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In this issue for May 2008:
All New Episode of The Wisconsin Gardener! The newest episode of The Wisconsin Gardener, “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly,” airs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 15. Producer and Host Shelley Ryan travels to several Wisconsin locations to examine interesting new plants, as well as some risks to plant life. At Bailey's Harbor, Caleb Whitney of Greenside Up introduces Shelley to Tillandsias, better known as Air Plants. In visiting the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum, Shelley investigates the problem of emerald ash borers -- a risk to Ash trees throughout Wisconsin. Shelley also travels to Troy Gardens and receives helpful plant suggestions for this season. At the Military Ridge Bike Trail, Shelley explores the dangers of poison ivy with Judy Reith-Rozelle, the assistant superintendent at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station. An encore of this new episode airs at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 17.
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Spring Lawn Care The first step in spring lawn care is helping your lawn recover from winter. This involves debris removal, rolling, reseeding or sodding. Debris such as tree leaves, sticks and dead grass can be removed by raking. To reseed bare areas damaged by winter, mix the soil and seeds together in a pail, then spread the mixture on the area and lightly step on it.
Before beginning to mow again, be sure to prepare your mower by sharpening the blades and servicing the engine. It is best to start mowing your lawn when it reaches three inches. Leaving the clippings in the grass can be beneficial, as it recycles nutrients back into the lawn. Weeds are a sign that something is wrong with your lawn. Shade, poor drainage, not enough fertilizer and compacted soil can all lead to weed growth. Attempt to fix the main problem before turning to chemical weed killers. Spend time learning how to properly care for your lawn to avoid future problems.
For more information and to read the entire article, visit UW-Extension
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Hanging Baskets Hanging baskets are popular as an accent to patios and entrance ways. However, they do require some special care. Hanging baskets can dry out much more quickly than ground plants, so be sure to water them often. Frequent watering can wash out nutrients, so it will be necessary to fertilize the plant. Use a complete fertilizer such as Miracle Gro, Rapid Gro or Peters, and fertilize every two or three weeks.
Pick off old flowers as often as possible. This encourages the plant to produce new flowers instead of setting seed. Watch for insect pests and deal with them before they become a problem. Hanging plants require extra attention but with proper care they will flourish all summer long.
For more information and to read the entire article, visit UW-Extension
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Program Highlights 8 p.m. Thursdays This Old House The crew regularly takes on landscaping projects as they work on old house projects.
10 a.m. Saturdays Garden Smart This series, hosted by Joe Lamp'l and Eric Johnson, presents topics that are varied, timely and cutting edge.
10:30 a.m. Saturdays P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home Smith is an award-winning garden designer who has emerged as America's most recognized garden design expert.
4 p.m. Sundays The Victory Garden From creating a healthy garden bed to protecting plants from disease, you'll get tips from the pros on this series.
Madison Area Viewers on WHA-TV --
7 p.m. Thursday, May 29 WPT Auction Home and Garden Night Spruce up your home, yard and garden. Bid on furniture, plants, tools and equipment. To place your bids, call 263-4040 or (800) 236-3636
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
We hope you enjoy receiving landscaping and gardening tips, broadcast information and other news in this format. You receive this e-newsletter because you signed up for it either through the Wisconsin Gardener Web site, the Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) Web site, in response to a mailing or at the annual Garden Expo. It is a cost-effective way for WPT to communicate with you. Please forward this e-newsletter to your friends who would enjoy receiving it. Your e-mail address only will be used for communications from WPT. Note that if the format of this e-newsletter is not to your liking, you can copy the text into a word processing file and alter it in any suitable way.
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