Garden Questions of the Week

“I purchased some spring flowering bulbs in pots.  Can I save these for next year’s flowers?”  -You can!  You’ll find all your favorite spring bulbs in pots for you to enjoy indoors this time of the year – tulips, daffodils, and the ever fragrant hyacinths.  And you can recycle these and replant back in your garden!  Enjoy them as they flower, and when you water, use a little water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro to feed them. Once finished flowering, remove the spent flowers, and move the pot outside to allow the foliage to continue to grow.  When the foliage begins to yellow, cut it off, remove the bulbs from the pots, and plant them in the garden.  They’ll stay dormant all summer, fall and winter, and re-grow next spring.  And don’t forget, you can do the same thing (forcing spring bulbs in pots for spring colors) starting this fall!

“I hear you talking about improving clay soils by adding organic materials, but how do you do that if there are already plants growing in the beds or how about in the lawn?”  Great question!  Adding organic matter to improve soils in the open beds or garden is easier as you can top-dress with whatever you’re adding and till it in.  But in the lawn or established beds, we have to go a different route.  Here’s what I suggest.  For the established beds, take a garden auger (attaches to drill) and drill multiple holes around the existing plants into the ground about 8, 10, 12 inches deep – then backfill those holes with a fine compost or pine-fines.  We’re vertical mulching on a smaller level around our landscape plants!  These holes open up the soil for better drainage and air flow, and you’re backfilling with organic matter down into the clay soil.  Of course, mulching will also help as it breaks down and works into the top of the soil.    For the lawn, that’s where core aerating comes in.  Pulling those plugs out of the soil in the lawn helps to open up compaction, improve drainage and air flow, etc.  But if you take it the next step, and rake in a ‘fine’ compost over the top to drop down into those holes, you just added organic matter down into the clay soils.  Do that several years in a row and watch your lawn really improve.  And, of course, returning your grass blades back to the turf helps to add organic matter at the surface level, and eventually down into the top layer of soil.

“As we go thru the spring and have cold night move thru, how do we know when or what to cover?”  -Good question.  Here’s my theory – when in doubt, cover it up.  And when you do, make sure you never use plastic unless you have a frame and create a greenhouse effect above the plants (never lay plastic on plants).  Cardboard boxes, upside down empty pots, etc all work nicely.  If covering with frost covers, sheets, burlap, etc, make sure the weight of the material isn’t too heavy and cause more damages to the new growth and flowers than the cold (especially if raining or snowing), and anchor them down so the wind doesn’t blow them away.  New growth on Japanese maples and very tender hosta growth are a couple biggest concerns.  Open flowers are subject to freezing. If light frost later in the spring, many times a good hosing of the plants before the sun hits them does a nice job (light frost). 

“My mother used to have a perennial that flowered in the late winter and early spring, and the name had something to do with Easter.  Can you tell me what she had?”  -It sounds like your mother had ‘Lenten Rose’.  A great evergreen perennial, it loves the shade and is very easy to grow.  And yes, late winter / early spring, it produces drooping bell like flowers, which are now available in about 6 or 7 different colors.  By the way, Lenten Rose is very much deer resistant!

“How do I know when the soil temps are right for crabgrass to start growing?”  -It’s simple – buy a soil thermometer.  That way you always know the soil temps for crabgrass germination, when to plant early crops, summer crops, even when to stop planting and time for winter mulching.  For about $10, it’s worth the money.  As for crabgrass germinating, it needs air and soil temps to be 55 degrees consistently to start.  And if you don’t have a soil thermometer, watch the forsythia.  When they bloom, the temperatures are right – and I’d say the time is right!

Garden Questions of the Week

‘Is it okay to prune my lilacs now?”   -Well, you can, yes.  But you will be removing the flower buds for this spring.  If you want to enjoy the flowers, let them bloom, and then prune right after the flowers are finished.  Lilacs are one group of spring bloomer that need to be pruned within a few weeks after flowering, or you can be removing some of next years flower buds!

“Can I be re-mulching beds right now?”  – Now is a great time to be cleaning out those beds, raking and removing left-over dead foliage.  And with the raking, you’ll typically fluff up you mulch, and be amazed at how fresh it looks after fluffing!  Don’t be in any hurry to re-mulch your beds.  Let the temperatures warm up, let the soils dry a bit and warm up, and then worry about re-mulching later, if needed.  It’s amazing how fluffing the mulch does give it a new look, as well as showing you that you may not need to re-mulch as much as thought you were going to have to do!  Now, you can re-mulch now if you want.  You’ll see many landscape companies re-mulching now.  But if can fluff and wait until later, that’s even better.     How deep should mulch be?  1-3 inches – and as far as I’m concerned, in many areas, the less the better.  Do remember to keep all mulch away from the trunks of trees (avoid the volcano mulch look!).  Mulch piled up on the sides of trees will cause decay and eventual tree problems down the road.  Technically, mulch around trees should look like a donut.  Mulch as usual up to within a couple inches of the tree trunk, and then taper it back down to the soil level next to the trunk, but never touching the trunk.  If you have trees that are mulched like that, re-do it this spring, the ‘donut way’.  And if you landscape company insists on piling mulch against the sides of the trunks of your trees, ask them to change it. Your trees will be glad you did!  Ps…Don’t forget to apply pre emergent herbicides either below or on top of the mulch to help stop weed seeds from growing.

“I want to take care of our lawn without using synthetic fertilizers or weed killers.  What do you suggest we use?”  -Going natural for lawn care products is becoming more and more popular, and you’ll find several natural products available!  To stop crabgrass and other weed seeds from growing, as well as giving the lawn a nice shot of nitrogen, look at Espoma’s Weed Preventer plus Lawn Food.  It’s made from Corn Gluten meal and provides pre emergent coverage as well as a 7-10% nitrogen feeding – naturally.  Now, this pre emergent only lasts about 45 days so reapply as needed.    Don’t need a pre emergent and just want to feed the lawn?  There are plenty of natural fertilizers, including Espoma’s Lawn Food, made from Feather Meal, poultry manure and beneficial microbes, and an oldie but goodie, Milorganite, made from sewage sludge, but processed so that it’s safe for the lawn and for the vegetable garden!   Milorganite also gives the lawn a nice shot of iron to help keep those grass blades good and green.   And there is even an all natural ‘selective’ weed killer for the lawn – its Ortho’s Eco Sense Lawn weed killer.  Spot treat weeds in the lawn and kill them with all natural ingredients!  Combine these natural products with good lawn care cultural practices, and you can have a nice looking lawn, naturally.  NOTE:  By the way, Milorganite can be used to feed the lawn, the garden, trees and shrubs, etc, and we have found that it also has pretty good repelling action helping to keep deer away, as well as helping to keep raccoons and skunks from digging in the lawn.  Naturally feed and repel critters at the same time!

“I have mostly clay and very little soil.  I read in the paper last week that I should add gypsum, washed river sand, and organic matter to the garden and mix it all up well.  What do you recommend?”   -Without getting into scientific details about soils, soil structures, and the many benefits of clay soils, let me just say this.  If you use the wrong type of sand and the wrong ratio, you will create concrete.  And as for the gypsum, let’s just say don’t use it unless a soil test suggests that you do.  Not that it would harm adding it, but just don’t at this stage.  The best way to improve the clay soils in our area is to continue to add organic matter – tilling it in, mixing it with the soil when we pocket plant, and as a top dressing to break down and slowly work into the soil.  Over time, and yes it takes time and does not happen over night, adding organic matter will begin to increase microbial activity, earthworm activity, drainage, and over all soil structure and tilth.  Organic matter is your best friend when it comes to improving clay soils.

Garden Questions of the Week

“Is there anything we can apply to our perennial beds that will kill grass and weeds without harming the good plants?”   -Yes!  Don’t forget the pre emergent herbicides to help stop the seeds from growing.  Preen and Organic Preen (Corn Gluten Meal) work nicely (read the labels for any restrictions).  For those grasses and weeds that are growing, spot treat with Roundup, Kleenup or Espoma’s 4n1 Weed killer (all natural) without spraying the desirable plant’s foliage.  And for the weedy grasses only, try Fertilome’s ‘Over the Top’ or Bonide’s ‘Grass Beater’ which can be sprayed over the top of many desirable plants without harming them (again read the label before using).

“St. Patty’s day is this week.  Isn’t that a signal for planting potatoes?”   Can be!  The timing is usually right around St. Patty’s Day – the soil needs to be around 45 degrees or higher and not soggy wet.  If that’s what we have by then, go for it.  If not, wait until the conditions are right.  By the way, there are other ways to grow potatoes besides in the ground – on top of the ground mounded in straw and compost, in chicken wire cages, stacked tires, raised beds, large pots, laundry baskets (drain holes in bottom), and even the Potato Bags that have Velcro pockets on the sides so you can reach inside, grab a ‘tater’ and close it back up!   St. Patty’s day usually signals time for planting peas, onions, and other cold crops (weather / soil condition pending).

“When can I mow my grass for the first time?”  -I say as soon as the weather is in the 50’s and you can walk on the lawn without leaving any tracks!  It’s amazing what the first mowing will do to help the lawn get off to a good start – cleans off the dead blades, picks up debris laying on the soil surface, and pulls the grass blades ‘up’.  All this makes the lawn look better, and opens up the soil for quicker warming and quicker green-up.  Just amazes me how lawns respond to the first season mowing!

“Just in case, how would I know the difference between a termite and an ant?”   -Good question!  Termites have straight antennae, two pairs of wings about the same size and shape, broad waist (like mine is!), and short legs.  Ants have elbowed antennae, two pairs of wings with the rear wings smaller than the front wings, a narrow waist (not at all like mine!), and longer legs.  If you discover termites, don’t try to control them yourself, call in the professionals.

“Every year my Columbine get leaf miners.  What can I do to get rid of it?”   -This is a very common problem with Columbine and really is more aesthetic than a problem to the plant.  You can try a systemic like Bonide’s or Bayer’s Tree and Shrub Insect Control (apply early spring), but many folks will simply cut off the infested foliage after the plants are finished flowering, and let them re-grow the rest of the season.

“When should I prune back my roses?”   -Although I see many gardeners out already cutting back roses, my experiences along with the advice from the rose doctor himself, Dr. Pottschmidt, have been to wait until late March to early to mid April.  Sure they may have already started to leaf out, but just wait.  Pruning encourages new growth, and pruning a bit later, gets you closer to warmer weather and less chance of freeze damages to that new foliage.

“Some of my over-wintering container plants in the garage are starting to bud.  What should I do?”   -Move them outside at this stage to let them come back to life just as the ones outside are doing.  Garages will be getting too warm as we go along for plants to stay dormant and will pop out early.  If the weather makes a sudden change to really cold, you may have to move them back in overnight or as needed.  But get them outside to come along as the weather dictates.