Fall is an ideal time for planting
November is another good month for planting and continued fall maintenance. Here’s a good breakdown of what to target: Week 1 • Cut a few stems of holly with berries for making Christmas garlands. It’s early, but now’s the time to do it, before the birds eat all the...
Use off-time to add late color splash
The October to-do list is shorter than past months, but the tasks are no less important. Try to tidy up the garden, plant spring flowering bulbs, add to your perennial garden, and incorporate shrubs with glorious fall color to your landscape before cold days arrive....
Fall is for planting
Trees, shrubs, bulbs, grass seed, mums, asters, pansies and many more are ready to be planted. The cooler temperatures, and more plentiful rainfall, makes fall a wonderful time to plant. An added benefit to fall planting is that it gives the trees, shrubs, grass, and...
Know which seeds to harvest
Harvest seeds that are ripe but not so ripe the seed heads drop or spew seeds to the ground. Ripe seeds are usually dark. When the vegetative envelopes swelling at the base of spent flowers begin to yellow and dry up, you can begin to harvest. Place the open end of a...
What’s causing those yellow leaves?
When you see yellow leaves on a plant, you know there’s a problem. Unfortunately, this is the upset stomach of gardening. Yellow leaves represent any number of conditions, including any of the following: Too much water; not enough water; too much fertilizer; not...
Don’t be a stranger to your garden
June can be a busy month in the garden. Dry weather brings the need to water plants more. Wet weather brings scouting tasks for disease and other pests. Plants need to be fed to keep growing and that lawn just won’t quit, either. Whatever the conditions, there is...
Stay on top of your growing lawn
Beginning with this month, try to make an effort to mow the lawn often enough so you never have to cut off more than a third of the grass in order to maintain the recommended height. Always keep your mower blades sharpened. WEEK ONE • Try to get all perennial plants...
Look out for Boxwood twig blight
Watch for Boxwood Twig Blight. The fungus Cylindrocladium pseudonaviculatum first presents itself as leaf spot followed by rapid browning and leaf drop starting on the lower branches and moving upward in the canopy. The fungus can remain in fallen leaves, so be sure...
This is the time for preparation
March is the month of preparation. Take the time to prepare your garden for the growing season by checking soil pH and cleaning up winter debris is a perfect way to start. March is the best time for pruning trees and shrubs, especially for fruit and shade trees. If...
Remember to stay flexible this month
February is a month with weather that can vary widely. Even though it may still be cold, damp, snowy and sometimes miserable outdoors, occasionally Mother Nature will bless us with a day or two of sunshine, which inspires us to go outside and work in the yard. Pruning...
