Spring is almost here!!!!!!
What a wonderful feeling to be able to spend more time outside enjoying
what Mother Nature is unfolding before our eyes. The lengthening of days is a
welcome site and the warming sun on our faces is also a very great feeling.
Mowing
time is around the corner. Thin spots
and bare patches in the lawn can be over seeded now if you don’t intend to use a crabgrass pre- venter on your lawn.
Last summer’s heat and drought may make this a necessity this spring, if you
missed the opportunity last fall.
If you don’t
over seed, now is the time to apply Fertilome Crabgrass + Lawn Food. We have
long summer seasons here and recommend that you make two applications of this
product (4-6 weeks apart) to keep your yards crabgrass free this summer.
Begin spring cleanup of perennial beds now. Cut perennials
to 3” above the ground. Remove damaged foliage and old flower stalks.
Ornamental grasses and hardy hibiscus can be pruned back to 6” above the ground
as well.
Once flower beds have been cleaned up, re-mulching can be
done. Be sure not to mulch on the crowns of plants. Dry feed beds with a
granular fertilizer, such as Osmocote, and apply a pre-emergent if you do not
plan to plant any flower seeds. Pre-emergent products will put down a barrier over
your flower beds that keep weed seeds from germinating, making weeding an easier
job this summer. Divide summer and fall blooming perennials now, along with
ornamental grasses if you so desire.
Plant/sow peas, lettuce, radish, kohlrabi, collards,
turnips, potatoes, spinach, onion sets, beets, carrots, and parsley outside
this month. Set out broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage,
cauliflower and pansy transplants now. This month is also great for setting out
strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes and fruit trees.
Start seeds indoors this month for tomatoes, peppers and
eggplants. And houseplants can still be repotted. Continue to check houseplants
for over wintering insect populations.
Nesting boxes for bluebirds can be set up as well as Purple
Martin houses. Bluebird boxes are best at about 5’ off the ground on a fence
post in the open with the entry hole facing away from prevailing winds. Purple
Martins return to our zone 6 region between St. Patrick’s Day and the end of
the month. So, now is the time to clean out those houses and be prepared.
It is time to go, so we will “See you in the garden!!”
Sandi Hillermann McDonald
