Wichita gardener’s almanac for March 26, 2016
Spring coming and going — The weather has been kind of a windy disappointment lately, up and down and spinning around. Here’s hoping for some stability soon. With all the wind, check soil moisture if we don’t get any rain.
Core aeration of cool-season lawns — March or early April is a good time to core-aerate fescue or Kentucky bluegrass lawns, Ward Upham of K-State says. Pulling cores out now gives the lawn a chance to recover before crabgrass and other weeds start to germinate, he says. Core-aerating relieves compaction, hastens the breakdown of thatch, helps the lawn take up water and helps the roots grow better. Test the soil moisture before core-aerating, he says; if the soil easily crumbles between the fingers, it’s just right. “If it is too wet, the machine’s tines will plug and it will merely punch holes in the wet soil, which increases compaction,” Upham writes in this week’s Horticulture 2016 newsletter. “If it is too dry, the tines will not be able to penetrate deeply enough to be of benefit.” If you don’t have a core aerator, you can rent one, or hire it done. If overseeding, do so after core aerating.
Plant — Potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, potatoes, radishes, peas, turnips, onions, spinach, beets.
Garden events
Easter weekend at Bartlett Arboretum — Spring flowers continue to open at Bartlett Arboretum in Belle Plaine, meaning it will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Also on Easter Sunday, a Gypsy-jazz trio of Tulsa musicians Shelby and Nathan Eicher along with local Kentucky White will perform at 2 p.m. A $5 donation at the gate is requested. A sunrise ecumenical service at 7 a.m. on Easter Sunday is free and open to everyone.
“A Photographic Tour of England” — Dianna and Gerald Schmitt will give their presentation on a trip to England, including Westminster Palace, during the meeting of the Prairie Winds Daylily Society at 7 p.m. Monday at Botanica. The meeting is free and open to the public.
“Plants at Botanica: What Worked, What’s Ahead, and What Works for You” — Janet Gordon, staff gardener at Botanica, will give a lunchtime lecture there Wednesday about the trees, shrubs and perennials that were planted at Botanica in 2015 and give a preview of 2016. She will do it with a view to what you can do in your own yard and adding to the appreciation of Botanica’s gardens. 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.
Class on growing strawberries — A class on growing strawberries will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday 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.
Annie Calovich
This story was originally published March 24, 2016 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Wichita gardener’s almanac for March 26, 2016."