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Hello Great Gardeners,
Happy Mother's Day!
As I am sitting here in the office writing there is a child in the bathroom singing at the top of their lungs. Not even a rainy day can bring down there spirits.
On another note, I hate to say this, but the next few nights are calling for lows in the 30's. There is a chance of frost on Tuesday Night. Cover and bring in.
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As always, if you have any questions, comments or suggestions, hit reply. I would love to hear from you. Have a great-gardening day.
Sincerely,
Holly
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- Cicadas are not locusts! Locusts are a type of short-horned grasshopper and belong to the order Orthoptera along with all other grasshoppers and crickets. At the same time, cicadas are Hemipterans that are considered "true bugs" and include aphids and planthoppers.
- Cicadas can be black, brown, or green and can have red, white, or blue eyes.
- They spend most of their lives underground as larvae, followed by a short adulthood — from two to six weeks — above ground, according to the University of Michigan's Museum of Zoology.
- There are generally two types of cicadas. Annual cicadas emerge every year in late June or August, while periodical cicadas emerge in cycles of 13 or 17 years, depending on the species. When periodical cicadas emerge, all the adults in a given location emerge at the same. Tens of thousands to over a million insects can reside in a relatively small area of land. A group of periodicals that appear at the same time is called a brood.
- Most trees and shrubs, especially if they are healthy and well-established, should be fine. Young trees and shrubs or unhealthy saplings are the most vulnerable to damage from cicadas, because the female cicadas dig small slits into thin branches to lay their eggs.
- According to the Department of Agriculture, the best way to protect your plants is to lay a ¼ inch netting over young trees and shrubs. (We do not carry this type of netting here at the store).
- Birds, bats, wasps, spiders, praying mantis, and many other predators commonly eat Cicadas.
- In some parts of the world, they are deep-fried or covered in chocolate and eaten.
- They don't bite, and they don't sting.
- The male cicada is what makes the high-pitched noise—reaching as loud as 100 decibels.
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Deutzia 'Yuki Cherry Blossom'
Grows:
Height: 12-24 Inches
Width: 12 - 24 Inches
A shower of elegant pink flowers creates a carpet of color. Great for mass plantings because of its neat, mounded habit and burgundy-purple fall color, this tough, adaptable plant makes an excellent groundcover, especially on a sunny slope.
IN STOCK!
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Deutzia 'Yuki Snowflake'
Grows:
Height: 12-24 Inches
Width: 12 - 24 Inches
Elegant white spring flowers appear at the perfect time for spring gardens, and its neat, mounded habit and attractive fall color make it a great landscape plant, too.
IN STOCK!
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One of the most popular of all home garden vegetables is the tomato. Originating in Central and South America, the tomato was thought by early American colonists to be poisonous and was not recognized as a useful vegetable until the 1800s. Eaten raw or in innumerable cooked dishes, today the tomato is an almost daily part of the American family diet. When grown as staked plants, tomatoes require a relatively small amount of space yet can produce 8 to 10 pounds or more fruit per plant. Tomatoes are low in calories and a good source of vitamin C.
Climatic Requirements:
Tomatoes are warm-season plants and should only be planted after the danger of frost has passed (May 15th). Temperature is an essential factor in producing tomatoes, which are particularly sensitive to low night temperatures. Blossom drop can occur in early spring when daytime temperatures are warm, but night temperatures fall below 55 degrees F, and in summer, when days are above 90 degrees F and nights above 76 degrees F.
Soil Requirements:
Tomatoes can be grown on many different soil types, but a deep, loamy soil, well-drained and supplied with organic matter and nutrients, is most suitable. As with most garden vegetables, tomatoes grow best in slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8.
Planting:
Tomato plants will develop roots along the stem and can be planted deeply at transplanting with the first set of leaves near the soil surface.
Note: Grafted Tomatoes need to be planted with the graft above the soil line.
Spacing:
Tomatoes grown un-staked are plant 3 feet apart in rows 5 feet apart. Plants that need staking plant 2 feet apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Plants that need caged plant 30 to 36 inches apart. Where space is limited or soil conditions poor, tomato plants can be grown in containers.
Staking:
Stakes and cages should be placed at planting time or soon after so roots are not disturbed. Staked plants are usually pruned to a single or double stem and periodically tied loosely to the stake with soft twine. Pruning is accomplished by removing all the branches or "suckers" that grow from the leaf axils, leaving only the main stem or the main stem and one additional branch near the base. Staked and pruned tomatoes produce fewer but larger fruit than caged or unsupported plants.
Fertilizer:
Tomatoes respond well to fertilizer applications, especially phosphorus. Excess nitrogen fertilizer can result in plants with extremely vigorous vine growth but little fruit production.
Water:
An even moisture supply is essential, especially once the tomato fruits begin to develop. If the soil becomes too dry, blossom-end rot can be a problem. If too much water is applied at one time, ripening fruit may split.
Harvesting:
Leave your tomatoes on the vine as long as possible. If any fall off before they appear ripe, place them in a paper bag with the stem up and store them in a cool, dark place. Never place tomatoes on a sunny windowsill to ripen; they may rot before they are ripe! The perfect tomato for picking will be firm and very red (depending on variety), regardless of size, with perhaps some yellow remaining around the stem. A ripe tomato will be only slightly soft. Never refrigerate fresh tomatoes. Doing so spoils the flavor and texture that make up that garden tomato taste.
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