facebook or call 913-715-7000.
ANN TANNER Master Naturalist Ann Tanner is a K-State Research and Extension Master Naturalists of Johnson County, a group that is an educational, non-profit, volunteer organization dedicated to providing education, outreach, and service of natural resources.
Saturday, September
14 September 2022 | kcgmag.com here’s nothing that gar deners anticipate more than that first glimpse of life and color after a long winter: glossy green leaves emerging from winterbarren gardens and bright, colorful flowers heralding the beginning of spring. But wait, spring is six months away and it’s mum season, so why worry about it now? Virtually every spring that I’ve worked at a garden center, custom ers approach me to ask when the daffodils and tulips are available. They are quickly disappointed with my answer which is to check back in September. That is the appro priate time to plant spring bulbs. Spring blooming bulbs require a period of cold in order to trigger growth. Most garden centers offer sprouted “forced” bulbs in spring time, usually tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths, but these aren’t nearly as showy as a bed of bulbs prepared during the previous fall. Select your spring blooming bulbs at your local garden center during the months of September and October. Choose bulbs that are firm to the touch and not soft or soggy. Many varieties are avail able in bulk for those gardeners and landscapers looking to plant in larger numbers, while some may prefer to purchase by the bulb and make their own combinations. If planting tulips, be sure to select a few different types with different bloom times (early, mid, late sea son) in order to get the best longev ity of color. Branch out and add something different to your beds; fritillaria, giant allium, and crocus can give added interest when plant ed among other spring bulbs. Bulbs are best used in masses or clusters in a variety of soils. Mass es of tulips make a great pop of color in areas that are to be plant ed with annuals for the summer months while clusters of hyacinths give a heavenly burst of fragrance when scattered throughout the gar den. Spring bulbs also make a great companion to summer perennials. Plant them among coneflowers, rudbeckia, salvia, and even in hosta beds that receive sun before shade trees leaf out. As the bulb foliage begins to fade away, it gets over taken by the summer perennials giving a double-season to a single area of the landscape. Daffodils are well-suited to grow and mul tiply each year, so be sure to give them a little extra space. Likewise, Bearded Iris need to have some ex tra space to spread as they grow. Choose a planting site that has well-drained soil; amend heavy clays with compost. Always plant with the pointed end facing up wards and follow planting depth instructions. In most cases, this will be 2-3 times deeper than the height of the bulb. Use a bulb fertilizer when planting to ensure healthy root development. Bone meal is also a great source of phosphorus, an important nutrient in root de velopment. It also may help deter squirrels that love to dig up new bulb plantings. Gardeners that ex perience the anguish of losing their bulbs to the squirrel population place a piece of chicken wire over the tops of the bulbs before filling in the area with soil. This prevents uprooting the bulbs. Mulching the area well and sprinkling some blood meal around may also help prevent squirrel interference. Fall landscaping with spring in mind doesn’t end with bulbs. Many perennials, shrubs, and trees benefit from an autumn planting date. By planting in fall, they can establish without having to endure heat and drought stress brought on by hot Midwest summers, and it gives spring-bloomers a slight head start over planting in springtime. Be sure to keep an eye on moisture, even through the winter. Periods of dry weather without rain or snow is just as detrimental to plants in winter as a drought is during the summer. Some new plantings may need ad ditional watering during the winter if precipitation is limited. Spring blooming perennials, trees, and shrubs are the best can didates for fall planting and are important early sources of food for pollinators. Dianthus, bearded iris, baptisia, dogwoods, vibur num, lilac, and forsythia all give a beautiful spring show of blooms, so gardeners may want to consider planting them now in order to enjoy them next spring. Some gardeners have good luck getting pansies to return in spring when planted in September.Itnever hurts to look ahead. By all means, enjoy mum and pansy season and decorate your front porch with pumpkins and ornamen tal kale. Just don’t forget to hide some spring-blooming treasures in your landscape. They will be there waiting patiently to welcome you back to your garden next spring!
Grape
Fall planning and planting for a Spring Garden T
Sean Holland is Perennials Manager at Suburban Lawn & Garden, 135th and Wornall location, in Kansas City, Missouri. You may reach him at seanh@suburbanlg.com. Hyacinths
SEAN PerennialsHOLLANDManager
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 15 Allium CrocusTulips Daffodils Above: Fritillaria; Below: Hyacinths
KRISTINA
Miss Molly Butterfly Bush Low Scape Mound Aronia Chokeberry Double Play Doozie Spirea Apply mulch after planting.
16 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
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scanPWCC-Plants,ly/water-wise-Visitpruningplantsdrought-tolerantandtheirneeds?https://bit.orthiscode.
Drought Tolerant Gardening Don’t sacrifice the look of a welcoming, lush garden be cause your weather won’t cooperate (we’re looking at you, sad droopy plants). We have a three-step process for helping your existing garden become the lush drought-tolerant garden of your dreams!Choose the best low mainte nance, drought tolerant plants. Plant a few reliably vigorous and plants throughout your garden, and they’ll take the spotlight during periods of drought. This will help take the visual pressure off of your less happy plants. Here are three favorites As cute as a button yet tough as nails, Low Scape Mound® Aronia is an innovative dwarf selection that is adaptable to most any soil. This versatile little black choke berry offers dark glossy foliage, loads of white flowers in spring, black summer fruit, and intense red foliage in autumn. 1-2’ tall, 2’ wide, USDA zone 3-9. Double Play Doozie® is a ster ile spirea; which not only makes it non-invasive, but its lack of seed also makes it a perpetual bloomer, putting all of its energy into creat ing wave after wave of red-pink flowers from early summer through frost. No deadheading required! Naturally grows as a neat, 2-3’ mound. USDA zone 3-8. Also non-invasive, the fragrant flowers of ‘Miss Molly’ butterfly bush are a rich sangria-red, which is typically even more intense in warm weather and hot climates. But it’s not just the flower color that sets ‘Miss Molly’ apart – it also boasts a refined, 4-5’ semi-dwarf habit that is perfect for gardens and residential landscapes. Ideal for USDA zones 5-9. Plan to water the first year. In a plant’s description, you’ll often see the caveat, “drought tol erant once established.” This es sentially just means that during the first growing season it’ll need to be watered when precipitation isn’t providing enough water to keep the soil moist. We have a few tips on how to be water-wise in your own garden and how to water your new ly planted drought tolerant shrubs. Mulch will help retain soil mois ture better than any other product. When you notice the soil is dry or almost dry, you’ll want to water your new shrubs at ground level. By watering at the base instead of from above, you’re saving water from being lost to evaporation or misapplication (being applied to foliage or empty spots in the gar denWaterbed). in the morning, this gives the water more time to soak in before the heat of the day comes along to evaporate what’s left on the mulch or soil surface. Water deeply each time. Plants that are watered more thoroughly but less often will perform better than plants that are watered lightly and more often. Be sure to water all around the root ball as well as just outside of it to encourage the roots to expand outward.Watering a plant as it gets es tablished in the summertime in a drought tolerant garden. Although this may seem coun terintuitive for a water wise garden, watering when necessary during the first year is really critical for setting the plant up for success. Once it has developed a healthy root system, it’ll be able to access water in the surrounding area to help support its foliage and flowers. Keep an eye on pruning. To stay dense and lush looking, some plants benefit from regular re juvenation pruning or a bit of shap ing in the springtime. Just make a note of how dense your plant is looking during the growing season and plan to trim it at the appropri ate TIP:time. If you are seeing a lot of damage in spring or it looks like your plant is “shrinking,” that in dicates it would benefit from a bit more water than it’s getting. Pruning a plant in the spring to make it more dense. Want to know more about
All in when it comes to gardening, Kristina delights in almost every part of the experience – new leaves emerging in spring, pollinators buzzing in summer, birds devouring berries in fall, and the somber beauty of seed heads in winter. Thanks to a background in horticulture and gardening her own clay-filled, flowery USDA zone 5b plot, she’s learned plenty of practical things as well.
HorticulturistHOWLEY
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 17 NOW AVAILABLE AT: Jacksons Greenhouse & Garden Center, Topeka v Doctors At the Lake, Lake of the Ozarks v Manns Lawn & Landscape, St. Joe v Gronis Hardware and Seed, Leavenworth v Clinton Parkway Nursery, Lawrence v Barnes Greenhouses, Trenton, MO v Soil Service Gdn. Center, Kansas City, MO v Loma Vista North, Kansas City, MO v Skinner Garden Store, Topeka v Full Features Nursery, Smithville v Springtime Garden Center, Lee’s Summit v Heartland Nursery, Kansas City, MO v Planter’s Seed, Kansas City, MO v Penrod’s Greenhouse, Kearney v North Star Garden Center, Liberty v Grimm’s Gardens, Atchison v Moffet Nursery, St. Joe v Suburban Lawn & Garden, Kansas City, MO Feed lawn and shrubs to survive winter Winterizer for Established Lawns 25-0-6 Fall feeding is one of the most critical feeding times.A healthy and stable plant can endure the hardship of winter better than a weak plant.Winterizer builds winter hardiness, stem strength and disease resistance in lawns, trees and shrubs. www.fertilome.com BFG is the Leader in Green Industry Distribution 816-483-0908 | missouriorganic.com Top Soils • Pulverized Top Soil • Custom Soil Mixes • Garden Soil • Raised Bed Soil • Green Roof Soil Blends • Rain Garden Soil Blends Compost • NatureWiseTM • Green FrontierTM • Composted Forest Products • Composted Pine Fines Services • Sudden ConsultationGardens • Soil, Compost and Mulch Delivery and Installation Mulch • Premium I • Colored Mulches (red, brown & black) • Cedar • Hardwood Chips • Erosion Stabilization Get Our “Abby Guarantee”! You’ll find all of our quality products in bulk or bags at all of our locations. Also look for our bagged mulch at Sutherland’s Lumber. When you buy 3 or more yards of our Raised Bed Soil + The Growing MOR Nutrient Pack, we guarantee your growing success, or we’ll give you your money back on your plants. (Up to $200. Restrictions will apply.) 5 locations to serve you Soil RestorationTM • JustCharTM Growing MOR Nutrient PackTM Try Our High-Quality Soil Amendments – for 30 years –$25 off Nature WiseTM Compost 3 or more yards One free, easy call gets your utility lines marked AND helps protect you from injury and expense. Safe Digging Is No Accident: “Always Call Before You Dig in Kansas” Call 811, 1-800-DIG-SAFE, (800-344-7233) or visit us at www.kansas811.com.
Painted Ladies spin a silk canopy between host plant leaves such as this Hollyhock.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail caterpillars spin a silk carpet as their daytime resting spot.
Butterfly Silk All caterpillars produce silk. Some moth caterpillars even spin silk cocoons; however, only one species, the “silkworm,” Bombyx mori, produces the radi ant silk fiber used in garments. Unlike other moths, it weaves its cocoon from a single, continuous strand that is manufactured into silk thread. Native to China, silk worms have been domesticated for over 5,000 years and are extinct in the wild. As a domesticated animal, it has been altered by humans and can no longer fly to find a mate. And they have been improved us ing GMO technology to splice the genes for the much stronger spider silk into their genome.
Butterfly Silk Both moth and butterfly cater pillars have spinnerets, which are modified salivary glands located on their lower jaw. They spit out the liquid silk which hardens on contact with air to form strands of fibroin protein. Butterfly caterpil lars do not make cocoons like moth caterpillars but are equally skilled at using silk for many applications in their lives. When a butterfly cat erpillar chooses its pupation site, it spits a silk pad from its mouth, then it flips around to attach to the silk pad by hooks on its butt. The caterpillar may also spit out silken slings as additional safety lines.
18 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
Some species of butterfly cat erpillars spin a silk carpet to sit on after they hatch from their egg. They rest immobile all day, enlarg ing the silk carpet as they grow. This tactic protects the caterpil lar from hungry birds, which are drawn to movement, changes in position or holes in a leaf. At night after birds have gone to bed, the caterpillar crawls all over the tree munching on leaves far away from its carpet. And by dawn it returns to its silk carpet on an unblem ishedManyleaf. caterpillars hide from birds by stitching the edges of a hostplant leaf into a nest with silk thread. Some species frequently upgrade to larger leaves as they grow. Other species stitch mul tiple leaves together to accommo date their growth. The caterpillar leaves the nest at night to feed, but returns by dawn. If you want to find the caterpillar, look for these leaf nests, which are referred to as “tacos” or “burritos” depending on its shape.Rather than sewing leaves to gether, the Painted Lady caterpil lar weaves a canopy tent entirely of silk with the caterpillar clearly visible inside. Unlike other nest making caterpillars, the Painted Lady caterpillar makes only one nest, which it enlarges as it grows rather than crawling away to sew larger leaves into a new nest.
Over 2,300 species of Silk Moths exist in the world. We have five beautiful native species in the Kansas City area. The pale green Luna Moth reigns as the favorite. We also see Cecropia, the larg est native moth in North Amer ica. Polyphemus, Imperials and Io moths are large and colorful but elusive. Many attempts have been made to raise the Chinese silkworm on our native mulberry tree. Countless experiments have endeavored to fuse the shorter silk fibers of our native species into continuous strands. All these ef forts have failed. However, you can buy Chinese silkworms on the internet to keep as pets if you have a nearby mulberry tree.
Summary Humans use silk for fashion while caterpillars use silk for func tion. Survival in this cruel world requires many tactics and silk-mak ing is one of a caterpillar’s most valuable tools. A Marais des Cygnes Master Gardener, Lenora is a member of the Idalia Butterfly Society and Kansas Native Plant Society. She gardens in the clay soil and cruel winds of Paola, KS. She may be contacted at lenora.longlips@gmail.com.
The white silk pad for attachment is clearly visible above this Monarch Chrysalis.
Silk Carpets, Tailors and Tentmakers
LENORAButterflyLARSONMaven
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Caterpillar
Local Silk Moths
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 19 info@arnoldsgreenhouse.comwww.arnoldsgreenhouse.com (620) 964-2463 • 1430 Hwy 58, LeRoy, KS 66857 Summer hours 9a-5p Monday-Saturday, Closed Sundays Bringing glorious living color to your garden since 1977. Fall PumpkinsMums Fall is the perfect time to plant. Come see our selection of trees, shrubs and perennials. We hope to see you soon. Our 2022 Plant List is available on our our Facebook page. Join us for an in-person exhibit hall and social in Kansas City, inspiring field trips, and three virtual half-days of interactive sessions and opportunities to connect with others in the native plant community. REGISTER NOW! SEPTEMBER 12-16, 2022 PLANITNATIVE.ORG PRESENTEDdeeproots.orgBY SAVE $10 ON BIRDSANDBEESREGISTRATIONYOURWITHCODE: Northland Feed 4807 N. Brighton, KCMO • www.mowerpartskc.com 816-452-8393 • Mon.-Fri. 9-6 • Sat. 9-4 Serving the Northland for 44 years Mowers, Blowers, Hedge Clippers and Chain Saws are in stock now! All equipment assembled, serviced and ready to go when you buy it. Nothing goes out of here in a box! We service what we sell and more! We also carry Lawn & Garden supplies, pet supplies and bird seed. Fall clean up is upon us: Chain Saws, Leaf Blowers, all in stock now! This is the time to get your lawn in shape with grass seed and fertilizer. 6979 WEST 75TH STREET OVERLAND PARK, KS HOURS: MON-SAT 10A-5P | CLOSED SUN WildBirdHouseStore.com913•341•0700 Find us on Facebook! LARGEST SELECTION of wild bird supplies in the KC area, including bird seed, feeders, houses and hardware. 4480816•924•4924SOUTHNOLANDRDINDEPENDENCE,MO HOURS: MON-SAT 10A-5P | CLOSED SUN Family-owned & operated since 1990. Bluejay Providing Expert Advice without a Membership Price. Mowing • Trimming Planting • Mulching Seeding • Aeration Fertilization • Clean Up Barclay LawnsByBarclay.com913-208-5941Berberian Enjoy the weekends again... We’ll do the work. ESTEFESLAWNCARE Willy Estefes 913-605-2149 Nubia Estefes MulchingMowingLandscaping913-608-0030•Trimming•Clean-up Gutter Cleaning KAW FARMFARMVALLEYTOURTOUROCTOBER1&2 The Kaw Valley Farm Tour is an opportunity to visit local farms and learn about farm practices directly from the farmer. forKawvalleyfarmtour.orgmoreinformationandtickets MISSED AN ARCHIVESENJOYSITOFGRABKCGMAG.COMISSUESFINDISSUE?BACKATACUPCOFFEE,BACKANDOURKCGMAG.COM Pets and Plants NativeBouquets UsingBeneficialNematodesDoButterfliesFallinLove? A Monthly Guide to Successful Gardening June 2013GARDENER The Kansas City SummerWorthFloweringTreesACloserLook
Male honey bees, called drones, do not feed themselves or contrib ute to the well-being of the hive they are born into. They don’t pro tect their nestmates, do any of the cleaning, or forage for food for the colony. Their entire role is to po tentially mate with a young queen of another colony. Hives located in climates with cold seasons start preparing for winter in the fall. The workers make sure all the cracks are sealed and enough food is stored to make it through the cold season. There isn’t extra food for freeloaders, so males are removed from the hive. In warmer climates without winter, are male bees allowed to stay in the hive? Even without winter, there are weather and plant patterns that can affect honey bee colony cycles. These can include seasonal chang es in flowers and how much pol len and nectar is available, as well as seasons that are drier or wetter than others. Also, honey bee colo nies change in size as they begin as a new colony and grow to become an established colony. If a colony is low on resources, the workers will start to protect what they have, and this may include kicking out males – this saves resources for the queen and the workers, as well as the new offspring. Do you have questions about bugs found in your garden for Dr. Bug? Send them to ReallT@ Missouri.edu or bit.ly/KidsAsk DrBug. Include your name and age. To help me learn what you learn from this monthly column, would you please consider fill ing out this survey: bit.ly/Kid sAskDrBugSurvey. Thank you!
Recently, I met with MO Hives’ Nature Action Crew. MO Hives KC (www.mo hives.org) educates and involves urban residents in the creation, preservation, and expansion of pol linator habitats in the Kansas City Metro Area. The Nature Action Crew asked fantastic questions, some of which are answered below. Do wasps have queens? Wasps that are eusocial have a queen. “Eusocial” is a scientific term that describes how some in sect species live together. Most insect species are not eusocial. Rather, they are solitary, meaning they do not live with other insects of their same species – once the egg is laid, the insect is on its own. Eusocial species are very differ ent. For eusocial wasps, there is a queen who lays eggs, and workers who take care of the eggs, take care of the nest, and bring in food and resources. Most wasps are solitary, rather than eusocial. However, most of the examples of eusocial insects are wasps (such as paper wasps and yellowjackets) and bees (such as honey bees and bumble bees), and they all have queens. What makes a species a spe cies, and how can you tell what insects are different species? This seems like it should be an easy question, but it is not! What exactly makes one species different from another can be tricky. To de fine a species, scientists have used physical characteristics, such as shape, coloration, ecological niche, mouthparts, and reproductive com patibility resulting in fertile off spring. Plants and large animals are easier to figure out, but there are insects that look the same that can be different species. So, scientists also look at hair placement, be havior, and DNA sequences. Other organisms, like fungi and protists, are even more complicated when it comes to deciding what a species is. Scientists have described over 1 ½ million different species of in sects! That is more than half of the known species on the planet! Do wasps pollinate plants and crops? Yes! Wasps are primarily preda tors, eating spiders, insects, and other arthropods, or capturing these critters for their offspring. But, pollen and nectar are also a great source of energy for many wasp species, so they will also visit flow ers. Because wasps are not as hairy as bees, they are not as effective as bees as pollinators, but wasps can transfer pollen from one flower to an other and thereby pollinate flowers. Why do male bees get kicked out of the hives as the colony heads into winter?
20 September 2022 | kcgmag.com Kids Ask Dr. Bug about the curious things found in the garden
TAMRA
HorticultureREALLSpecialist
Tamra Reall (@MUExtBugNGarden) is a horticulture specialist for MU Extension – Urban West Region. For free, research-based gardening tips, call 816-833-TREE (8733), email mggkc.hotline@gmail.com, or visit extension.missouri.edu. European hornet visiting a flower. Image by Christel Sagniez from Pixabay.
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 21 It’sLOCALLYGROWNPLANTSMUM season! 82 varieties • 4 sizes • 7 colors Multiple bloom times• Tri-colored mums, Hanging Baskets, Fall annuals, Pumpkins, gourds, corn shocks, straw bales, and ton more fall décor! 800 E Walnut, Raymore, MO 64083 816-322-7333 Mon-Fri 9a-5p • Sat and Sun 9a-3p creekside-market.com MissouriNurseryWildflowers 9814 Pleasant Hill Rd Jefferson City MO 65109 www.mowildflowers.net mowldflrs@socket.net 573-496-3492 Meet us at one of these locations this fall in the KC area. Give us your order by Tuesday before a sale, or shop from our selection at the sale. Backyard Bird Center 816-746-1113. 6212 NW Barry Road, KC MO 64154. Platte Land Trust Native Plant Sale. September 10, 10 am - 12 noon Anita B. Gorman Cons. Discovery Center. 4750 Troost Ave. KC MO 64110. Missouri Prairie Foundation Native Plant Sale www.moprairie.org. September 17, 10 am - 2 pm Anita B. Gorman Cons. Discovery Center. 4750 Troost Ave. KC MO 64110. Deep Roots Native Plant Sale deeproots.org. September 24, 10 am - 2 pm Shawnee Indian Mission. 3403 West 53rd St, Fairway KS 66205 Shawnee Indian Mission Native Plant Sale. Info: shawneeindianmission.org. October 1, 9 am - 1 pm The Nursery Is Open at 9814 Pleasant Hill RD, Jefferson City MO 65109 Weekdays Year-Round: 9 am - 5 pm, Fall Weekends: August 27 - October 16, Saturdays: 9 am - 5 pm, Sundays Noon - 5 As the seasons change so does the ambiance of your water feature Whether it is colorful blooms in the su mmer or breathtaking ice sculptures in the winter, with a FO UR seasons water feature you can enjoy paradise 365 days of the year! After 28 years of being dedicated to transforming boring backyards into a one of a kind magical experience we have learned what makes a water garden paradise no matter th e season. Let us create the backyard of your dreams this year! 913-837-3510 4385 W 247th St. Louisburg, KS Open: Mon-Wed by appt. only Thurs-Fri 9am-5pm • Sat 9am www.swanswatergardens.com4pm We back our water garden installations with a 5 year leak free Available!PlantsAquaticguarantee!&Fish
Intro to Hydroponics
I’ve never fashioned myself much of a salesman, so I promise this article is not a sales pitch! You won’t find me knocking on doors asking, “have you heard what hy droponics can do for you?” My pas sion instead lies in problem solv ing…particularly when it relates to growing plants indoors. In many cases, that requires raising aware ness about the tools at our disposal. Whatever the resource limitation (i.e., space to grow, time to wa ter your plants, lack of sufficient lighting, etc.), there’s most likely a method or product available that can overcome it. Enter hydropon ics. It may sound scary and sophis ticated compared to growing toma toes in a raised bed in the backyard, but hydroponics is really just an opportunity to grow in a different manner, especially when growing in soil may be either impossible or undesirable.Bydefinition, hydroponics is simply growing plants using nu trient-water solutions without the benefit of the minerals and organic matter found in soil. It’s a concept that’s been around for thousands of years, and it might even be some thing you’re already doing uncon sciously today with your house plants. Roots may be suspended in an inert media such as coco coir or clay pebbles, but they may also hang freely in the air or water. Let’s look at a few of the most common methods for hydroponic growing. Drip Irrigation This method is likely the most familiar to traditional soil growers. Rather than soil, though, plants are suspended in an inert grow media such as coco coir or sphagnum peat moss, often mixed with perlite or vermiculite. Nutrient/water solu tion is delivered through irrigation lines and distribution drippers to the grow media, utilizing either an electric water pump and timer or a gravity-feed system. Any run-off that passes through the grow media without being absorbed is recycled back into a reservoir to be re-used during the next watering. Ebb and Flow Ebb and flow (also referred to as fill/flood and drain) systems can be setup in a variety of ways using many different types of materials, but the main principle remains the same – plant roots are suspended in a neutral grow media such as Rock wool, clay pebbles or coco coir. On a periodic basis, a solution of wa ter and nutrients floods the grow media, contacting the plants’ roots. The solution is then drained into a reservoir, allowing the media to dry before the cycle repeats. Typi cally, each plant is placed in its own container on top of a flood tray or table, directly above the reservoir. This allows the process of drainage back down to the reservoir to be completely gravity-based. Wicking Almost the opposite of every other hydroponic system, rather than pushing water to the plant’s roots, water and nutrients are pulled to the plant through a process known as capillary action. This is the ability for water to move across a porous surface, even in defiance of gravity. Picture a paper towel roll that gets wet at the very bot tom. Within a few seconds, it’s wet an inch above where it contacted the water. Within a few minutes, the moisture has made it up another inch, and so on. The key to this sys tem is that the plant is placed in a grow media that possesses this cap illary action such as coco coir or peat moss. One end of a rope with similar properties is then inserted into the grow media, with the other end extending downwards into a reservoir of nutrient/water solu tion. As the grow media dries out, the capillary action will “wick” solution up through the rope to the plant’s roots.
Jason Mispagel is the co-owner and operator of Year-Round Garden, a grower’s supply center serving both home and commercial customers since 2016. To contact Jason, call 816-216-6917 or jason@year-roundgarden.com.
JASON MISPAGEL Indoor Gardener
Deep Water Culture (DWC) Plant roots are suspended in a solution of water, nutrients and oxygen, rather than soil. A net pot filled with clay pebbles or neo prene collar holds the stem in place while roots grow down into a buck et or tote filled with the nutrient/ water solution. An air pump and air stone continuously force fresh ox ygen into the water, ensuring that it’s properly aerated and preventing root rot. As the nutrient solution is used up, it can easily be topped off or replaced entirely. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) Nutrient solution is stored in a reservoir beneath a horizontal chan nel or series of channels. A pump, running continuously, sends water up through one end of the chan nel, creating a small stream flow ing downhill to the other end. A vertical tube, placed at the low-end of the channel, allows the stream of nutrient solution to drain back down into the reservoir. Plant roots, suspended along the channel, grow into the shallow stream, providing them access to necessary nutrition. This method is sometimes referred to as “continuous flow.” Aeroponics and Fogponics With both aeroponics and fog ponics, plant roots hang suspended in the air without the need for any grow medium. A nutrient/water so lution is sprayed, misted or dripped along the roots to provide required nutrition. In fogponics, particles of the solution are reduced almost to the point of becoming a vapor, making them easier for the plant to absorb. By eliminating soil or other grow medium from the equa tion, bulky pots and containers also become unnecessary, free ing up design options unavailable through other growing methodolo gies.One thing I always keep in mind is that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to gardening – indoors, outdoors, soil, hydroponics or oth erwise. It’s all a matter of prefer ence and necessity. The question isn’t, “do you want to buy a hydro ponic system today?” Instead, it’s more a matter of, “are there aspects of a hydroponic system that could be incorporated to help improve your ability to grow food all yearround?”
22 September 2022 | kcgmag.com Indoor Gardening:
Harbor Fewer Pests
Beginner Tip
Just like summer crops, fall veggies need the right amount of light, great soil, consistent water, good drainage, and rich nutrients to thrive and produce a bountiful harvest.
Article courtesy of National Garden Bureau, ngb.org.
While cooler fall temperatures make it more pleasant to spend time in the garden, the reduced heat also means you’ll spend less time watering. As temperatures cool and days shorten, less moisture is lost through evaporation. Add a layer of mulch around your plant’s roots, and you’ll reduce watering needs even more, as the mulch helps keep roots cool and soil moist. Of course, you’ll still need to water, especially as young plants establish roots, as well as during periods of drought. But dragging hoses through the garden on 60-de gree days isn’t quite as trying as when the thermometer shows near ly tripleAlso,digits.consider installing drip irrigation now, while cooler tem peratures make garden chores less taxing. Drip irrigation saves water by targeting the plants’ roots. Plus, turning on the facet and walking away while the drip line soaks the soil saves time – and your sanity. No tangled hoses to battle for you!
Did you spend the summer battling bugs? Pest control can be frustrating, especially when you want to garden organically. The good news is that fall gardens tend to harbor fewer pests. The main critters you’ll face are cab bage worms –which are actu ally caterpillars – which love to snack on veggies in the brassica fam ily. Keep an eye out for cabbage white butterflies, which lay eggs on the veggies. Check the underside of leaves for eggs or caterpillars. Or place a row cover over your brassicas to protect them from a cabbage worm infestation. The light, porous cover allows sunlight and water to reach the plants – but not pests. Many Crops Taste Better in Cooler Weather Cooler temperatures not only reduce watering and pests, but many fall crops taste best when kissed by frost. Some crops, like arugula, taste bitter and bolt when temperatures rise and daylight lengthens, but these same veggies taste sweetly savory during chilly autumnKaledays.andBrussels sprouts actu ally taste the sweetest with a frosty coating. Always check the growing information on your seed packets or plant tages to see what tempera tures your veggies tolerate.
SPEAKERS’BUREAU
Need a speaker for your church, civic group or garden club? The Johnson County Extension Speakers’ Bureau have the speakers you are looking for on just about any topic like environmentally safe lawn care, or perennial flower gardening. We can adapt to meet your group’s needs, from a short 20minute presentation to a longer format, if needed. While there are no fees for a volunteer speaker, a donation to Extension or the chosen volunteer organization is appreciated. To schedule a speaker for your group, please contact the office. For more information on this service, call 913-715-7000.
After pick ing bugs, staking too-tall tomatoes, and dragging hoses out on 98-degree days, you might think that growing a fall veg gie garden sounds exhausting. But guess what? In many ways, it’s actually easier to grow a fall veg etable garden than summer crops.
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 23 Covers 20,000 SQ FT Often Copied NEVER DUPLICATED Accept only Original Earth Right products for the health & beauty of your lawn & garden.® Prepare the Soil for Overseeding by Using Earth Right NOW ! Covers 10,000 SQ FT Keep Soil NutrientIncreaseLoose,Uptake! Use Mushroom Stu to Establish, Improve & Restore Root Structure, Increase Root Mass in Early Summer & After Overseeding, For Protecting Roots over Winter or Transplanting. Root Starter and Enhancer SAVE THE DATES! Complimentary Event Jazz in the Roses Sept. 11 - 4 pm to 6 pm Free in the Garden Ticketed Event: Wine & Roses Sept.15 - 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Please purchase on line www.kansascityrosesociety.org Earth Right proudly supports The Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden. Our retail and professional products are applied in the Rose Garden. GREAT PRODUCT FOR CONTAINER PLANTING INDOORS Keep Soil Loose & Free of Salts Use Sure Bloom on Gardens; Turf, Herbs Veggies, Trees Flowers, Roses; Shrubs, Perennials, Containers Covers 10,000 SQ FT of turf & 20,000 SQ FT of Garden NATURAL OR 6-7-6MADE IN THE HEARTLAND FOR 27 YEARS ALL INGREDIENTS MADE IN USA & CANADA Contact us at 913-492-2992 - www.superlawnstuff.com mobile web site: www.earthrightproducts.com Need Help Applying our products? Tobin Lawn & Landscape (816-765-5565) or Big Green Turf Management (816-600-4936) Summer’s sultry days may find you melting in the garden, but heavenly homegrown tomatoes and scrumptious sweet corn makes every drop of sweat and mosquito bite worth it. While you’re indulging in tasty home grown treats, late summer means it’s time to plan for fall feasts. After all, summer’s waning days shouldn’t mean the end of gardento-table meals. Instead, it’s time to plan and plant the fall veg etable garden to extend your healthy harvests into crisp, cool au tumn beyond!days…and Why Plant a Fall Garden?Veggie
Less Watering Needed
Luscious Lettuce, Crisp Kale: What to Grow for a Flavorful Fall Veggie Garden
Leavenworth County Master Gardeners Wed, Sep 14, 11a; at Riverfront Communi ty Center, 123 Esplanade St, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Patti Ragsdale will be the speaker. Patti is the founder of Botanical Belonging at Happy Apple’s Farm. She and her husband have operated Happy Apple’s Farm Native Plant Nursery in Tonganoxie KS since 2016. She is a Johnson County Extension Master Naturalist volunteering her time at the Pollinator Prairie in Olathe. She also serves on the board of directors of the Kansas Native Plant Society. The meeting is free. Visitors are welcome. For more information contact the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700.
Raytown Garden Club Tues, Sep 6, 10a; at Connection Point Church, 10500 E 350 Hwy, Raytown, MO 64138. Guests are always welcome. The Sep 6 program is Getting to Know Your Native Missouri Plants, Mel Haney, George Owens Nature Center Naturalist. Oct 4 pro gram will be A Common Sense Approach to Growing and Using Herbs presented by Bernie Zeller. For more information please check out our Facebook page: facebook.com/RaytownGardenClubhttps://www.
Garden Symposium Sat, Sep 17, 8:30a-4p; at Riverfront Com munity Center in Leavenworth, Kansas.
Missouri Master Gardener Association (MOMGA) Annual State Conference Sep 16-18; at Capitol Plaza Hotel & Con ference Center, Jefferson City, MO. Reg ister for conference, hotel and conference sportswear at momga.org. Visit momga. org to register or download conference bro chure for more information.
Upcoming Garden Events
Sho-Me African Violet Club Fri, Sep 9, 11a-1p; at Jacob L Loose Park Garden Center, 51st & Wornall, Kansas City, MO. Visitors Welcome. Pond Management Sat, Sep 10, 10-11a; at Powell Gardens. $10 | 10% less for members. Presented in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, this workshop will help you better manage your pond and its water shed. Learn about fish management, aquat ic plant identification, plant management, and avoiding and controlling aquatic inva sive species. Please bring nuisance aquatic plants from your pond for Missouri Dept of Conservation staff to identify and recom mend control options. Registration link can be found at powellgardens.org/calendar.
Garden Club of Shawnee Thurs, Sep 8, 7p; at the Town Hall at Shawnee Town 1929, 11600 Johnson Dr, Shawnee, KS. Johnson County Extension Master Naturalist Jeff Fouquet will pres ent the program “Meet the Mammals of Kansas.” This will also be our fall plant, seed, and bulb exchange. Delicious snacks will be provided and fabulous door prizes awarded. Please visit our website garden clubofshawnee.org and our Facebook page for information about our club. Visitors are always welcome!
Terra Luna Choose to attend on one of six nights in Sep: Thurs Sep 15, Fri Sep 16, Sat Sep 17, Thurs Sep 22, Fri Sep 23, and Sat Sep 24. Immerse yourself in a spellbinding experi ence created exclusively for the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens by Quixotic! Purchase tickets early. This is a sell-out event! This unique collabora tion between Quixotic and Friends of the Arboretum has astounded guests and left them in awe of Mother Nature’s ultimate imagination. 8909 W 179th St, Overland Park, KS. Entry-time specific tickets are $25 - $35 each. Purchase tickets at thebenefitbyTerraadrenTheartsandrec-op.org/arboretum/terra-luna/.https://experienceisfamily-friendly,andchil2yearsoldandyoungerdonotneedticket.Strollersandpetsareprohibited.LunaisafundraisingeventpresentedFriendsoftheArboretum.Allproceedsprograms,activities,andprojectsatArboretum.
Kansas City Rose Society’s Wine and Roses
Thurs, Sep 15, 5:30-7:30p; at Loose Park. Annual cocktail garden party benefits the rose gardens at Loose Park. Purchase tick ets at kansascityrosesociety.org.
Idalia Butterfly Society ••NOTE DATE CHANGE•• Sat, Sep 17 (was Sep 10), 6p; at Prairie Vil lage City Hall, 7700 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS. Butterfly Garden Design and Maintenance: Paula Diaz. A well-designed butterfly garden considers the needs of not only our lepidopteran friends, but also its caretaker and its neighbors whether in a urban, suburban or rural setting. This includes planning for maintenance over the years as the garden matures. In keep ing with the current “Leave the Leaves” movement, a balance between minimal maintenance and neighborhood aesthetics will be described. Photographs of Paula’s client butterfly gardens at various stages of maturity will be presented. Paula Diaz is the principal of GardeNerd Consultations, providing education on incorporating na tive flora into traditional home and busi ness landscapes. She volunteers with MU Extension Master Gardeners, GrowNative! and Deep Roots KC and is a member of the Missouri Prairie Foundation and the Mis souri Native Plant Society.
Pollinators for Your Garden
2022 Olathe Flower & Horticultural Specimen Show Show Entries Accepted: Thurs, Sep 8, 6-8p; Fri, Sep 9, 8-9a. View the Show: Fri, Sep 9, 1-8p; Sat, Sep 10, 9a-3p; at Olathe City Hall, 100 E Santa Fe, Ground Floor. Presented by the Olathe Garden & Civic Club in coordination with Olathe Old Set tlers Days, this annual flower and garden specimen show is for everyone to partici pate in and enjoy! Entries will be accepted from amateur (non-commercial) gardening enthusiasts on Thurs 6-8p and on Fri 8-9a. Completely free, Olathe residence not re quired, club membership not required. Look at the beauties in your garden, ar range them to fit a floral design class or just clip them and show them off as speci mens! Bring them in and we’ll help you get entered, or just come by to see all the beautiful entries! For category details and how to enter, contact Susan Albert: albert susanm@gmail.com.
PLAN IT NATIVE Landscapes Conference Sep 12: Plan It Native Kick-Off and Ex hibit Hall (Boulevard Brewing Company, Kansas City) Sep 13: Plan It Native Field Trips (Kansas City & St. Louis Area) Sep 14-16: Plan It Native Virtual Confer Can’tence join us live? Recorded sessions are available to registered attendees for one year following the conference. Na tive landscapes are essential for a healthy planet. The 2022 Plan It Native Landscapes Conference, hosted by Deep Roots and its partners, will offer more than 20 live, in teractive sessions, three inspiring keynote speakers, and opportunities to connect with peers and sponsors. Sessions will include expert advice for landscapes small to large, as well as a pre-conference beginners se ries focused on new native plant gardeners and enthusiasts. With a mix of live, online content you can access from anywhere, and in-person Kansas City field trips, Plan It Native 2022 is the best of both worlds! Join us! More details and to register: www. planitnative.org
Thurs, Sep 15, 7-8p; at Leavenworth Public Library, 417 Spruce St, Leavenworth, KS 66048. Marti Crow, a Leavenworth County Master Gardener, will give a presentation on identifying local pollinators and why they are important. She will go over how to attract and protect pollinators and how to keep your garden pollinator friendly. The meeting is free and open to the public. For more information contact the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700.
Leavenworth Co Master Gardeners will host, “Live Life in Full Bloom.” The speak ers are Kelly Norris, Crystal Miles and Jo nah Nelson. Tickets are $45. A box lunch is included in the price. To purchase tickets, contact leavenworthmastergardeners@ya hoo.com or call the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700. Or download a mail-in form at Annecontactmaster-gardeners/.leavenworth.k-state.edu/lawn-garden/https://www.FormoreinformationMikeyStaffordat913-426-3794orReillyat913-683-4646. Garden to Glass: Moonshine Edition Sat, Sep 17, 3-4p; at Powell Gardens. $25 | 10% less for members. Terrace Room. In this Garden to Glass class, attendees will learn the history of “America’s beverage”, as well as taste moonshine and mix up an apple pie moonshine cocktail. A Powell Gardens’ branded glass is included for at tendees. Must be 21+ to attend. Registra tion link can be found at powellgardens. org/calendar. Go Green 2022! Environmental Fair Sat, Sep 17, 9a-noon; Powell Commu nity Center, 6200 Martway, Mission, KS. Come learn about ways you can help our environment. Free Admission. Children’s Activities. Hosted by the cities of Fairway, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Mis sion Woods, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Westwood, Westwood Hills. Save our planet and your pocketbook! Learn more at missionks.org/gogreen. Dog Days Sun, Sep 18, 9a-5p; at Powell Gardens. Included with general admission | Admis sion is free for members. Dog Days allows you to bring your dog(s) for a stroll through Powell Gardens. Enjoy seasonal blooms and sunshine with your furry friend! Dogs must have current vaccinations and remain on a leash at all times. (Retractable leashes are not allowed.) Owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pooch. Registra tion link can be found at powellgardens. org/calendar.
Author Talk: Sara Dykman (Bicycling With Butterflies) Thurs, Sep 22, 6:30-8p; at Powell Gardens. $35 with book | $20 attendee only. 10% less for members. Author Sara Dykman shares her experiences riding from Kansas City, Kansas to Michacuan, Mexico following monarch butterflies. This exciting presen tation continues to explore the content of her book, Bicycling With Butterflies. Dyk man will be available to sign books after her presentation. Registration closes Sep 19. Registration link can be found at pow ellgardens.org/calendar.
24 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
Jazz in the Roses Sun, Sep 11, 5-7p; at Loose Park’s Laura Conyers Smith Rose Garden, 5200 Penn sylvania, Kansas City, MO 64112. FREE Jazz Concert! Join family and friends at our free annual Jazz in the Roses. Bring your own blanket, chairs, and picnic to relax in the roses and listen to the band A La Mode “….. an authentic band built upon Kansas City’s rich heritage of swing and blues”. Go to the website to hear their smooth jazz: alamodejazz.com. Presented by the Kan sas City Rose Society and KC Parks De partment. Sponsored by The Fisher Hiles Team, Amy Hiles and Adrienne Fisher, (Better Homes & Gardens Kansas City). Families and friends of all ages will enjoy each other’s company while spending an afternoon in the treasured, world class Lau ra Conyers Smith Rose Garden at Loose Park. Listen to the kind of music that sets Kansas City apart…….. jazz! Children’s art projects will entertain the kids as we all spend a magical, musical night in the Rose Garden. For further information, contact: Kansas City Rose Society c/o Martha Com ment, martbckc@gmail.com, check out our website: kansascityrosesociety.org.
Gardening 101: Propagation Sat, Sep 10, 1-2p; at Powell Gardens. $15 | 10% less for members. Learn how to prop agate your favorite house plants during this Gardening 101 class. Assistant Director of Horticulture, Phil Bishop, will show you techniques and tips for successfully creat ing more houseplants. All attendees will receive a cutting from a Powell Gardens’ plant to take home and propagate! Regis tration link can be found at powellgardens. org/calendar.
Northwest Missouri Master Gardener’s Garden Symposium Sat, Sep 24, 8a-4p; at Albrecht Kemper Museum of Art, 2818 Frederick Ave, St Joseph, MO 64506. Speakers/Topics: Tim Moloney – The Art of Plunking; Lenora Larson – Be A Butterfly Bartender; The Artistic Garden; Carol Davit – Grow Mis souri Natives. $35.00 includes Breakfast pastries, Lunch, and snacks. Check in reg istration 8:00. Vendors 8:00 – 3:00. Wel come/Keynote 9:00. Seating is limited. Send $35.00 check payable to University of Missouri Extension, 4125 Mitchell Ave, St Joseph, MO 64507. Call Extension Of fice for questions 816-279-1691. Lunchtime Lecture: Interactive Nature Journaling Sat, Sep 24, 11:30a-1p; at Powell Gar dens. $45 | 10% less for members. Conifer Room. Join Missouri Master Naturalists Cindy McManis and Crystal Parson for an interactive Lunchtime Lecture. Partici pants will be able to choose from a variety of formats to begin constructing and deco rating their own journal. The class will in clude your choice of boxed lunch, along with a demonstration of homemade nature journals and ideas for observations and artwork. Interactive components include pop-ups, foldables, pockets, observations, and fact sheets. Boxed lunch options. Reg istration ends Sep 20. Registration link can be found at powellgardens.org/calendar.
Butterfly Garden Open House Sat, Sep 24, noon-3p; at 500 Eisenhower Rd, Leavenworth, KS 66048. The Leaven worth County Master Gardeners will host an open house at their Butterfly Garden. Please join us as we follow the migration of the Monarch Butterflies as they con tinue their journey to Mexico. Learn about our Monarch Waystation. There will be ac tivities for children. If available, there will be opportunities to capture and tag Mon arch Butterflies. There is no fee. For more information contact the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700.
African Violet Club of Greater Kansas City Fri, Sep 30, 11a-1p; at Jacob L Loose Park Garden Center, 51st and Wornall, Kansas City, MO 64112. Visitors Welcome. Heartland Hosta and Shade Plant Society Sat, Oct 1, we open at 9:30a, and meeting starts at 10a; at the Woods Chapel Com munity of Christ Church, 500 NE Woods Chapel Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064. Guests are welcome. Our speaker is hybrid izer Bob Solberg, from North Carolina. Kaw Valley Farm Tour Oct 1 & 2. The Kaw Valley Farm Tour is an opportunity to visit local farms and learn about farm practices directly from the farmer. Go to Kawvalleyfarmtour.org for more information and tickets. Tree Board Fall Seminar Wed, Oct 5, 7p; at the Meadowbrook Club house, Birch Room, 9101 Nall Ave, Prairie Village. Majestic trees provide shade and beauty to Prairie Village and other parts of the metro area, but will they always? Are there things that can be done to prolong the lives of these older trees? How long can we expect these trees to live? The Prairie Village Tree Board has lined up a panel of four speakers to address what we can do to save our trees for its fall seminar.
Planters, pottery, cement pots • Annuals, perennials, hanging pots Boxwoods, flowering bushes • Natives All organic, no chemicals, non-GMO herbs and vegetables Fresh weekly Missouri Amish Grown Produce Join us Friday evenings for FREE wine night and vintage jewelry sales. Ask about our Landscape Design and Installation services. 436 W. 85th St., Kansas City, MO • office 816-444-7661 waldogreenhousekc@gmail.com facebook.com/waldogreenhousekc Make us a tradition Mums are in!
Herbs: Plant, Pick and Use Wed, Sep 28, 6:30-7:30p; at Basehor Community Library, 1400, 158th St, Basehor, KS 66007. Leavenworth County Master Gardeners, Mikey Stafford and Jo Domann, will give a presentation on plant ing, picking and sharing ideas for using herbs in simple syrups and baked goods. They will also show how to use herbs on focaccia bread and how to make sage/lav ender/rosemary smudge sticks. The meet ing is free and open to the public. For more information contact the Leavenworth County Extension office at 913-364-5700.
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 25 Planters Seed Co. • Since 1924 • Retail • Wholesale Lawn • Garden • Farm 513 Walnut, KCMO • 816-842-3651 Mon-Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 9am-3pm September Planting Dates Plant Above-Ground Crops: 1, 2, 5, 6, 26-30 • Plant Root Crops: 10, 11, 14, 15 Transplant: 5, 6, 10, 11 • Plant Flowers: 1, 2, 26-30 • Control Plant Pests: 17, 18, 21-25 Grass Seeds • Fertilizers • Mulches • Bulbs • Bird Supplies • Pottery Best Quality of “Locally Grown” Bird Seed! Flowers & Vegetable Seed ~ Largest Selection in the Area Fall bulbs arriving in September Present this coupon at time of purchase 20% off BULBS Valid through September 2022. 7130 Troost, Kansas City, MO Gardenwww.soilservice.comCenter•816-444-3403 Landscape MaintenanceInstallationDesign,andServices From trees and shrubs to perennials, mulch and stone, expert Landscape Designers are ready to help with your next project! Call today for an At-Home Consultation. Flower Garden and Train Tour Sat, Sep 24, 9a-5p; B & F Railroad and Flower Tour at 1503 Ensley Cir, Raymore, MO. The entire yard is full of beautiful flowers and we have 6 Garden Trains that run in the entire back yard. This is one of the best Flower Gardens that you will ever see. This is a Free Event. No Pets Please.
Writer and Horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension Dennis Patton, Board Certified Master Arborist Ivan Katzer, Suburban Lawn & Garden Vice President Matt Stueck, and Program Manager of the Heartland Tree Alliance Sarah Crowder will all bring their expertise to this important topic. Past gen erations made the mistake of using a single variety of tree such as the American elm and green ash to line our streets only to see the tree canopy decimated by disease. The panel of speakers will discuss about what kinds of trees we should be planting to re place them. The public is invited to attend free of charge. Promote plant sales, club meetings, classes, and other gardening events for FREE! Send details to: elizabeth@kcgmag.com. Deadline for publishing in the October issue is September 6.
Hasta Luego Monarchs Sat, Sep 24, 9a-2p; at the Pollinator Prai rie near downtown Olathe at 320 S Blake St. The family-friendly event is free to the public. We will have educational booths of interest for everyone, plus a fun ac tivity for the kids, where each child will have the opportunity to take home a small prize from the event. The group “Monarch Watch” will be at Hasta Luego Monarchs to share their knowledge about the mon arch butterfly and to update us on how we can best help this struggling species. Rep resentatives from Monarch Watch will be tagging monarch butterflies for release in the Pollinator Prairie gardens. For more information on the Hasta Luego Monarchs event or the Pollinator Prairie, you can check out the Pollinator Prairie page on Facebook or call 913-715-7000. Presented by Johnson County Master Naturalists.
• Harvest pumpkins when flesh is complete ly orange. Avoid carrying by the stem.
•••••
• Plant garlic cloves for next year’s crop.
• Divide perennials, especially spring bloom ers.
• Tender herbs can be dug from the gar den and placed in pots for indoor use this winter.
• Pick apples and pears and store in a cool place to extend freshness.
• Dig gladiolus as foliage begins to yellow and air-dry before storing for winter.
TREES AND SHRUBS
• Prune broken and dead branches from trees.
• Plant chrysanthemums for fall color.
• Rake up fallen leaves and compost.
• Enrich soil by adding organic matter such as compost.
• Plant spring flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and others.
• Continue to harvest vegetables.
26 September 2022 | kcgmag.com
• Poinsettias can be forced into Christmas bloom by starting dark treatment.
• Mow turf at 3 inches and sharpen mower blade for a clean cut.
• Bring plants in before temperatures drop into the 50’s.
• Core aerate cool season turf to aid in root development and thatch breakdown.
• Dig, divide or plant peonies.
Johnson County K-State Research and Extension recommends environmentally-friendly gardening practices. This starts by identifying and monitoring problems. Cultural practices and controls are the best approach for a healthy garden. If needed, use physical, biological or chemical controls. Always consider the least toxic approach first. Dennis Patton is the horticulture agent for Johnson County K-State Research and Extension. For free information fact sheets, visit www.johnson.ksu.edu, or call the Extension office at 913-715-7000. list of what to do in the garden. GARDEN (Use this space to list additional tasks to accomplish in your garden.)
• Remove seed heads from perennials to prevent reseeding in the garden.
• Sod new lawns or dead spots for quick recovery.
GARDEN CALENDAR September
• Fertilize cool season grasses with high nitrogen sources of fertilizer.
• Blow or sweep all fertilizers back onto the lawn and off hard surfaces to protect our water.
Seed bluegrass or tall fescue lawns early in the month for best results.
• Avoid pruning spring flowering shrubs to ensure spring flowers.
• Handpick bagworms to reduce problem infestations next year.
• Fertilize before winter conditions arrive and growth slows.
• Renovate bluegrass or tall fescue by ver ticutting then overseeding.
• Clean up garden areas to reduce insects and disease as plants dieback for winter.
• Soil test for the next growing season.
• Plant trees and shrubs, deciduous and evergreen.
• Continue to mow Zoysia but do not fertil ize or aerate this late in the season.
• Dry summers could mean a dry fall. Water young trees and shrubs.
HOUSEPLANTS
• Remove weeds from garden plantings before going to seed.
• Clean and wash before moving indoors to reduce insects.
LAWN
• Spade or till garden plots incorporating fallen leaves or grass clippings to improve soil.
MY
• Harvest winter squash when the rind can not be punctured with your fingernail.
• Remove small tomatoes to increase late development of more mature fruits.
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS
FLOWERS
• Plant lettuce, spinach, and radishes for fall harvest.
Mon, Wed, Fri, 1-4pm MISSOURI AREA Mon-Fri, 9am-noon;
816-833-8733 (TREE);
CASS COUNTY 816-380-8494;
DOUGLAS COUNTY 785-843-7058; dgcogardenhotline@gmail.com;
GREATER KANSAS CITY
mggkc.hotline@gmail.com JOHNSON COUNTY, KS 913-715-7050; Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm; garden.help@jocogov.org JOHNSON COUNTY, MO 660-747-3193; Wed, 9am-noon LEAVENWORTH COUNTY 913-364-5700; Leave a message. A Master Gardener will contact you. MIAMI COUNTY & LINN COUNTY 913-294-4306; Thurs, 8am-noon WYANDOTTE COUNTY 913-299-9300; Mon, Wed, Fri, 9am-4pm QUESTIONS ABOUT ROSES? Ask a Rosarian; www.kansascityrosesociety.orgkcrosehelp@gmail.com; Extension Master Gardeners are ready to answer your gardening questions. Hotlines for Gardeners City,Address:Name:State, Zip: WhereE-mail:Phone: did you pick up The Kansas City Gardener? Please enclose your check payable to The Kansas City Gardener and mail with this form to: P.O. Box 8725, Prairie Village, KS 66208 The Kansas City Gardener is published monthly Jan. through Dec. SUBSCRIBE TODAY A Monthly Guide to Successful GardeningGARD The Kansas City Spooky Plants for the October Garden A Monthly Guide to Successful Gardening GA Butterflies and Bees Love These LemonPark BirdoftheMonth:BluebirdButterflyConservatories IntheGardenwithMarvinSnyder A Monthly Guide to Successful Gardening July2015 GARDENER The Kansas City BeyondtheWaterliliesFor convenient mail delivery, complete the form below and send with your check for $25.00. You will receive a one-year subscription to The Kansas City Gardener The ABC’s of Bird Feeding Blue bird inspecting birdhouse. Shelter
The Kansas City Gardener | September 2022 27 At this time of year as children are returning to school, it’s also a good time for every one to return to school on backyard birdfeeding. Creating a backyard habitat is easy when you under stand the four basic needs of birds. Food/Feeders Feeders hold bird food. The placement of the feeder and the type of food provided determine the variety of birds that use a cer tain feeding station. As the seasons change, you may change the food offering in the same feeder to at tract different birds. Feeder variet ies include: Platforms (ground or hanging), Wooden Hopper Feeders (some offer screen bottoms so that wet seed will dry as air circulates), Tube Feeders with or without a tray (some offer lifetime warranties) and Window Feeders (so the birds are up close and personal). There are also specialized feeders which include: Nyjer Tube Feeders (for finches), Nectar Feeders (for hum mingbirds and orioles), Suet Feed ers (for woodpeckers and a wide variety of other birds), Small birds only Feeders and last but not least Squirrel-proof Feeders. Bird food includes these major individual seed types: Black Oil Sunflower (for all songbirds), Saf flower (a problem solving seed, squirrels, blackbirds and grackles tend not to eat this seed), Millet (mainly for ground feeding birds), Nyjer (finches love this seed), Cracked Corn (also for ground feeders) and Peanuts (the favorite of woodpeckers, but liked by many songSuetbirds).isa very clean feeding situ ation. It is a high energy food for year round feeding. Regular suet is meant for feeding in colder months and suet dough is for feeding dur ing the warmer months (it won’t melt). Water It is important to offer fresh water year round. Birds need a de pendable source of water for drink ing and bathing. Water should be offered in shallow containers, if the container is more than 3 inches deep just place some flat rocks in the bath to offer different levels for bathing and drinking. Birds need protective cover for times of rest, social time and retreat from predators and bad weather. A backyard habitat should include a mixture of ground covers, shrubs, evergreens and trees. Places to Raise Young Certain species of birds build nests in trees and shrubs, so the shelter that is available is also ex cellent for nesting. Some birds are cavity nesters, so offering man made housing will encourage them to nest in your backyard. Backyard birdfeeding is a sim ple hobby that the entire family can enjoy. So take a break and see what’s happening right in your own backyard.
Editor’s note: This article was originally submitted by Doc and Diane Gover, previous owners of local retail birding stores. We are grateful for their contributions to this magazine over the years. Wed, 9am-noon
