News Article for May 30, 2008:
Driving around the parish I am really enjoying the gardenias this year. They not only look nice with their white flowers but the fragrance gives that added dimension. You know they are close even when you cannot see them.
Some people know gardenias as cape jasmine. They are a popular summer blooming ornamental of southern gardens. They prefer full sun to partial shade and can grow quite large, so give them some room when planting.
For those who did not give them enough room to mature you will need to prune them to keep them under control. Like most summer flowering ornamentals right after they finish blooming is the best time to prune. Thin out any unproductive areas when pruning.
One of the worst problems with gardenias is the sooty mold. Sooty mold is the black scaly material that gets all over the leaves. It is caused by aphids, whiteflies and scale. I like to use a little Orthene or Acephate to keep them under control.
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The tomatoes are starting to come in and I have tasted a few and I have it on good authority that there will be some for sale at the farmers market this week. We are probably another week away from getting a good volume.
Unfortunately a lot of you were wiped out of the vegetable garden business by the series of storms and scalding out that occurred after the rains and hail.
For those who lost their gardens and for the rest who will play out within the next month consider cucumbers as a great summer crop. They thrive in the heat and can extend the productivity of your garden. For those that grew strawberries this year, cucumber do really well behind strawberries and can use any extra fertilizer left.
Cucumbers will grow fast in this heat and you can start picking within about 35 days of planting. I would play close attention to water as cucumbers require a lot of water to keep them from wilting. If you had drip irrigation on your strawberries, you will want to use it on the cucumbers also or if you have never tried it install a small run to see how easy it can be.
Plant cucumbers 12 -18 inches apart within the row. If you are not following another crop with residual fertilizer then put down 1 pound of 8-8-8 per 25 feet of row. Sidedress once the vines begin to run with ½ cup of ammonium nitrate per 25 feet of row.
Try several varieties to see which you like best but mark them because memory can fail you. Some recommended varieties to try include: Dasher II, Thunder, General Lee, Daytona, Abbott &Cobb 1811, Speedway, Taledega, Fanfare, Poinsett 76, Slice More, Indy, Intimidator, Diva, Sweet Slice and Sweet Success. People who breed cucumber varieties must like the races.
For more information on these or related topics contact Kenny at 686-3020.