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PUMPKIN CONTESTS, CREEPING CHARLEY, CRABGRASS & COW FEED...
We laugh when squirrels bury nuts and then can't remember where they buried them. I have the same problem with fall-planted bulbs. I've got daffodils and tulips popping up in places that must have seemed like a good idea last October! It's one reason spring is such an interesting season, I guess.
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If you can imagine growing the biggest sunflower or pumpkin this summer in Carver or Scott County, now is the time to get serious. Seeds should be in the ground by the end of May to take advantage of the full (i.e., short) Minnesota growing season.
The Carver/Scott Master Gardener organization is sponsoring a Big Pumpkin/Big Sunflower growing contest for gardeners of all ages in the two counties, and winners will win a $25 cash prize plus the satisfaction of growing the biggest specimen. (For details, call your county extension office.)
If you want to get a head start on growing monstrous pumpkins, you can buy started plants at Chaska Farm & Garden or Bob's Country Garden Center (on Hwy 169). Make sure that pumpkin plants are from "giant" seed.
As for management, pumpkin champions all have their secrets, but at a minimum, plan to supply plenty of supplemental nutrients and water. Remember that pumpkin plants will send down roots at nodes along the vine. This is good, because it allows the plant to take up more nutrients, and you can encourage this rooting by providing additional soil or compost where these roots develop.
Two tricks pumpkin growers practice are to stake vines so they don't blow around in the wind, and eliminating all but the largest pumpkin from each vine so that single pumpkin grows very big.
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Are you looking for environment-friendly alternatives to chemical weed control in your lawn? Two recent discoveries at Iowa State University that are generating interest involve controlling creeping charley with household borax, and controlling crabgrass with cow feed!
The borax treatment requires strict adherence to several guidelines. In late May or early June, apply 5 teaspoons borax (20 Mule Team Borax is acceptable) in 1 quart of water, then spray it to cover a 25 square foot area (5 feet x 5 feet...not a very large area). If you use the spray on less than 25 square feet, you'll be applying it too strong; if the spray covers more than 25 square feet, it will be weaker than what is recommended.
If you follow these directions, you should see drastic reductions in creeping charley by autumn. Remember, however, that too much borax can kill your lawn, so do not spray borax repeatedly in the same location. Also, don't attempt to use borax to control creeping charley in your garden, as it may also kill your garden plants.
What about the cow feed treatment for crabgrass? The Iowa State researchers have discovered that corn gluten meal (a byproduct of the wet-milling process) both fertilizes the lawn and suppresses germination of weed seeds in the soil.
You can buy corn gluten meal in 50-pound bags at area feed stores (I got mine in Cologne). Apply it between now and the end of May just as you would pre-emergent herbicide. Apply 20 pounds corn gluten meal per 1,000 square feet of lawn and water it into the soil. The researchers recommend a second treatment in late summer and report that control improves each year.
From an environmental standpoint, this is a nifty discovery. Corn gluten meal is completely safe (it's fed to pets) and, since it's high in protein, corn gluten meal feeds your lawn as it controls annual weeds.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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