Keith Farrand
Contact: info@farrandfarms.com
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Want to keep up on the latest things that are growing on at Farrand Farms? The man with the greenest thumb in Kansas City will help you with all his latest tips and share insight and info right here at Farrand's Notes. If you have some special questions or would like to suggest ideas for Keith to address just send him an email on the link under his picture.
Fall is the Best Time!
Keith
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Sunday, September 11, 2011
Turn off the computer and bring the kids outside. The fall is an awesome time to create long remembered fall experiences. It doesn't really matter what fun you'll discover or rediscover, it matters that you'll be sharing it together.
Cheerful Color. We have all been stressed by the recession and brutal weather of summer. Fresh fall color is a great remedy. Bring the kids out to Farrand Farms and let them choose their favorite color mums, asters or pansies. Don't forget, pansies are winter hardy and will return to smile again next spring!
The children can also help you choose and plant fall bulbs like tulips and daffodils. What a great surprise they will create next spring.
Improve the Lawn Now. We agree with Toby Tobin that now through mid-October is the absolute best time to start and repair your lawn.
We have all the best products to do it right: Hummert's famous RTF Plus grass seed and all of their great fertilizers that include 'Nutri-Life' root enhancers. We'll help you do it right.
Great Ideas:
1. This is a great time to plant and divide many perennials. We also recommend fertilizing right now. I believe granular fertilizers, organic or otherwise, when added now, can make next spring and summer gardens the best ever.
2. Be careful not to cut or prune back plants until after a good hard frost or freeze. They need to keep growing so they can store energy for next year's growth.
3. Water often. Plants will appreciate the help and perform better in coming seasons.
4. Don't want Japanese beetles coming inside? This is a great time to spray Spectracide Triazacide around your house. Apply the spray about 4 ft up from the ground all around the house and you won't have these unwanted guests visiting you all winter long.
5. Review. This is a great time to review this past summer's outstanding performers. Keep notes so you'll remember the good things. In general, vegetables were just average. Don't beat yourself up about the tomatoes! It wasn't you and it wasn't the tomatoes that failed. It was the extreme and prolonged heat conditions that caused them to perform poorly.
6. Outstanding performers. As far as flowering plants, these plants not only took the heat, but thrived: Sun Coleus, Pentas, Vincas (periwinkles), Celosias, Angelonias (especially 'Angel Face Blue') and Lantanas of all varieties. We were also pleased to see many varieties of Petunias prosper when they were fed and watered well.
Come on over for a visit and bring the kids. No matter what stresses we experience, gardening and the time shared together can only improve the soul. Let's create fun worth remembering!
Keith
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