Beware of boxwood twig blight
Be on the alert 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...
March to it, prepare yourself
March is the month of preparation, so take the time to prepare your garden for the growing season by checking soil pH and cleaning up winter debris is a perfect way start. March is the best time for pruning trees and shrubs, especially for fruit and shade trees. If...
February can be mysterious
February is a month where the weather 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...
Hands off that Christmas cactus!
When the flowers on Christmas cactus fade, pinch off the blooms and begin a five-week dormant cycle. Do not touch the plant for five full weeks — meaning no water and no fertilizer. In the second week of February, begin bi-weekly feedings of Jack’s Classic 20-20-20,...
Garden chores don’t stop for cold
By Ken Morgan Try to keep your holiday cactus in the coolest possible room. This will help delay the opening of the buds until Christmas. Always feed your plant with Super Bloom when watering while the plant is flowering. • Keep leaves raked-up on your lawn and...
Plants need water for dormancy
by Ken Morgan As the drought conditions continue, continue once-weekly soakings of all trees and shrubs. Remember, plants need 1 inch of rain weekly, especially now that they are preparing to go dormant. WEEK ONE 1. For all evergreens, camellias, rhododendron,...
Time to prepare hostas for spring
Hosta plants are going dormant now. After foliage has yellowed and browned, cut stalks to the ground. Check the pH now and adjust, it needs to be between 6.0 and 7.0, to be on target for the new growth in the spring. WEEK ONE • To get your poinsettia to...
Stop pruning spring-flowering shrubs
Do not prune any spring- flowering shrubs, such as forsythia, azalea, camellia, holly, lilac, rhododendron, Spirea, and viburnum. They are within three weeks of completing bud formation for next year’s ower bloom. Be sure to check pH and provide one last...
Stock up on cold crop vegetable seeds
Set up stink bug traps in your yard. These traps will lure stink bugs with an attractant that is odor-free to humans, before they enter your home or damage your vegetable or fruit gardens. A light can be purchased separately to be added to the trap for...
Quick summer tips are in season
When geranium owers wither, pinch off the ower with your fingernail an inch or so below the blossom. A few days later, tug out the dried, brownish stem at the top. A replacement stem and ower will grow quickly because you pruned properly. Perk up flowering...
