NOW THAT SPRING IS HERE, IT’S TIME FOR:

Planting

• New lawns can be started this month. Sod can be planted at anytime, but wait until soil has warmed up enough to plant Bermuda seed.
• Warm season vegetables including beans, tomatoes, corn, squash, cucumbers, melons and peppers 2 weeks after last freeze. Summer vegetables, including okra, eggplant, southern peas 4 weeks after last freeze.
• Warm season annuals including begonias, impatiens, zinnias, marigolds, cosmos, celosia, 2 weeks after last freeze. Tropical annual color plants, including hibiscus, pentas, fire bush, copper plant, purslane, moss rose, purple fountain grass, caladiums, lantanas, 4 weeks after last freeze.
• Groundcovers into well prepared soil to take advantage of the burst of new spring growth.
• Herbs into flowerbeds, vegetable gardens and patio containers. Many herbs are attractive as well as edible.
• Trees and shrubs are available in profusion this month. Transport them home carefully, protecting them from highway winds, the plant them immediately. Hand water tem regularly during first summer.

Pruning         

           

• Climbing roses, also antique roses that only bloom in spring, following flowering to remove weak growth and reshape plants.
• Spring flowering shrubs and vines to reshape immediately after they finish blooming.
• Low hanging limbs from shade trees to allow sunlight to reach grass beneath canopy.
• Tropicals, such as hibiscus, that have grown lanky over a winter indoors can be trimmed back now.

Fertilize

• All lawn grasses should be fed this month. Use high quality nitrogen or all-nitrogen plant food.
• Container gardens. Use complete-and-balanced, water-soluble fertilizer such as 20-20-20 with trace elements. Apply diluted solution with each watering.
• Roses monthly with specialty rose food.
• Use iron additive with sulfur soil acidifier to correct iron chlorosis (yellow leaves with dark green veins) Keep iron products off masonry, painted surfaces that could be stained.

 

On the Lookout

• Cankerworms strip new leaves from trees. Larvae will hang by very thin threads from trees. Bacillus thuringiensis biological worm spray is best control.
• Cabbage loopers with same B. T. spray or dust.
• Snails, slugs, pill bugs devour tender new stem, leaf growth, apply dust or specialty bait.
• Leaf rollers tie leaves of cannas, sweetgums, redbuds, pyracanthas, and others together. Apply systemic insecticide for ongoing protection before problems become serious.
• Thrips cause roses and other double flowers to fail to open, turn brown around petals edges. Systemic insecticide to control.
• Aphids on brand new growth of daylilies, tomatoes, roses and a host of other plants. General-purpose insecticide will eliminate.
• Fire ants. Treat with wide area baits and individual mound treatments or hire pest control professional who can apply new yearlong product.
• Fleas. Treat with broad-spectrum landscape insecticide. Apply preventive from vet to pet’s neck.
• Roses for black spot and mildew. Use labeled fungicide weekly into the summer.
• Powdery mildew on new growth of crape myrtles, zinnias, euonymus. Treat with approved fungicide or spray with soapy water.
• Maroon colored freckles on leaved of red tip photinias, Indian hawthorns suggest fungal leaf spot. Treat with approved fungicide, but be prepared to replace plants. This disease is epidemic.
• Broadleaf weed killer to eliminate existing clover, dandelions, dichondra, wild violets, and poison ivy.

Color in your landscape tip:

Warm colors (yellow, orange, hot pink, bright red, white) advance visually in the garden, while cool colors (green, blue, purple) recede. Use warm colors where color will be seen from a distance. Use cool colors to make a small landscape appear larger.

Question:

Jimmie, Is it normal for this time of year to have pillbugs around my entry to my house. I am a fairly new homeowner and this is the first time I have seen them?? Thank you for your help. Julie L. in Prosper.

Answer: Hi Julie, Pill bugs can generally show about just about anywhere they feel like it. Really, the only time you should be concerned about them is when they start feeding on your young tender stems and leaves in the area you’re seeing them. Most plants will still outgrow them, but if you have the need to control them, slug and snail baits available at most nursery’s does a good job. Sevin dust works also.

Question: Jimmie, my favorite tree has become the Japanese Maple. While I don't know much about them I just love the texture and color of them, especially the weeping kind. Can this tree be installed anywhere on my property with good soil preparation? I will probably be calling your company to help us! Melissa K. in Prosper

Answer:  Hi Melissa, one of my favorite trees as well. The Japanese Maple is actually native to China but the main growers in the USA are around the Washington, Oregon areas that supply most of the country. They love shade and when designed or installed in the incorrect location in your landscaping can really struggle. A dapple of morning sun and afternoon shade we do the trick. Probably East or North side of your house preferably under the canopy of a large anchor existing tree if you have one would be even better. Be glad to help you out if you need it.

 Until next time, happy gardening………..!!!

A Green Mindset can add value, beauty and save you $$$

When thinking of upcoming St. Patrick's Day what color comes to mind? Obviously green right? For most of us that particular date is also when we are beginning to see the early signs that spring has officially arrived! The time of year to reclaim our gardens and landscapes from the winter shades of browns and grays.

St. Patrick's day can be the ideal time for us all to be thinking "Green"! For all those who enjoy being outdoors whether you are a gardener, hiker, biker or pro landscaper my me just the site of that fresh color green can be invigorating to senses and a harbinger of sunnier days ahead!

Plan on investing some time now on "green" improvements to your landscaping and lawn and as a homeowner you will reap a host of benefits both short and long term. There are so many ways that "green" can improve the environment and enhance lives. Here are just a few..

Green can greatly improve allergy reduction, a thick, lush dense turf can crowd out all those weeds therefore reducing pollen in our air. A mighty big relief to allergy sufferers out there.

Green can help create cleaner water, when your turf is thick and healthy it acts like a filter, cleaning water as it absorbed into the soil and plants root zone area reducing the likelihood of groundwater pollution.

Did you know that a healthy patch of lawn as small as just 50 sq. feet can produce enough oxygen for a family of four??

Did you know that "green" can help reduce our energy costs? The proper placement and maintenance for trees for shade and shelter can reduce your attic temperatures up to 40 degrees in the summer and help reduce heat loss in the winter.

Did you "green " is one of the best ways to add to your property value? Studies continually show that investment in landscaping improvements can be more than recovered when a property is sold or even add more profit  when attention is paid to plant size, placement and a well thought out design?

So you may want to raise your glass to the old St. Patrick, it's not just wearing the green it's THINKING AND ACTING on the "green" that can make a real difference for you!

Question: Jimmie, I installed a thick layer of mulch over my perennials late fall to protect the roots from winter. Will they push up through this mulch this spring? Thank you for your time! Vicky K. in Prosper

Answer:  Hi Vicky, While perennials sometimes will successfully break through a thick layer of mulch, other times damage will result. Don't take a chance with the health of your perennial flowers!
In late winter or early spring (depending on the weather) you should begin checking to see whether the ground is thawing or not. If the ground is thawing, leaving landscaping mulch on top of your perennial flowers can smother them -- so it is time to remove the mulch, to let your perennials breathe.
Once the perennial flowers have pushed up (so that you know where they are) and have achieved a bit of height, then you can re-apply mulch around them to suppress weeds.
Question: Jimmie, Is there a general rule of thumb for when to prune flowering shrubs? I know your super busy so I appreciate your time! Susan P. in Prosper

Answer: Hi Susan, To answer the question of when to prune flowering shrubs, we must first determine the reason behind the pruning. Do you wish to rejuvenate overgrown, neglected bushes through pruning? Or is this to be merely a routine pruning to maintain the flowering shrubs within certain dimensions?

We sometimes wish to prune flowering shrubs in order to shape them or keep them within certain bounds. But we worry that we'll miss out on this year's blossoms if we prune at the incorrect time. Here's the general rule of thumb to know when to prune a particular plant.

If you are undertaking a routine pruning, observe the shrubs' blooming habits. For shrubs that bloom in summer or fall on the current year's growth, such as beautyberry , prune in late winter or early spring. For shrubs that bloom in spring on last year's growth like a forsythia, prune after their blooms begin to die.

If you are pruning flowering shrubs to rejuvenate them, the best time to prune is late winter or early spring. True, pruning early-flowering shrubs at this time will reduce or eliminate blossoming in spring that year, but the trade-off is in gaining healthier, more vigorous flowering shrubs for the long run. Until next time ...Happy Gardening!!

Jimmie

Prepare now for a lush, green, and fragrant spring

If you were ever in the Boy Scouts, or you have a son who is, then you’ll know the famous motto of that organization: “Be prepared.”
It’s a lesson I’ve sometimes had to learn the hard way. Perhaps, like me, you’ve waited until the last minute to make reservations at a restaurant or a hotel, only to find you’ve left it too late and you’re disappointed.
So today I am going to encourage you to take a leaf out of the Scouting Manual and... Be prepared!
With the Holidays behind us and spring still a few weeks away, this is the perfect time to prepare for the planting season ahead. Yes, it is tempting to wait until spring is almost upon us. But take some time now to prepare and you won’t be disappointed later. The good news is that much of this preparation can be done while you relax in your favorite armchair with a cup of cocoa (or something stronger, insert your favorite beverage here) close at hand!
Plan your garden
Ready for a new look? Get a few sheets of 1/4 inch grid paper and roughly draw the shape of your
landscape. Start by sketching in items that can’t be moved, such as large trees, walls, and your garage and so on. Now sketch in areas where you might add new beds or change the shape or location of existing beds. Some new specimen trees? An evergreen privacy hedge? A water feature? That shade arbor or outdoor kitchen you have been dreaming of?  Add them in. Use a pencil, so you can erase and start over where necessary. Ok maybe even an extra large eraser!
And remember: there’s no rule that says everything has to be planted in straight lines. An area of lawn curving between perennial beds and flowering trees can be a delightful change from a solid slab of grass. There are some helpful tips on landscape layout and planning on my company website at www.absolutelybushedlandscaping.com
Mouse through the Web
Get some inspiration online. Use Yahoo or Google to find information and pictures of plants you’ve heard about and find out if they’d fit in with your new plans. You can find enormous amounts of planting tips and independent advice, and you can check to see if a particular plant will thrive in your hardiness zone. And then you can place plant orders via the Internet without ever leaving home. Sometimes however, it can risky to order online verses a local nursery or grower. Your landscape professional can also help you locate unusual but hearty plants. Remember our planting zone here is 7 and 8 so anything rated outside of those zones is generally considered high risk of not surviving here.
Keep a record

If you get those free calendars in the mail, take one of them and start writing down information that you’ll need every year, to save having to figure it out year after year. For example, it would be a good idea to note the projected dates for the first and last frosts, how much fertilizer you need each year for your lawn, and the date you spread it, and so on. You can also note the number of plants you buy for your container gardens, to avoid over- or under-buying next year. Don't try to over think it, lots to be said for simple sometimes!
Try something new

Tired of the same old, same old? Prepare now for something new and different. Because the unusual plants are often in short supply, you definitely want to prepare now by researching and ordering your “out of the ordinary” plants.

Find fallen branches

At this time of year, the weather can often bring down anything from small twigs to large branches. When they’re left there all winter, they can traumatize your lawn, and may cause a tripping hazard to children or pets playing in the yard, particularly if hidden by snow or frost. Your lawn will benefit in the spring from your preparedness now, and you might end up with some kindling for your fireplace, too.

Think green!

Best of all, prepare mentally by imagining how lush, fragrant and beautiful your landscape will be, mere weeks from today! Good luck to you!!

Question: Jimmie, I recently bought a “Bloodgood” Japanese Maple tree. I purchased the tree early last spring and it seemed to be doing fine until the heat of the summer hit. It then spent all summer basically burning up and all the leaves being scorched? What did I do wrong?  Janet P. in Prosper.

Answer:  Hi Janet, Sounds to me like you have the installed your new tree in the wrong location. Typically, all Japanese Maples are considered to be strictly shade ornamental trees under the canopy of an older established tree. The exception would be on the east side of your house where you’re getting morning sunlight exposure only. Any location on your property where it’s getting full sun and you’re setting yourself up for some much burnt foliage!

Until next time…Happy Gardening!!