1). Use Winter to Identify Yard Areas that Drain Poorly

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A sizeable ice or snow melt can provide clear evidence of landscape and garden areas that don’t drain well.

“Of course, you won’t be able to do anything about those areas until the ground thaws. But, identifying the places that drain poorly or slowly can be a lot easier now than in a spring downpour,” said Ward Upham, Master Gardener coordinator for Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Poor drainage can result from an array of factors – clay content, hardpan, slope and the like. Despite the cause, however, it always leads to the same thing: poor oxygen levels in the soil.

“Plants suffer when moisture fills the tiny cavities where well-drained soil would have air. Roots may just drown, but often they develop diseases that bring a more lingering kind of death,” Upham said.

Drainage is the biggest problem in yards that don’t provide suitable outlets for unabsorbed rain or irrigation. Lack of outlets can damage more than plants if excess water only drains toward the house.

“Solving that kind of situation can be a massive undertaking. Generally, it requires hiring a professional and plunking down hard cash or doing lots of homework and investing hard labor,” he said.

If improving the soil is all that’s needed, however, several approaches are possible:

* Add good topsoil so water can’t just sit. Till or spade, mixing it with the underlying soil.

* Add a 2-inch layer of organic matter (e.g., peat moss, compost) and till or spade it in deeply.

* For beds that grow annuals each year, mow fall’s dead leaves and garden refuse. Layer about 4 inches of the “chipped” output on the soil and incorporate deeply, so the debris can compost over winter.

“Any of additives will improve drainage, but don’t skip mixing them into the existing soil. Roots don’t like to cross the kinds of barriers created by one type of soil sitting on top of another,” Upham said.


 

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2). K-State Reviews Reasons to Save, Remove Damaged Trees

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Continuing winter weather and its aftereffects have delayed some homeowners’ decision about whether to remove or try to save trees damaged in December’s ice storms.

Middle-aged and younger trees that were healthy and vigorous before winter hit can lose up to one-third of their crown to ice and still make a surprisingly swift comeback, according to horticulturists with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

That third includes any pruning repairs, as well as the branches Mother Nature downed.

The horticulturists suggest the following, however, as situations in which tree removal may be the only good option:

* Half or more of the tree’s canopy is gone or will be after surgical pruning.

* The bark is split, exposing the cambium – the layer between bark and wood that produces the tree’s new cells.

* The main trunk is split – which typically brings tree death, although the demise may drag on over time.

* The placement or number of broken limbs has destroyed the overall form of the tree. How the tree looks will be important to the homeowner’s enjoyment. But, if it has or (after pruning) will become lopsided, it will be much more vulnerable to future weather damage.

* All of the main branches were or will need to be pruned back, so that only stubs are left – a practice called topping. Normally, new branches will arise from such stubs, although they’ll often grow in “witch’s broom” form. They won’t be as firmly attached as the original branches, though, so probably will break in other storms.

The K-State horticulturists warn that because developing so many new branches requires lots of energy, topped trees also are less able to fight off the effects of insects, disease, drought and storms. The typical end result is a shorter life span.


 

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3). Biggest Bulbs Can Be Easiest to Force

Although popular as a holiday gift and post-holiday bargain, amaryllis bulbs look intimidating to some would-be growers. The ones that cost the most and produce the biggest flowers – 8-10 inches across – can be grapefruit-size.    “Fortunately, these bulbs are a cinch to grow – no matter their width. Plus, their vivid, exotic-looking flowers will provide a cheerful display for more than a month during the depths of winter,” said Emily Nolting, horticulturist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

With the right care, eventually all mature amaryllis bulbs will bloom, Nolting added.

“Novice gardeners often find that fact comforting,” she said. “To keep you on your toes, though, you never know whether a mature bulb is going to bloom right away or take its time.”

Nolting said the recommended care for an amaryllis isn’t the same as that for other houseplants:

* Select a container that only allows about an inch of soil between pot rim and bulb. The pot can be clay or plastic but must have drainage holes, covered by a layer of pebbles or broken clay pot pieces..

* Select a good potting-soil mix. If available, get a bulb-potting mix with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8.

* Hold the bulb so the roots hang down into the pot. Add potting mix until at least half of the bulb is buried (NEVER the bulb neck). Firm the mix carefully so roots don’t snap off.

* Water well. Place in a sunny location. Try to keep temperatures in the 70s (day) to 60s (night).

* Keep the soil only slightly moist until growth starts.

* When flower buds begin to show color, move the plant to a bright, but cooler location that’s out of direct sunlight, so the flowers will last longer. Turn the pot occasionally. Water when the soil feels dry.

* When the flowers are spent, cut them off to keep the bulb from expending energy to form seeds. Place the plant back in a sunny location. Feed and water it as you would a houseplant.

“If you want to keep your amaryllis going after that, do a little research. You’ll find it’s just as easy to maintain the plant outdoors through summer, put it through a dark and dry period in fall, and then force it to bloom again next December,” Nolting said. “In time, it will even produce babies.”


 

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4).  Check Leftover Garden Seeds Before Ordering New Ones

LaCROSSE, Kan. – Seed catalogs and January usually arrive together.

That fact can provide real mental relief for gardeners trapped indoors by winter weather. Catalogs offer a bounty of colorful options to visualize, weigh and perhaps order for 2008's growing season.

“Obvious drooling is rarely a related result – at least, for most of us. But, we can get so involved in planning that we forget to check the viability of last year’s leftover seeds before we start ordering new ones,” said David Coltrain, agriculture and natural resources agent with Kansas State University Research and Extension.

Average U.S. garden size is shrinking even more rapidly than average yard size, he said. So, seed packets may contain a more generous supply than some plots or beds can handle in a single year.

“Plus, sometimes you just buy more seed than you can get around to planting,” Coltrain said.

Fortunately, except for members of the carrot family, many vegetable and flower seeds can remain viable for up to three or more years. In general, their ideal storage is somewhere cool, dark and dry. As a result, leftovers stored in a garage or basement may last quite a while.

“New seeds you buy this spring should have at least an 85 percent germination rate,” Coltrain said. “But, if you liked the results you got from last year’s seeds and about 50 percent of their leftovers will still sprout now, you can get about the same results, planting the old seeds twice as thick as usual.”

He listed these steps for testing seed viability:

1. Wet a paper towel, fold it and place about 10 seeds between the layers.

2. Put the towel-covered seeds in a dish. Place the dish in a warm location – about 80 degrees.

3. Keep the towel moist, and regularly check the seeds for germination. Large seeds should sprout in about a week and small seeds in two weeks.

“If this test results in less than a 50 percent germination rate, don’t expect satisfactory results from planting leftovers this year,” Coltrain advised. “Instead, get out your catalogs again.”


 

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5). Crop Science Society of America Honors K-State’s Dale Fjell

MADISON, Wis., - Kansas State University agronomy professor Dale Fjell has received the Crop Science Society of America’s Crop Science Extension Education Award.

The CSSA presents awards annually for outstanding contributions to crop science through education, national and international service, and research.

Fjell, who is K-State Research and Extension’s northeast area director, was recognized at the society’s annual meeting Nov. 6 in New Orleans.

Fjell earned a bachelor’s degree from Wayne State College in Nebraska and master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Kansas State University. Among other things, he focuses on fostering corn, soybeans, and grain sorghum production management through innovative Extension programs.

He served as an associate editor on the editorial board of Agronomy Journal and has been active in the American Society of Agronomy’s Educational Materials and Poster Awards Programs.

The CSSA, based in Madison, Wis., is an educational organization designed to help its more than 5,000 members advance the disciplines and practices of agronomy, crop, and soil sciences by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.