| June 2007
Oklahoma Gardening Shows
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Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3351)
OETA air date: June 30 and July 1, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Gardening in North Central Oklahoma – Part 1 – On the show this week we feature the first show of our regional series. This year we visit gardens in North Central Oklahoma.
Koster Garden – The first garden we visit is at the home of Mike and Becky Koster in Ponca City. Becky tells Steve the history of the house and about the gardens. Plants shown include Daylily (Hemerocallis), Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Marse Connell'), Peony (Paeonia), Sedum (Sedum spp.), Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora), Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri), Indian Basket (Xerophyllum tenax), Tree Yucca (Yucca faxoniana), Spanish Dagger Yucca (Yucca gloriosa), Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata), Palm Yucca (Yucca filifera), Delphinium (Delphinium spp.), Hosta (Hosta spp.) and Golden Monewort (Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea').
Roth Garden – The second garden we visit is at the home of Gary and Sharon Roth in Tonkawa. Sharon visits with Steve about how they made their very long (300 feet) raised bed. Plants used in the raised bed include Cleome (Cleome hasslerana), Peony (Paeonia spp.), Liatris (Liatris spicata), Caster Bean (Ricinus communis), Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Crinum Lily (Crinum spp.), Rose (Rosa spp. 'Knock Out'), Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata), Yarrow (Achillea filipendulina 'Gold Plate') and Pincushion Flower (Scabiosa columbaria).
Garden Tips for July – David Hillock, Consumer Horticulturist, gives us garden tips for July.
Water Logged Soils
· Root activity slows or shuts down, and plants show symptoms of drought.
· Decline in root growth slows plant growth processes.
· Leaves may wilt from lack of water uptake.
· Root rots are common in some species.
· Lower interior leaves may yellow.
Leaf Scorch (short-term water deficiency in leaves)
· Marginal burning.
· Often from the top down, southwest side, or side with root injury or root restrictions.
· Towards the end of the month, divide and replant spring-blooming perennials like iris, peonies, and daylilies if needed.
· Make fall vegetable garden plantings in late July. Fact Sheet HLA-6009 Fall Gardening, gives planting recommendations.
· Soak vegetable seed overnight prior to planting. Once planted, cover them with compost to avoid soil crusting. Mulch to keep planting bed moist and provide shade during initial establishment. Monitor and control insect pests that prevent a good start of plants in your fall garden.
· Continue protective insect applications on the fruit orchard. A good spray schedule is often abandoned too early. Follow directions on last application prior to harvest. (EPP-7319)
· Water compost during extremely dry periods so that it remains active. Turn the pile to generate heat throughout for proper sterilization.
Turf
· Sharpen or replace mower blades as needed. Shredded leaf blades are an invitation to disease and allow more stress on the grass.
· Mowing heights for cool-season turfgrasses should be at 3 inches during hot, dry summer months. Gradually raise mowing height of bermudagrass lawns from 1½ to 2 inches.
· Vegetative establishment of warm-season grasses should be completed by the end of July to ensure the least risk of winter kill. (HLA-6419)
· Brown patch disease of cool-season grasses can be a problem. (HLA-6420)
· Fertilization of warm-season grasses can continue if water is present for growth. (HLA-6420)
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Steve Owens
Oklahoma Gardening Host
**************************************************************************************************************Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3350)
OETA air date: June 23 and 24, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Oklahoma Proven – On today's program we look at some of the annuals and perennials selected for the Oklahoma Proven program. For more information about other Oklahoma Proven selections, visit online at http://oklahomaproven.okstate.edu/.
2005
Perennial Plumbago/Leadwort (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides)
· Exposure: Partial shade to full sun
· Soil: Well-drained
· Hardiness: USDA Zone 5
Perennial plumbago is a neat, well-behaved plant that grows 8" to 12" high and spreads to 18" making it welcome at the front of a mixed border or massed as a ground cover. The terminal clusters of blue flowers appear from summer through fall when the foliage turns a bronze-red before going dormant for the winter. It is best to use perennial plumbago in a well-drained soil and to cut old stems to the ground each spring for vigorous re-growth.
Summer Snapdragon (Angelonia angustifolia)
· Exposure: Full sun
· Soil: Well-drained
· Hardiness: Use as an annual
Summer snapdragon is a tropical sub-shrub that can be used as an annual in Oklahoma and will bloom from summer until the first frost. Orchid-like flowers are produced on 2' tall spikes and depending on cultivar, flower color ranges from blue to purple, pink or white with bicolor forms also available. Summer snapdragon may be used as a bedding plant, to add color to a mixed border or in a container. It is drought tolerant and loves full sun and summer heat.
2006
Wishbone Flower (Torenia Summer Wave™ Series)
· Exposure: Partial shade
· Soil: Moist, well-drained
· Hardiness: Use as an annual
The Summer Wave™ Series is a collection of hybrid Torenia, or wishbone flowers, that thrive in the summer heat. The plants form a 6" high by 12" wide mound that is great for the border, in a pot or mixed with other plants in a larger container. The Summer Wave™ Series is comprised of the following cultivars: 'Amethyst', 'Blue', 'Large Violet' and 'Lavender Blue'. Each produces flowers from spring until fall, and each flower has a wishbone at its center, thus the name.
Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum 'Golden Jubilee')
· Exposure: Full sun
· Soil: Moist, well-drained
· Hardiness: USDA Zone 6
'Golden Jubilee' is a cultivar of the North American native commonly known as anise hyssop. It was selected for its chartreuse foliage, was named to commemorate HM Queen Elizabeth II's golden jubilee, and was the 2003 All-America Selections flower award winner. Reaching 2' tall and 1' wide, 'Golden Jubilee' produces light purple flower spikes from early summer to fall. Although a perennial, it will reseed in your garden and the new plants will also be golden. As an added bonus, brushing against the foliage releases the plant's licorice scent.
2002
Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpuea 'Magnus')
· Exposure: Full sun to light shade
· Soil: Well-drained
· Hardiness: USDA Zone 3
Magnus Purple Coneflower is known for its rose-colored flowers that appear in early summer and sporadically until frost. Magnus is a clump forming perennial that grows to 2' – 3' tall. Use this heat and drought tolerant perennial in a native plant garden, perennial border or as a cut flower.
Ornamental Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas 'Margarita')
· Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
· Soil: Well-drained
· Hardiness: Use as an annual
Margarita is a spreading vine with chartreuse leaves, excellent as a ground cover or as a potted plant. This striking new cultivar tolerates full sun to partial shade and can grow to 8" tall and 20' long.
2003
Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium nipponicum)
· Exposure: Part to full shade
· Soil: Moist, well-drained
· Hardiness: USDA Zone 4
Japanese Painted Fern is a deciduous perennial growing to 12" tall. It can be used in shaded perennial gardens or massed as a ground cover. Cultivars are available, each with its own pattern of red and silver variegation.
Yellow Bells (Tecoma stans)
· Exposure: Full
· Soil: Moist, well-drained
· Hardiness: Use as an annual
Yellow Bells is a tropical shrub used as an annual in Oklahoma. It can reach a height of three feet and produces striking yellow flowers above glossy green leaves from summer until frost. Give this plant a southern exposure; it loves the heat and sun.
2004
Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Pink Preference' )
· Exposure: Full Sun
· Soil: Well-drained
· Hardiness: USDA Zone 6
'Pink Preference' is a cultivar of Autumn Sage that was selected for its bright pink flowers. Like the species, it is a heat and drought tolerant perennial that starts blooming in the spring but blooms most in the autumn as other flowers in the garden start to fade. It forms a 2' to 3' mound and attracts humming birds and butterflies to the garden. Pruning to 6" high each spring will help keep Autumn Sage dense and full.
Firebush (Hamelia patens)
· Sun Exposure: Full Sun
· Soil: Well-drained
· Hardiness: Use as an annual
This Central and South American native is a small tree when grown in the deep South but is best used as a heat tolerant annual in Oklahoma.The lush green foliage can produce a dense mound over 3' high in full sun and color is added by the interesting orange-red flowers and the reddish tinge on the leaf petioles. Firebush thrives in the summer heat and attracts hummingbirds and butterflies to the garden.
Barb Cooks – Barbara Brown, Extension Food Specialist, makes a frozen fruit dessert.
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Steve Owens
Oklahoma Gardening Host
Frozen Dessert with Fruit
2 cups sherbet, softened
1 cup fat free milk
1 package (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding mix
8 oz. frozen reduced fat whipped topping, thawed
2 cups cleaned and sliced or chopped fresh, canned or frozen fruit
1. Line a 9x5 inch pan with aluminum foil. Spread sherbet in pan pressing firmly with a spatula to make and even layer. Freeze 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl combine milk and pudding mix. Whip slowly with a hand-powered mixer or whisk for 2 minutes. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over sherbet in pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least three hours or overnight.
3. To serve, invert pan over serving platter. Remove foil. Top with fruit then let soften 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition Facts
Servings per recipe: 12 1-inch pieces
Calories 137 Calories from fat 27
% Daily Value
Total Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat trace 2%
Cholesterol 17mg 6%
Sodium 154mg 6%
Carbohydrate 25g 8%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Protein 1g 2%
Vitamin A: 3% Vitamin C: 25% Folacin: 2%
Calcium: 5% Iron: 1% Potassium: 3%
Modified from original source: Kraft Foods at http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf
Barbara Brown, Food Specialist
Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service 6/07
**************************************************************************************************************
Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3349)
OETA air date: June 16 and 17, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Gardens of Olen and Teresa Thomas – Steve visits with Olen Thomas about some of the plants in his island beds and borders. Plants in the gardens include Chitalpa Tree (Chitalpa tashkenitensis), Mullein (Verbascum thapsis), Bird of Paradise Shrub (Caesalpinia gilliesii), Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra), Spirea (Spirea thunbergii 'Mellow Yellow'), Oklahoma Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis 'Oklahoma'), Mexicana Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. mexicana), Texas Redbud (Cercis canadensis var. texensis), Gigantea Redbud (Cercis gigantea), Forest Pansy Redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'), Leadwort/Perennial Plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides), Lantana (Lantana camara 'Zinn'), Ornamental Grass (Pennisetum orientale 'Karley Rose'), Ornamental Grass (Miscanthus sinensis 'Yaku Jima'), Million Bells (Calibrochoa), Rose (Rosa 'The Fairy'), Crinum Lily (Crinum x powellii), Cat Mint (Nepeta x faassenii), Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'), Yarrow (Achillea 'Moonshine') and Cup Plant (Silphium perfoliatum).
Interesting garden art include scarecrow characters, broken urns, bird bath with orb made from whisky barrel rings, blue bottles and barbed wire spheres.
Highlights of 2007 Summer GardenFest
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Steve Owens
Oklahoma Gardening Host
**************************************************************************************************************Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3348)
OETA air date: June 9 and 10, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
(Rerun of show #3042, originally aired on May 22 and 23, 2004)
Container Gardening – Containers are a great way for gardeners who don't have much space to be able to grow a wide variety of plants. They also give us mobile, inexpensive gardens that we can change throughout the season.
There are several types of materials that containers are made of, each with advantages and disadvantages. Plastic is an inexpensive material, but can fade and doesn't give much barrier to the roots from summer heat, with its thin side wall. Double-walled plastic pots give better insulation, but can still fade and cost more. Terra Cotta or clay pots are a fairly inexpensive material that gives good root insulation. It can crack or chip easy. The clay pots are porous which lets the roots breathe, but also can be home to water molds and a place for soluble salts to build up. Terra Cotta should be cleaned each season by soaking in a 10% bleach solution for a few hours and then scrubbed with a brush.
Another ceramic material is Stoneware. It is a heavy clay that is fired at a higher temperature than Terra Cotta, which makes it more durable and non-porous. It is a good material for a container but is more expensive. Synthetic foam or Thermolite containers are a good choice as they are decorative, extremely light weight, of good side wall thickness and fairly durable. Their downside is that they are more expensive. We point out that there are several other materials for containers and that other non-traditional items can be used to grow plants. We show an old farm bucket, a shoe and a cedar stump with plants in them. Almost anything that holds soil can be used as a container.
We talk about the importance of drainage in containers. If there are no holes in the bottom, they will have to be drilled. It isn't necessary to put gravel or broken pot shards in the bottom of containers. It will not improve the drainage. If so desired, a coffee filter or circle of landscape fabric can be put in first to keep soil from exiting the drain holes.
Soil mix for containers should be porous and well-drained. Do not use soil from the garden. A greenhouse type of mix with peat moss, vermiculite and perlite will work, but can shrink away from the edges if it dries out. At our Studio Garden, we use a mix that contains a third sand, a third pine bark and a third peat or greenhouse mix. If a mix like this can't be found at a garden center or nursery, one can be made by mixing play sand, small particle-sized pine bark mulch, and light potting soil mix or greenhouse mix. A slow release fertilizer is a good idea to incorporate into the mix, as well as water absorbing polymers. Don't add too much of the polymer material as they can push soil and plants out of the pot when wet and expanded.
Pot feet are a good idea to lift containers off of patios and decks to avoid staining and to allow free drainage of water. Saucers for under containers are best not used on outdoor pots. Water collected in saucers and allowed to be wicked back up into the root zone is high in dissolved minerals and can cause root damage as well as white crusty build-up.
When it comes to adding plants to containers, combinations are always popular and lots of fun. A container can be selected at the nursery and then taken around and different groups of plants placed inside until a suitable combination is found. A simple method for selecting mixed container plants is to select an upright centerpiece plant, a few bushy space-filling plants, and then a few cascading plants to spill over the sides. Examples of centerpiece plants are Grasses, spiky plants like Cordyline australis, spike-flowered plants like Angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia) or Mealy Sage (Salvia farinacea 'Victoria') or even a bright-colored foliage plant like a coleus. Bushy plants could include Pentas (Pentas lanceolata), Geraniums ( Pelargonium spp.) or Lantana (Lantana camara). There are many cascading plants to choose from such as Trailing Lantana (Lantana montevidensis), Helichrysum (Helichrysum petiolare), Fan Flower (Scaevola aemula), Dichondra 'Silver Falls' or Variegated Vinca (Vinca major 'Variegata').
Some plants are better suited to growing in containers rather than in the garden. Aggressive plants like bamboo, Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) or Plume Poppy (Macleaya cordata) are best enjoyed in a container instead of running rampant through the garden. Tropical flowering plants like Angel's Trumpets (Brugmansia spp.) and Bougainvillea will usually bloom better if their roots are confined to a container rather than being in fertile garden soil.
Small vines can be grown in containers. Supports that fit containers are available at many nurseries and garden centers, or they can be home made with twigs or bamboo stakes. Good vines for these include Black-eyed-Susan vine (Thunbergia alata), some small Passion vines, and the Climbing Lily (Gloriosa superba).
Butterflies of Oklahoma – Steve visits with Dr. John Dole, former professor with the OSU Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, about a butterfly book that he and others have published. The name of the book is "Butterflies of Oklahoma, Kansas and North Texas" by John M. Dole, Walter B. Gerard and John M Nelson, ISBN 0806135549.
Ginger – In this segment, we talk about growing Ginger (Zingiber officinale) in the garden. The lumpy rhizomes of this plant are ground up to make ginger spice or powder which is used in many meat and fish dishes, as well as in gingerbread, gingersnaps and ginger ale. You can take pieces purchased at your local grocery store, break them into smaller portions and plant them in a partially shaded spot. Select plump healthy rhizomes rather than mushy or shriveled pieces. Plant them in a loose organic soil, just at or just below the soil surface. Ginger loves heat and humidity. It doesn't like cold soil or windy locations. Leaves will sprout from the "eyes" of the rhizome, and maybe flowers of white or yellow. Ginger will keep longer if it is planted in a container of moist sand and kept outdoors during the warm months. It can be dug and pieces broke off for cooking and then re-buried. It may even start to grow in the container.
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Steve Owens
Oklahoma Gardening Host
**************************************************************************************************************Oklahoma Gardening Information Sheet (#3347)
OETA air date: June 2 and 3, 2007
OETA airtime: Saturday 11 a.m., Sunday 3:30 p.m.
Vegetable Garden – Steve shows us some unique vegetables growing at the studio gardens. These include Red Leaf Lettuce 'Eruption', Red Leaf Lettuce 'Cherokee', Summer Squash 'Zephyr' and Carrots 'White Satin'.
Steve demonstrates how potatoes are planted at the studio gardens. They are grown in bottomless metal tubs. Place the seed pieces on the ground in March and when the buds begin to sprout add compost around the potato plants. Potatoes are ready to harvest when the tops, leaves and stems start to turn yellow. To harvest just pick up the metal tub.
Perennial Plants – Steve discusses some perennials in the gardens. These include Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii 'Pink Perference', Purple Conflower (Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'), Penstemon (Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'), Artemisia 'Powis Castle', Feather Reedgrass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium 'Apple Blossom') and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium 'Paprika').
David's Tips – David Hillock, Consumer Horticulturist, gives us tips for June.
· Now is a good time to assess damage as a result of the late freezes we had this spring. Some trees and shrubs have been slow to send out new leaves and shoots, but most have leafed out now. You can check to see if a stem is still alive by gently scratching a small area with your fingernail. If it is alive it should be soft, moist and green just under the bark. If it is dead it will be hard and brown. Dead wood should be cut back to the live tissue.
· Foliar diseases can often be controlled with appropriate fungicides. Pine needle disease treatments are needed again in mid-June.
· Fertilize warm-season grasses. Do not fertilize cool-season grasses during the summer.
· Brown patch disease of cool-season grasses can be a problem. Fungicides can help to control the disease, but good management practices are also very helpful. Poor air movement, high humidity and warm temperatures encourage disease development. If possible, open the area up to allow more air movement and be careful not to overwater or water late at night, which can increase humidity in the area.
· Post-emergent control of crabgrass and summer annuals is best performed on young plants.
· Water deeply; one inch per application.
· Remain alert for insect damage by spider mites and fall webworms. Cutworms are also possible.
Please contact your local Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service Office for more educational information on garden-related topics. If you need further information about this week's show, call (405) 744-5404 or visit our website http://www.oklahomagardening.okstate.edu. Thank you for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Steve Owens
Oklahoma Gardening Host