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Gardening Questions
How do I harden off my transplants?
How can I get a head start on squash, cucumbers and melons?
Why are my tomatoes rotting on the ends? (Also occurs on cucumbers, melons, squash.)
How can I prevent cutworms from destroying my young transplants?
Can you give me some tips on planting bedding plants?
When will the danger of frost be over?
Weed Control Questions
What are some ways to get best control with an herbicide?
What are the official noxious weeds in Nebraska?
GARDENING QUESTIONS
How can I harden my transplants?
Bedding plants that have been sheltered in a greenhouse will need to be hardened over a period of 10 to 14 days prior to placement in the garden.
Do this by exposing them gradually to outdoor temperatures in the 50 to 60 degree range, along with sunshine, and wind. Even after the hardening period, delay planting if the short-range forecast is unfavorable.
After planting, be prepared to provide protection for sensitive plants when overnight temperatures are expected to fall below 40, or when other adverse conditions are expected; such as strong winds, driving rains or hail.
How can I get a head start on squash, cucumbers and melons?
Around the first of May, start cucurbits from seed in peat pots, or even in an egg carton; something that will allow roots to grow through. The plants should be ready to set out in the garden in three weeks when the weather is warm. If cold overnight temperatures are forecast after that, cover the plants.
Plant the peat pot or egg carton section in the ground along with the plants, but remove any of the peat pot showing above the soil surface, so it does not wick moisture away from the plant’s roots. This is a better method than starting these plants in plastic pots, because squash, cucumbers and melons generally do not tolerate having their roots disturbed in the process of transplanting.
Why are my tomatoes rotting on the ends? (Also occurs on cucumbers, melons, squash.)
The condition is called blossom end rot and it is due to a deficiency of calcium in the fruit.
Adding calcium to the soil will probably not help because our soils typically contain very high levels of calcium. In fact, the condition can occur when there is plenty of calcium in the plant, just not in the fruits because the calcium does not always move into the fruits efficiency.
The condition is most likely to occur during periods of rapid growth and high temperatures.
Reduce the likelihood of blossom end rot occuring in your garden by watering regularly and deeply, but not keeping the soil too wet. Avoid over-use of nitrogen fertilizers and avoid ammoniacal forms of nitrogen.
Affected fruits may be eaten without harm after the rotten areas are removed.
How can I prevent cutworms from destroying my young transplants?
Cutworms are the larvae of a several different kinds of moths. They live in the soil, coming up at night to wrap themselves around young plants and chew them off at, or near the ground level.
Food cans (with both ends taken out), pencils, sticks, nails and drinking straws are all used by gardeners to make it hard for cutworms to do their dirty work. Whichever device you use, place it so that it extends from a couple of inches into the soil to a couple of inches above the soil.
A food can keeps the larvae away from the stem, as long as there are not cutworms trapped in the soil on the inside of the can. The can is best put into place at the time of transplanting, after running the soil through your fingers to make sure there are not cutworms present at that time.
The other devices are used to prevent the worms from wrapping around the young, tender plant stem to commence chewing. Whether you use a pencil, nail, stick or drinking straw, make sure the device is placed so it is in contact with the stem of the plant, so there is not a space for cutworm larvae to take advantage of.
By the way, pencils, sticks, etc., can also be used to protect newly emerged, seeded plants, such as green beans and cucumbers, from cutworms. Be careful to avoid damaging the seedlings while sticking the devices into the soil next to the tender stems
Can you give me some tips on planting bedding plants?
Try to plant at a time that the weather is mild. If it is a very warm, sunny day, consider planting in the evening, or at least shade the newly planted flowers or vegetables with a board, shingle, etc.
Avoid planting when thunderstorms are predicted or when frost is likely in the first few days following planting.
After planting be prepared to cover your plants in case of impending thunderstorms or predicted frost. Plastic buckets or gallon sized cans can work very well for this. It’s a good idea to place a brick or rock on top of each one or do something else to secure it in case of strong winds.
Unless your soil has plenty of fertility, it may be helpful to distribute a garden fertilizer over the soil, then loosen and turn the soil with a spade. There are other ways to fertilize, such as using the water soluble products according to directions. Consult your extension office for information about fertilizing your plants.
Plant at the same depth as in the container, or with soil just barely covering the top of the root mass.
A notable exception is to plant tomatoes deeper than they were in the container. You may have noticed all the little bumps along the stems of tomato plants. That is where roots will grow when that portion of the stem is covered with soil. Covering part of the tomato stem with soil will encourage the plant to develop a larger, stronger root system.
If necessary, create a small berm of soil around your plantings to hold the water. Water well after planting and often enough to keep the soil from drying out as the plants become established. Don't keep your plants muddy, though.
You may also want to cover the soil with a shallow layer of straw or dried grass clippings as a mulch to prevent soil from splashing onto the plant when it rains. Do not place the mulch against the stems of the plants. Add more mulch as the soil warms through the season, to prevent rapid evaporation and suppress weed growth.
If cutworms are present in your soil they can destroy your work by chewing off the stems of tender plants. Cutworms live below the soil surface during the day, and come up at night to do their nasty work.
You can prevent cutworm damage by placing a cardboard tube or metal can with both ends removed, around each plant, with the bottom pushed an inch into the soil. A bright shiny can may reflect too much heat onto the plant on sunny days, though. So a rusty can is probably better. Another trick is to place a little stick or large nail against the plant and pushed into the soil. This makes it more difficult for cutworms to wrap around the plant and chew it off.
When will the danger of frost be over?
Nobody really knows, but a range is available, from the High Plains Climate Center, for the North Platte – Broken Bow – Valentine – Ogallala area. On average, the last date for a temperature of 32 degrees is May 5 to May 15. However, in the last 15 years some localities in this region experienced freezing temperatures as late as May 31.
Remember, too, that local conditions can result in variations of several degrees. For example, low lying areas may have frosts later in the spring than nearby areas that are more elevated.
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WEED CONTROL QUESTIONS
What are some ways to get best control with an herbicide?
The first point of advice in the use of any pesticide, including herbicide, is to read and follow the labeling carefully. In addition to that, here are some practical pointers:
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Make sure the intended site and the intended weed are listed on the label. Use pesticides only for the intended purposes. If the weed is not listed on the label, there is no assurance that the weed will be controlled by the product.
- Spray only weeds that are actively growing. If the area is under drought stress, water it well and wait a few days before attempting control with an herbicide. Otherwise the weed is not likely to absorb enough herbicide for control.
- Herbicides, in general, are more likely to work well if applied in sunny weather, but not when it is too hot. Refer to the label with temperature and other guidelines.
- If you are spraying tough weeds in a lawn it may help to allow the lawn to go a little longer between mowings in order for the weeds to have more surface area to cover with the spray. Then wait a few days before mowing again, to allow the herbicide to be absorbed and more into the roots, if it is a systemic herbicide. You may need to gradually reduce the height of the grass over a week or two when you resume mowing, to avoid putting stress on the lawn.
- Best herbicidal control of dandelions, bindweed and other tough perennial weeds, is normally obtained by spraying from the middle of September to the middle of October. This is the time of year the weeds are moving sugars and starches into the roots for winter storage, so translocation of the herbicide will be best at this time of year.
What are the official noxious weeds in Nebraska?
The newest Nebraska noxious weeds are salt cedar (Tamarix) and purple loosestrife. They have become very serious water and real estate thieves along some of our rivers and reservoirs. The other state noxious weeds are Canada thistle, musk thistle, plumless thistle, leafy spurge, diffuse knapweed and spotted knapweed.
Landowners and managers are required by law to control noxious weeds on their property. For help contact your county weed control authority.
Probably the worst on the "watch" list in our area is Phragmites, water and real estate thief that has invaded much of the Platte River.
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