This week Paul sent out a very timely newsletter that included 7 things we can all do to Prepare the Garden for May. Paul is quoted after this (and I interject a few comments in italics).
"It's May, so keep your eyes open; enjoy the garden but watch out
for possible problems. Think prevention this spring; ask questions--NOW--about
the problems you had last year before they possibly return. If you're planting
something new--and you should--ask about the plant you selected and how to care
for it. Things happen fast in your garden, some good and some not so good. Stay
on top of things, enjoy the ride, and don't be scared to ask for help. Remember
NO gardening question is DUMB! (We LOVE gardening questions at Skillin's!)
#1
This week, I want you to get out the peony cages and get them in place to
prevent possible damage, as the flowers develop they will be large and heavy. A
good rain and wind could destroy all your hard work and shorten your enjoyment.
If you're purchasing your first peony plants, invest in the inexpensive wire
hoops to help hold up the flowers; it will be money well spent. When the
peonies finish flowering, move the cages to the delphiniums and when the
delphiniums are finished, use them on your fall mums or asters. (Yes, the cages can be used on multiple plants through out the season. They ARE inexpensive and we have plenty here at Skillin's!)
Always plant peonies shallow, because they will not flower if you
do not. Dig in the soil near the stem of the plant with your finger. You should
be able to feel the crown of the plant in the ground at a depth of one knuckle
of your finger--anything deeper means no flower. Next, if your flower buds form
and turn black and dry up there are two possibilities for this problem. If just
the buds dry up, you need the common ant in your garden to eat the soft waxy
film that grows on the bud to protect it against the dry wind and sun. As the
ants eat the waxy film, the bud expands and grows larger--eventually flowering.
To get ants on the flower bud, take a tablespoon of grape jelly, cover the buds
with it, and then dump the rest on the ground around the plant. The smell of
the grape jelly will draw them to your plant; they will clean the buds for you
and flowers will form. Keep all insecticides away from the plant during this
process so as not to hurt the ants. If the bud and the first leaf turn black,
you have a disease that has hit the plant. Use a good fungicide like copper or
Serenade Organic Fungicide as soon as you notice the buds forming on the plant.
#2
Sunday, I started to notices small tents of webbing in the trees, a sure sign
that the tent caterpillars are arriving now. If you are able to break the
netting with your garden hose water pressure or a long pole, the caterpillars
will have nowhere to hide during wet weather and will all die when they get wet
and cold. If that does not work, use the new natural insecticide called
Spinosad from Fertilome or Captain Jack from Bonide. It will do the trick and
will quickly kill them without hurting beneficial insects or the birds; it's
also great for all caterpillar insects--even in the vegetable garden. Again.
It's all natural and a disease of caterpillar type insects like the old B.T.
product--but much more effective, especially on the larger and more mature
caterpillars.
#3
Daylilies and hostas are beginning to grow now, and this is a great time to dig
them up and divide the large clumps into smaller clumps. If you do it now, it
will not affect the flower production of the plant for the summer months, and
the new clumps will double their size by the end of the summer. Be sure to
plant them at the same depth they were before you dug them and condition the
soil with compost or animal manure before planting them in their new home. When
you divide perennials or move plants around the garden in the spring, use a new
fertilizer called "Thrive." I have been talking about this product
with Mycorrhizae in it for the past couple of years. Your root system will
double in size in just a month, transplant shock will be little to none and the
new roots the plant develops will be incredible, helping your plants quickly
get established before the heat of summer arrives. This is new technology at
its best, and you will have more flowers on young plants when it's used at the
time of planting because of the faster growing root system. (We offer Thrive at Skillin's--great product!) The "Tones" like Plant Tone or Flower Tone by Espoma also contain some beneficial bacteria that enhances root growth.
#4
If you have ornamental grasses it is now time to cut them back to 12 inches
from the ground. By removing the old dead growth from last season now, you will
encourage the new foliage to develop faster and the new growth will look much
nicer with the old growth removed. If the clump of ornamental grass has grown
large, this is also the best time of the year to dig it up and divide it into
smaller clumps. Dig up the entire clump and get as many roots as possible,
shake off as much soil as possible so you can see the roots and then split the
clump with a garden spade or hatchet. What you want is a clump about 4 to 6
inches in diameter; the splitting is best done when the clump is laid on its
side so you can divide easily with lots of roots. Condition the soil with
compost and manure before planting and keep the new plans moist until you start
to see the new grass develop. (I agree with the compost thought but also just like in #3, this is a great opportunity to use Thrive, or one of the Tones!)
#5
Hydrangeas can be pruned at this time if the plant has begun to make new
growth. (I only prune the dead growth from the blue hydrangea). If your plant grew tall and fell over last summer, you can cut back the
individual stems back by as much as 1/3 to 1/2, as long as there are new buds
below the cut you will be making. I always leave 3 to 4 sets of buds on each
stem to insure flowers for the summer months. All dead stems should be removed
and the plant should also be fertilized with Plant-Tone fertilizer for a
wonderful 3 to 4 month slow feeding. Your blue hydrangea should also be
fertilized with Holly Tone that will improve the
color of the flowers and keep them nice and blue during the summer. For pink
hydrangeas, be sure to add limestone, wood ash or Fast-Acting Lime to keep the color
pink or the acidity in the soil will change the plant color to blue. Add 3
inches of mulch around the plant to hold moisture during summer heat.
#6
Broadleaf weeds are in their glory right now--and no matter how well-kept your
lawn the dandelions (these are the king of lawn weeds) will pop up. If you're
using a combination fertilizer and broadleaf weed killer, be sure the grass is
wet before applying it to the lawn so the product can stick to the foliage and
do a better job. Also, be sure that your lawn sprinkler is off and no rain is
predicted for at least 24 hours after you apply the product to give the week
killer time to move into the plant and destroy it. If you just planted grass
seed, this cannot be done until the fall or the weed killer will hurt the new
sprouting grass plants. Liquid broadleaf weed killers like Weed Beater Ultra
from Bonide can also be applied at this time, but be careful when applying near
ground covers. Only apply when the weather is calm and--like the powder type--
when there will be no rain for 24 plus hours. Tough weeds like violets,
creeping Charlie and ajuga will need a second application of Weed Beater Ultra
in 7 days to destroy these strong weeds completely. (I am bigger advocate of the Weed Beater Ultra than the traditional Weed and Feed products).
Check out Early May Garden Talks for even more gardening tips for this time of year!
Thanks very much Paul Parent!
Mike Skillin
Skillin's Greenhouses
May 5, 2012
No comments:
Post a Comment