Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Breaking Ground
SEPTEMBER
I think August was one for the weather record book. I thought we were living in the rainforest for a while, and then we had mild temperatures and low humidity — too bad that isn’t a typical August in Arkansas.
For some of our plants, the huge amounts of rain had them growing like crazy, but the heat lovers look a bit worse for wear. Take inventory of your garden, and if the annuals aren’t looking good, begin to replace them. If your summer color is still thriving, fertilize now to keep the plants blooming.
Petunias and calibrachoa are beginning to show up in nurseries and garden centers. These plants will perform well until a killing frost and can overwinter in a mild season.
We also see fall and winter bedding plants making their appearance. Dianthus, Swiss chard, flowering and edible kale and cabbage can be planted now and should survive all winter.
Hold off planting pansies until late September or early October. If pansies are exposed to high temperatures (which can occur in September) they grow leggy and don’t perform well. Violas are more forgiving.
You can start adding some chrysanthemums for fall color, and it won’t be long before we see pumpkins and gourds. Fall is on the horizon.
Some gardeners had a great growing season while others had an abysmal one. If your vegetables are still producing, keep harvesting and gradually begin to fill in the blanks with fall vegetables. We should see vegetable transplants arriving at local outlets soon. You can seed carrots, lettuce, spinach, kale and other
greens now.
If you can find new tomato plants, they also can continue to bear until a killing frost.
If your plants have been destroyed by the rain/diseases/insects, start cleanup. We are gradually changing how we garden in Arkansas. Instead of stopping for winter, with even moderate protection we can have fresh vegetables all winter long, so start planting.
Two things the rain really helped were weeds and grass. In the lawn, it is too late to use herbicides, but mowing can help prevent seed set. In flower beds and vegetable gardens, attack weeds with a good sharp hoe. If allowed to grow unchecked, the seeds they leave behind will cause problems for years to come.
Armyworm damage has been intense in many Bermuda grass lawns in central Arkansas. If your lawn turned brown from armyworms feeding, once you control the insects you can lightly apply one more application of fertilizer by mid-September to help the lawn become green again. Rarely will armyworms kill an established lawn, but they can come back to champ it again. A second generation is not out of the question, so pay attention. Moths prefer to lay their eggs in a lush green lawn, and the caterpillars do a lot of damage in a short period of time. Monitor and treat if needed.
Tropical plants may need a bit of fertilizer to keep blooming until frost. The rains reduced our watering duties, but they also leached nutrition from containers. Fertilization will help plants bloom.
We are beginning to see signs of fall at many garden centers. Pumpkins and gourds are popping up and fall bulbs are beginning to make an appearance. You could buy your bulbs now, but hold off planting until October. Large, firm bulbs will give you the best display next spring. If you have room in your refrigerator, you can pre-chill the bulbs before planting, but that isn’t a requirement.
LUFFA GOURD
Luffa gourds are also referred to as the dishcloth or sponge gourd, since they are typically grown to produce homemade “sponges.”
As with most gourds, the plants are quite vigorous and the vines can spread 20 feet or more. While they can be grown on the ground, to conserve space and encourage straight fruits, grow them on a sturdy trellis or fence.
Most gardeners grow luffa gourds for the fibrous insides that can be used as a sponge. But the young fruits that are 6 inches or less long can be cooked and eaten as squash or substituted for cucumber in salads. They are sometimes sold as Chinese okra.
Luffa gourds are a member of the Cucurbita genus along with cucumbers, squash, watermelons and cantaloupes.
Like all members of that group they have separate male and female flowers on the same plant. Pollinators are needed to transfer pollen from the male blooms to the female blooms.
Like most gourds, they have large leaves and vigorous vines. The plants like warm soil, so don’t plant gourds before May. They get established rather quickly when the temperatures are warm. They can be used as an annual screen, with large leaves and showy yellow blooms. The developing fruits look a bit like large zucchini or cucumbers, and eventually they reach a length of 2 feet. They remain green until they’re thoroughly ripe.
When the gourds are ripe, their skins will dry and the stems will turn yellow. Allow luffas to mature on the vines if you can. Full- size fruits that are still green produce soft, fine-textured sponges that don’t last as long as the dried ones. Prior to a killing frost, harvest all sizes and see what you get.
Once you harvest the ripe gourds, you need to dry them before peeling off the outer skin to reach the sponge. Mature, dry fruit will peel somewhat easily, while green fruit can be a bit more of a challenge.
Once the luffas dry, cut open the larger end of the gourd and shake out the seeds. You can save those seeds to replant next summer, but let them air dry for a few days before storing.
Some gardeners just peel the dried skin, but others soak the gourds in warm water for a few hours or overnight and then peel.
Once you get the sponges loose, let them air dry in the sun so they turn white. Then use them as you would a sponge in your bath or kitchen. They also make great gifts (along with a few seeds so the recipients could plant their own next year).