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...because all the best garden advice is local

March 29, 2012
Slammed By Spring
Greetings!

  

cut daffodils in a vase

Whoa! Last week I went to visit family in Kansas for a few days and bam! It had gone from March to late April in the course of three days. The lawns greened, the saucer magnolias exploded, the daffodils popped. Suddenly, my garden cleanup went from just a little to a lot. I may have been gone for three days, but the garden season raced ahead by a couple of weeks!

     Right now, I'm figuring we're two to three weeks ahead of a normal garden schedule, whatever that means in the Midwest. I took a day off work this week to get started.

    Fortunately, since our fall was so mild, I had more good weather than normal to get most of the cleanup and prep done then, minimizing what I need to do now.

     In past years, I've figured my garden spring garden clean-up and prep can take as many as 40 hours. Hopefully, this year it will be less, but there's still lots to do. Spring--slow down!  

 

Yours in rapid garden clean up,

Veronica Lorson Fowler  

 
Tie Ohow to keep daffodils looking good in a vasene On

 

Too often when you try to arrange flowers in a vase, they flop more than you would like. An easy way to position them the way you want is to first arrange the flowers in your hand into a pretty bouquet. Then secure near what you think will be the bottom of the stems in the vase with a rubber band. Trim off the ends so they're all flat and will stand on the bottom of the vase. (Putting the rubber band at the end allows the flowers to splay out a little for a more natural look.)

    Set in the vase to see if they're the right height. Trim off more as needed, adjusting rubber band. Then fill the vase with water and enjoy!

My Chemical Confession 

 

My name is Veronica... and I use garden chemicals. Granted, I'd prefer that I gardened only organically, but there are some things that make gardening so much better, faster, and easier with (to my thinking) minimal impact on the planet, or even my little Iowa patch of plants, insects, and birds.

   Three that I give in to:

Pre-emergent Herbicide:

As the name suggests, this prevents plants (seeds, to be exact) from ever emerging. Often sold by the brand name Preen, I look for a "weed and feed" combo that has a fertilizer included. Costs a little more, but worth it. I sprinkle this, according to label directions, on my garden when the bright yellow forsythia blooms (right now). Do it right before a rain so it dissolves and soaks in. Saves a ton of weeding later on.

Rose insecticide and fertilizer: 

Usually sold in big blue jugs (Bayer is the most popular brand), you sprinkle a capful around the base of your roses. I do it when I prune (now) and then again when the roses bloom heavily in June. Helps fight off the many pests and diseases that roses are susceptible to.

Roundup:

This kills or damages any plant it touches, which is why it's called a "non-selective" herbicide. That scares folks off, but it has the environmental advantage of completely breaking down. Spray on weeds that are already up, but it works best on smaller weeds and often requires repeat applications for really tough weeds, such as creeping charlie.  

 

  And for our best tips on how to weed better in less time, click here.

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Creeping Charlie
Is Baaack 
Speak of the devil. Along with the early robins and crocuses, creeping charlie is making an early appearance, too. Click here for the best ways to fight this invasive weed.
 
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Garden Quote:  

"Every spring is the only spring - a perpetual astonishment."    

--  British author Ellis Peters  

 

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Issue: 62       

Garden To-Do List

  

  If you haven't already, hurry up and uncover your perennials, roses, and more. They're growing and suffocating under any mulch or other protection on top of them!

 

  Plant cool season annuals, such as pansies, immediately. With this heat, they won't do well much longer. 

 

  Set any seedlings you have started outdoors for several hours at a time to gather strength. If temperatures are not predicted to dip below 40 or 45, you can even leave them outside overnight.  

     

  Start weeding! This warm weather is giving weeds a head start.  

 

 Divide perennials that bloom in the late spring, summer, or fall now, as needed or desired. (Spring-blooming perennials should be divided after they're done blooming through summer into fall.) 

  

 Prune most large trees, small trees, shrubs, evergreens, and roses now as desired. Wait to prune spring-flowering shrubs until after they're done blooming so you don't reduce the show

  

 If your lilacs, roses, and other plants get powdery mildew, now--before it shows up--is the only time to control it. Spray with a fungicide three or more times before temperatures regularly hit the 80s.

  

 Plant nearly any type of tree or shrub now. 

  

 Plant cool-weather loving seeds, such as radishes, carrots, lettuces, spinach, peas, turnips, beets, and various greens now. It will soon be too hot!

     

 Plant seedlings of cool-season vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and cabbages now. 

  

 Plant bareroot roses now. It's also now warm enough to plant roses growing in containers. 

  

 Plant herbs now that like cool weather, including parsley, chives, and cilantro. Also plant any perennial herbs.

 

Time to start feeding and mowing that lawn!   

Click here for details on what to do when.  

 

 Wait to plant warm-season annuals, such as marigolds, tomatoes, and impatiens, until after the last average frost date in mid-May.   

   However, with these record warm temperatures, I personally am planning on planting shortly after the first of May. It's a little risky, but I'm going for it!

 

Other Timely Links

   

What To Plant When In Iowa 

 

20 Must-Have Perenials In Iowa  

 

Plant-Buying Tips for Iowa 

 

Deer-Resistant Trees and Shrubs for Iowa   

 

Pruning Basics

 

5 Simple Steps for Healthier Tomatoes

 

 Great Garden Event!
 
Wed., April 11
Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids

6:30-8:30 p.m. I'll be speaking on "Roses for Iowa" as part of the Creative Gardening Series by the Linn County Master Gardeners. If you're in the area, please come! Admission is free and I'll be available afterwards for questions and signing copies of my book, "Gardening in Iowa." I'd love to meet you!
  Click here for details!

Click here to see more upcoming Iowa garden events.

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