Wichita gardener’s almanac for April 9
Has it stopped blowing yet? — Spring has been a beautiful thing to see unfold, pinks and greens filling the view, more color being added all the time in the landscape. It’s been hard to see the color if not the very life being beaten out of plants by the unbelievable wind. More rain is in the forecast, but be sure to check soil moisture if the rain doesn’t end up falling.
I also still see a temperature beginning with the number 3 in the forecast. Enough of that already.
Lawnmower start-up tip — A Wichita reader has this tip for starting the lawnmower after its winter’s nap: “A few weeks ago, in the Dustin comic strip, his dad was having trouble getting his mower started, so ended up throwing it away and buying a new one. I’ve handled my own yardwork for more than 50 years, and I learned several years ago that a little shot of starting fluid (aerosol can) into the air cleaner will make them fire-up quickly. There’s no need to take the air cleaner off, but do keep the dose brief. The first start-up of the season can be a real back-breaker.”
Get that grass planted — April 15 is the usual deadline for getting fescue grass seed planted in the spring. Of course, you can always try stretching it, which is more or less challenging depending on how the weather plays out. Summer is tough on poorly established lawns, and sod is a better option for spring planting, Ward Upham of K-State says. Sod can be put down almost any time.
Purple-flowered weeds — Henbit is the plant with the little purple flowers that shows up in the lawn. To positively identify it, check the stems, which are square, Upham writes in this week’s Horticulture 2016 newsletter. You also may see chickweed — it has tiny white flowers and round stems, Upham writes. They actually started growing in the fall, but nobody really notices them until they start flowering in the spring, he says. It’s not much use to go after them now, as they will die as soon as the weather turns hot. Keep them mowed with the lawn until then.
But next fall, you can go after them after they germinate, usually about mid-October, Upham says. Spray with 2,4-D, Weed-B-Gon, Weed Free Zone, Weed Out or Trimec in late October to early November, on a day that is at least 50 degrees. A few plants may germinate late and show up the next March. You can spot-treat them early in the spring before they put on much growth, with Weed Free Zone, Speed Zone, Weed Out, Weed-B-Gon, Trimec or a special henbit herbicide, Upham says.
Plant — Cabbage, collards, chard, carrots, broccoli, endive, cauliflower, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, onions, peas, spinach, turnips, beets.
Garden events
Art at the Arb — More than 100 visual and performing artists will be arrayed across the spring-blooming grounds of Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine this weekend for the annual Art at the Arb. It happens during Tulip Time in Belle Plaine, which has its own events and activities a couple of blocks away in town.
Art at the Arb is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5. Art will include jewelry, sculpture, birdhouses, pottery, clothing and photography. Luciano’s, Lyon’s Den BBQ, Freddy’s Frozen Custard, College Hill Coffee, the Lemon Lady and Beautiful Day Cafe (Sunday) will have food and beverages for sale.
Here’s the concert schedule: Saturday: 11 a.m., Irish Ceilidh; noon, the Crowsons; 1 p.m., Micah White Jazz Trio; 2 p.m., Driven Bluegrass; 3 p.m., Senseny Aerotones Big Band.
Sunday: Noon: the Haymakers; 1:15 p.m., “Songs From the Garden” by Robin Macy, Kentucky White and Darren Wilcox; 2:30 p.m., A Terra Plana — Brazilian Choro; 3:30 p.m., the Mudbugs Cajun and Zydeco band.
Tulips, Fairies & Forts — Botanica’s welcome to spring continues the next two Saturdays. Tulips, Fairies & Forts will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 9 and 16 and is included in Botanica admission. The event stars the spring flowers, of course, and also includes games, crafts, face painting, dance-man DJ Ronnie Choy, fairy-story time, forts throughout the gardens, fairy dress-up and photo props, and a bounce house. Animals from Tanganyika Wildlife Park will be visiting this Saturday as well, and Poppy the Clown will be on hand from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Next week will bring a visit from the Bug Lady.
Hutchinson trip — The Suburban Garden Club will meet at around 10 a.m. Monday at Stutzman’s Nursery at 6709 W. Highway 61 in Hutchinson. After the tour, lunch will be at Dutch Kitchen next door. The meeting, tour and lunch are open to the public. (Stutzman’s phone number is 800-279-4505.)
Talk on good bugs and bad bugs — The Wichita Daylily Club will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at Botanica. Master gardener Donna Taylor will give a program on good bugs and bad bugs. The meeting is free and open to the public.
Class on choosing summer vegetables — A class on choosing summer vegetables will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Extension Center at 21st and Ridge Road. The cost is $5. The class is part of the Grow Good Food Gardening series. Register online at sedgwick.ksu.edu.
Program on Kordes roses — The next meeting of the Wichita Rose Society will feature a presentation by Marcee Suderman on the history and benefits of Kordes roses as well as highlights of the rose sale that will take place during this year’s Herb Day. The rose meeting will be Tuesday at Botanica, starting with refreshments and social time at 6:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public. (Herb Day will be May 7 at the Extension Center.)
Lecture on KPTS — The lunchtime lecture at Botanica on Wednesday will be about the history and mission, fundraising, content and community outreach of public television station KPTS, Channel 8. The lecture, at 12:15, is included in Botanica admission. Lunch will be for sale for $8 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Program on attracting birds — Birders Don Fast of McPherson and Kevin Groeneweg of Wichita will give a program Thursday in McPherson on attracting birds to your landscape and keeping them there. The program, sponsored by the McPherson County master gardeners, will be at 7 p.m. at the 4-H building at 710 W. Woodside in McPherson. The cost is $5.
African violet meeting — The African Violet Study Club will meet at 1 p.m. Friday at Botanica, and the meeting will include a demonstration of how to restart the crown from a long neck. The meeting is free and open to the public.
Annie Calovich
This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Wichita gardener’s almanac for April 9."