A Note From Julie Billett
Greetings!
It's hard to believe, but spring is nearly officially here!
Now is a great time to get the jump on indoor and
outdoor plant care.
Stay on track with spring gardening tips
that help you do the right thing at the right time. (If you
only need advice about indoor plants you can scroll to
the last section of the article.)
Warm Regards,
Julie Billett, REALTOR®, ASP
Windermere Real Estate/Northeast, Inc.
Spring Garden and Houseplant Tips
A
Reminder:
The most important tip is to NOT PANIC
if you see many 'to-do' items on this list!
Simply split projects up into sessions of an hour or
two, and chances are you'll surprise yourself by how
quickly you wrap things up.
Spring
Outdoor Plant Tips
Do: Trim off dead perennial
stalks and old hydrangea blossoms.
This is sometimes easiest with scissors
rather than pruners. Trim off the hydrangea blossom
to about an inch above a swelling bud on the stalk.
You can also prune out the thickest branches
close to the ground if you have an old, congested
bush.
Do: Prune wisteria now.
Remember to also shear off the dying blossoms of
your winter blooming heath as they stop blooming.
Do: Rake up any old rose leaves and
get rid of them.
They are likely to have Black Spot,
shown in the photo to the right. Old leaves can
re-infest this year's plants.
Do: Apply lime to your grass every three
to four years.
Lime helps change the pH of the soil so that moss is
a little less happy growing in your lawn. Follow label
directions for amounts; it should not look like
powdered sugar on a doughnut, but rather like your
dining room table with a fine coating of dust on it.
Wait until April to apply lime, and remember that you
have to rake all the moss out after it is dead. (This is
best done by a teenager - tell them it builds character.)
Do: Apply corn gluten to prevent weed
seed germination.
You can order it under the product name "WOW" from
GardensAlive.com, which is a great source for
many organic products. Corn gluten is also available
at some farm and feed stores.
Do: Check your mower
now.
Make sure it runs
before the spring rush at the repair shop, and buy
fresh gas.
Do: Cut back deciduous ornamental
grasses now.
Taller varieties should be cut back to about knee
height.
Do: Cut back raspberry canes to ankle
height for most varieties.
If you have everbearing raspberries, last year's canes
will produce a crop in June. You will need to cut out
these old canes at that time, since emerging canes
will produce another crop in July or August. (If you
have too many canes, thin them by cutting the largest,
thickest canes off at ground level.)
Do: Begin to bait for
slugs.
Sluggo is best
as it's
nontoxic to kids and animals, even though it's a bit
more expensive.
Do: Re-mulch beds that were weedy
last year.
This should be done now so
that you smother the existing weed seeds. (WOW
also works in beds to keep weeds
down.)
Do: Clean out any birdhouses that were
used last year.
Do NOT: Prune back hardy
fuchsias.
Wait until you see
visible growth (usually late April.)
Do NOT: Rush out to buy
annuals.
Stick with
primroses for now, and remember, only the yellow
ones are scented.
Do: Prune and fertilize
roses.
Continue fertilizing roses
every six weeks until late August. It's easiest to
fertilize them by taking a pitchfork and stabbing the
ground around the plant, then pouring a bit of fertilizer
into the holes while the fork is still in the ground. Do
this several times around the perimeter of the plants.
Do: Consider using organic fertilizers
this year.
They
are much easier on the environment, they do not
cause a rapid rush of lawn growth, and they will not
burn your plants if you over-apply. Organic fertilizers
require temperatures above 50 degrees Fahrenheit,
so apply
them after the weather has warmed up.
Do NOT: Worry about planting your
outside containers quite yet.
Most
annuals and herbs should be planted after Mother's
Day, when both the weather and the soil are
consistently warmer. Feel free to add cold season
flowers now such as primroses, daffodils in
bloom and pansies.
Spring
Houseplant Tips
Do: Check the soil around your
houseplants.
If the soil is dry and cracking, you can remove an inch
or so and replace it with fresh, high quality soil.
Do: Consider re-potting.
If you see roots poking out of the bottom, it may be
time to re-pot. Remember to only increase the pot
size by about an inch, and make sure you loosen the
roots when you put the plant in the new container. Click here for
re-potting advice at PlantOasis.com.
Do: Fertilize
more frequently.
Use a half-strength liquid fertilizer every four weeks
throughout the spring and summer.
Do: Clean dusty houseplant
leaves to improve photosynthesis.
If leaves are smooth, you can gently wipe both sides
of each leaf with a soft damp cloth. Another option is
to rinse the plants by leaving them in the rain or the
shower. Hairy leaves, such as those on African
violets, should not be wiped. Instead, dust them with
a soft paintbrush or cosmetic brush.
Do: Take clippings from established
plants.
The spring and summer growing season is a perfect
time to cultivate new plants from clippings of your
established favorites.
These tips courtesy
of Denise Anderson, Horticulture Consultant,
Woodinville, WA.
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