Garden Solutions - March 2017

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. We “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 12 this year. That in itself is exciting.

Once flowerbeds have been cleaned up, re-mulching can be done. Top dress or 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. 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. Purple Martins return to our zone 6 region between St. Pat’s Day and the end of the month. So, now is the time to clean out those houses and be prepared.      

And I mentioned last year there was a big push for saving Monarch butterflies and other pollinating insects. Well these endeavors will be even more prevalent this year as education for this important movement continues.

Lucky for monarchs, there are ways you can help. Gardening for wildlife is a great way to help provide food, water, shelter and place to raise young for all types of wildlife.

For monarchs, you can plant native flowering plants, especially milkweed, to help feed the larvae of these beautiful butterflies! This year also get involved in the www.millionpollinatorgardenchallenge.org. This is a national push for pollinator gardening involvement. Beekeeping is another way to bring pollination home. 

The City of Washington, Washington in Bloom, FC Master Gardeners and the Washington Garden Club will be pushing efforts to not only make awareness for Monarchs BUT ALL pollinators in this year’s programs. Stay tuned to see what they have in store! 

 

Garden Solutions - March 2014

            WOW what a winter we have had. But 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 warm sun on our faces is also a very great feeling. We “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 9^TH this year. That in itself is exciting.

            I want to warn you to be on the lookout for winter plant damage this year. We haven’t had this cold of a winter for a couple of decades. Damage may occur on new plantings AS WELL AS older, established plantings, trees, shrubs and perennials. Deep root feeding on your precious landscapes would be an inexpensive insurance to give them the best start of the season that you can. Deep root feeding can be done through this entire month.

            The grass will be greening up and mowing time is just around the corner. Mow lawns now to remove old growth and the last of winter’s leaves before new growth begins. Thin spots and bare patches in the lawn can be over seeded now if you don’t intend to use a crabgrass preventer on your lawn.

            If you don’t over seed your lawn, now is the time to apply Fertilome Crabgrass Plus Lawn Food. We have long summer seasons here, and actually 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 this month. 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 now.

            Once flowerbeds have been cleaned up, re-mulching can be done. Be sure not to mulch on the crowns of plants. Top dress or 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. 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.  Purple Martins return to our zone 6 region between St. Pat’s Day and the end of the month.  So, now is the time to clean out those houses and be prepared.

            Spring will be a very welcome season this year!  Make the best of your season and enjoy the new growth of nature and the singing of the birds!  It is time to go, so we will “See you in the garden!!”

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

 

 

Garden Solutions - March 2013

            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 warm sun on our faces is also a very great feeling. We “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, March 10 this year. That in itself is exciting.

            The grass will be greening up and mowing time is just around the corner. Mow lawns now to remove old growth and the last of winter’s leaves before new growth begins. Thin spots and bare patches in the lawn can be over seeded now if you don’t intend to use a crabgrass preventer 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 your lawn, now is the time to apply Fertilome Crabgrass Plus Lawn Food. We have long summer seasons here, and actually 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 this month. 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 now.

            Once flowerbeds have been cleaned up, re-mulching can be done.  Be sure not to mulch on the crowns of plants.  Top dress or 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.  Purple Martins return to our zone 6 region between St. Pat’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

 

 

 

Garden Solutions - March 2012

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 warm sun on our faces feels great. We “spring forward” with Daylight Savings Time on Sun., March 11 this year. That in itself is exciting.

March welcomes ‘Spring’, and it will be met with open arms!! This is the month to open up the gardens and get things in shape for the new growing season, which means there is plenty that can be done. To name a few; mowing time is upon us; have you sharpened those mower blades? To keep that lawn looking fantastic, it is time to add Fertilizer with Crabgrass Prevention. Make sure to follow directions and do not try to skimp on the amount of product used, so you get great coverage from the Crabgrass Prevention. If you feel you need to over-seed the lawn, check with the professionals on proper steps for spring treatments. Most crabgrass preventers will also prevent new grass seed from germinating.

Clean up those perennial beds and cut down all Liriope and Ornamental Grasses to about 3-5” above the ground. Once this has been done, it is time to re-mulch your shrub and flower beds. Top-dress these areas with a slow release fertilizer as well, such as Osmocote. Do not put mulch or fertilizer too close to the crowns of plants. You could cause either rot or burning of the plant crown.

Nesting boxes for Bluebirds and Purple Martin houses should be put out early this month. Purple Martins return to our area between St. Patrick’s Day and the end of the month. So now is the time to be prepared. Are you considering doing some vegetable gardening this year? Well there is no better time than now to start those preparations. You can start seed in the house for plants such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Plant or sow seed for peas, lettuce, radish, kohlrabi, collards, turnips, potatoes, spinach, onion sets, beets, carrots, and parsley outside this month. Set out broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and pansy transplants now. This month is also good to set out strawberries, blueberries, blackberries grapes and other fruiting plants. It is likely we will see an influx of home gardening this year because its popularity is growing. It can be done in containers on the patio, as square foot gardens, or large plot gardening. There is nothing better than a home grown tomato!! Check out our website for instructions on these items, www.hillermann.com.

Here is a fun project for the family to try --‘Taters in a Basket’. Have you ever tried growing potatoes in tough clay soil? The results are usually less than bad. However, here is the perfect solution for growing great potatoes. Grow them in a pot. Now, whether you’ve got clay soil, live in an apartment, or don’t have a garden at all, you can grow potatoes the ole’ yard boy way. And that’s in a container.

Here is what you will need:
1. The container, I like to use bushel baskets. They breathe well, allow for good drainage and look great! However, any container, plastic, wood or clay will work as long as it has good drainage and is at least 14-18 inches wide and at least 10-12 inches deep.
2. Soil-less potting mix works best. Use the good stuff for better results. If you have a compost pile, good compost will work too. Finely shredded is best. People have even used straw and ground leaves.
3. An all purpose garden food such as Osmocote is great.
4. Seed potatoes - these aren’t the ones you buy from the grocery store. They can be found at the garden center and are used specifically for growing potatoes. Do not use potatoes from the produce department at the grocery store; they have been treated with a growth inhibitor to keep them from sprouting.

Fill the bottom of your pot with 2-3 inches of soil-less mix or compost. Take a large seed potato, or a couple medium sized, cut up into pieces that contain the eyes, and evenly distribute those on top of the soil-less mix. You can plant 6-8-10 pieces with eyes per basket. If you’re not sure about the ‘eyes’, you can plant whole potatoes, or cut them in half and plant the halves. Cover with another 3-4 inches of soil-less mix, add the fertilizer and water in thoroughly, and place in the sun. Water as needed, thoroughly moistening the soil, then letting it dry before watering again. Once your potatoes start to grow, water regularly, being careful not to over water, which can cause the tubers to rot.

When your potatoes are growing, you have a couple options: 1) As the potatoes grow, keep adding soil-less mix or compost to the container, keeping about 4 inches of foliage showing. Continue this process until the container is filled to within 1 inch of the top of the basket. 2) Let the foliage grow until it’s approximately 3-4 inches above the basket, and then fill in around the foliage with your soil-less mix or compost unit the basket is full. Now you’re set for growing potatoes! Let your potatoes grow all summer. Don’t forget to keep them fed too. Come late summer or fall when the foliage starts to yellow, cut the foliage off, dump out your soil, and you’ll have a basket full of taters! It is that easy. Good Luck!!

Now it is time to go, so we will “See you in the garden!”
Sandi Hillermann McDonald

Garden Solutions - April 2010

BREATHE! It is something we all have been doing since the doctor gave us that first slap on the behind the day we were born. It is something we do 24 hours a day every day of our lives, even while we sleep. We don’t even have to think about it. Maybe that is part of our problem. The first thing I do each morning after I shut off the alarm clock is to take 5 long, slow, deep breaths and think about each one. It really refreshes the mind and senses. As the day progresses and things happen that begin to build the stress level, I repeat my morning ritual, and the problems almost solve themselves. What does this have to do with your landscape? What better place to think about and practice breathing then out in your garden. Notice the clean fresh air following a spring thunderstorm, or the fragrance of all the flowers in your landscape. Enjoy relaxing deep breaths after you have finished mowing your lawn. The next time you feel the stress starting to build; somebody just cut you off on your drive to work; the kids are yelling and arguing; the weeds seem to be the only thing growing in your landscape; just breathe. Try it! I’ll bet that it will make you feel better and you will continue it as a habit!

Now pay attention to the birds singing early in the mornings and their increased activity, which leads way to courting, nesting, and soon to be, new fledglings. Therefore, I encourage you to continue feeding our feathered friends during this important time and enjoy the antics that lie ahead. I would also like to remind you that these little birds do eat many insects, which is a great benefit for your yard and garden. You should already have your purple martin houses up and filled, and now it is time to hang up the hummingbird feeders. You can make your own nectar using four parts water to 1 part sugar (1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup water). You can start with slightly more sugar in the mix to attract the hummingbirds, and then go back to the 4 to 1 mixture once the hummingbirds are frequenting your feeders. Boil together the mixture to dissolve the sugar, fill your feeders and enjoy. Change out the liquid frequently as hummingbirds are very fragile and our summer heat can quickly ferment the sugar mixture. Clean the feeder in between each filling.

The lengthening of daylight also seems to brighten peoples’ spirits and relieve some stress as we can now move outdoors and enjoy what Mother Nature has to offer. So, I invite you to go outside and “dig in.” Here are tips to help you get started:

· Remove winter mulch from your rose bushes. Trim out dead and diseased canes. Cut all other green wood to about 18” above the ground on Floribunda and tea rose varieties. A 24-30” height is good on shrub roses (such as the Knock Out rose bush).

· Fertilize your roses with a slow release fertilizer and begin fungicide treatments to control black spot disease.

· When Crabapples are in bloom, hardy annuals can be planted.

· Transplant trees, shrubs, and perennials early in the month for best results. This includes moving plants you already have established in your yard that need to be moved to a new location.

· Spots and bare patches in the lawn can still be over seeded if you did not apply a Crabgrass Preventer. During spring there are more issues to be aware of when seeding a lawn rather than in the fall. Talk to a professional about seed choices and proper procedures.

· Easter lilies can be planted after they finish blooming. Set the bulbs 2-3” deeper then they are in the pot. They are generally hardy here and can take full sun.

· Liquid weed control should be applied early this month to control dandelions, henbit, and other broadleaf weeds. New grass in recently seeded areas MUST have grown enough to be mowed three times before it is strong enough to be treated with weed chemicals.

· Prune spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming.

· Asparagus and rhubarb harvests begin. Keep your hoe sharp!

· Start cucumber, squash, cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month for late May/early June planting outside.

· Shrubs such as Crepe Myrtle, Butterfly Bush, and Hardy Hibiscus can be pruned back to green wood this month. REMINDER - these plants leaf out very late (early May) and should not be considered dead, or be replaced until after Mother’s Day.

· Termites begin swarming. Termites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae. Ants have slender waists and elbowed antennae.

· Apply Bayer Advance Insect Control this month to control borers in shade trees and shrubs.

· Remove old tree wraps from trees planted last fall so they do not create a place for insects to harbor.

· Mole young are born in chambers deep underground.

· Protect bees and other pollinating insects. Do not spray insecticides on fruit trees that are in bloom. Bees are in danger and it is very important to be careful around them. In fact, check out nature friendly products readily available in garden centers when needing to do insect treatments.

· Ornamental Pear trees need to be sprayed with Streptemycin “during” the flowering stage to prevent “Fire Blight” disease.

· Water gardens may be cleaned out and the water changed. Do not scrub the walls since this will remove accumulated beneficial bacteria. Begin adding additional bacteria and barley bales now to begin the natural cycle of pond clean-up. Have questions, call a professional for assistance.

· The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. Transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes can also begin to be planted outdoors now.

· Container gardening is a good choice for flower and vegetable gardening if space is in short supply. It can be done by anyone, anywhere, check it out!!

· “Natural Gardening” is a wave of the future… keep your family safe and check out what organic options are available to you when gardening this year. There are many.

Well, time is running short with much to do…see you in the garden

Sandi Hillermann McDonald

April Tips for the Garden 2009

Even though we had a fairly mild winter (cold but mild), springtime is still a very welcome experience. The birds singing early in the mornings and their increased activity lead way to courting, nesting and soon to be, new fledglings. I strongly encourage you to continue feeding our feathered friends during this important time and enjoy the antics that are ahead. We have just come out of a very tough time for winter birds, as the seed crops from fall and winter are long gone and the birds have to wait for new plants to emerge for food sources. So please continue caring for them.

Vegetable gardening is making a comeback, but this new fascination is not the Victory Garden rage of yesteryear. We could call them inflation gardens, because food has made dramatic price increases over the last year. Another contributor to this fascination is the fact that more and more people are concerned with what they put on the family table. When you grow it yourself, you control what goes in the soil and on the plants, and you get to pick a much broader selection of vegetable varieties. The supermarket may have 2-3 varieties of tomatoes, where you can choose from dozens of varieties to plant yourself. Why are there more varieties available at garden centers? Tomatoes don’t ship well, and they taste a whole lot better home grown. In fact, a tomato from your own garden is the ultimate standard for taste. Some, who grow them annually, never buy them from the supermarket, because they pale in comparison to what they can grow in the summer.

If you’re thinking of growing a vegetable garden this year, you are not alone. If you’re a little timid, there is help available. Start small and expand as your interest and time permit. No summertime garden is complete without tomatoes, and the perfect accompaniment to fresh tomatoes on your table is basil. If your garden has anything this year, consider both. If you want a little more, some bush cucumbers will fit in small gardens, and so will the bush summer squash varieties. Most of these bush varieties can be planted in nontraditional garden areas like flowerbeds or as a small addition to the landscape. You can interplant lettuce plants with your impatiens and harvest them long before the impatiens cover the area. You’ll get some salad greens, and kill two birds with one stone. Taking care of the impatiens insures the lettuce is never neglected. In short, a vegetable garden can find its way into every area of your home’s landscape - whether it’s confined to its own area, combined into the annual or perennial gardens that you already have, or planted in containers on your deck or patio - it will provide the ultimate in fresh vegetable taste, and the safest vegetables you can produce for your family table.

I would like now to mention other important steps to take in the yard and garden this month to keep things healthy and enjoyable. That will include applying liquid weed control to the yard this month to control dandelions, henbit and other broadleaf weeds. Prune spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming. Watch for termites, as they begin to swarm in April. Termites can be distinguished from ants by their thick waists and straight antennae. Ants have slender waists and elbowed antennae. Fertilize your roses with a slow release fertilizer, such as Osmocote, and begin fungicide treatments to control black spot disease. Also, remove the winter mulch, and remove dead and diseased canes from your rose bushes at the start of this month. Cut all other green wood to about 18” on Floribunda and tea rose varieties and trim to a height of 24-30” for shrub roses.

Hang out your hummingbird feeders the first of this month. Use a solution of 1 part sugar to 4 parts water for the nectar. Change the solution frequently to keep it from fermenting. Food coloring is NOT needed, nor is it recommended for the birds. Water gardens may be cleaned out and the water changed. Do not scrub the walls since this will remove accumulated beneficial bacteria. Begin adding additional beneficial bacteria and barley straw bales now to begin the natural cycle of pond clean up. Asparagus and rhubarb harvest can begin!! Keep your hoe sharp. Start cucumber, squash, and cantaloupe and watermelon seeds indoors this month. The last week of April is a good time to try an early sowing of warm season crops in the garden such as green beans, sweet corn, etc. You can begin to plant transplants of tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes outdoors now. This can continue through the month of May. This is truly the year of the garden. So reap your own harvest and enjoy the scrumptious flavors of your own produce. Remember, that Natural Gardening will keep your family safe so check out what organic options are available to you! There are many.

Enjoy! See you in the garden……….

Sandi Hillermann McDonald