We have been waiting for spring weather to get here and craving color! We are loading up the greenhouse with colorful annuals right now. I'd like to tell all our fellow gardeners about a couple of new products we have.

Dazzling Fusions and Confetti's - These are 1 quart pots that contain a combination of colorful annuals that work together to bring you a colorful array! They are perfect for making your own hanging basket or container for a sunny location. Place a spike in the center of a 12-14" pot and add 4 of the Fusions or Confetti's for an easy patio pot.

Plants for People on the Go - These annuals have been selected because of the proven performance and that they require less maintenance than other traditional annuals. Two of my favorites are the Big Leaf Begonias and Caliente Geraniums.

The Big Leaf Begonias have oval 2 1/2-inch flowers appear in great clusters, while the bronze foliage is glossy and oversized, with nicely pointed tips.They reach a height of 14-20 inches and bloom all summer in sun or shade. Perfect for mass landscaping, bedding, edging, or containers, the BIG™ Begonias are self-cleaning throughout their long, lovely summer season.  I placed some under my maple (where the tree roots are too thick to plant) in pots last year and enjoyed them very much!

Caliente Geraniums are a cross between Cultured and ivy geraniums. They are well branched and work excellently in pots and hanging baskets. They can handle the heat better than traditional ivy geraniums. The flowers, although not as big as the flower heads on the cultured geraniums, come in bright, rich reds, pinks, and coral. Mix these geraniums with Euphorbia Diamond Frost for a stunning display.

There are more plants I could write about...more than the article space will allow. Instead, I will say please come down to Wedel's and fill your senses with the sights and smells of spring!

  

"To be overcome by the fragrance of flowers is a delectable form of defeat."  

~Beverly Nichols

 

George Wedel

A great Green Thumb welcome to:

• The month of May - seemed like a long time arriving this spring.
• Our "snowbird" friends who have returned from the south.
• Green grass and the beautiful blooms of southwest Michigan (best in the world).

Last call for garden clean-up. As perennial flowers become larger this job becomes more difficult. Fertilize all perennial flowers now with the following mixture of plant foods.

Mix well in a 1/2 bushel size container: 

10 pounds composted cow manure

1 Cup bone meal (not steamed)

5 Cups Plant Tone

1/2 Cup Myke's Mycorrhiza

This mixture will contain all the necessary natural major and minor plant foods for flower and vegetable garden plants including humic acids. Use 3 cups of this plant food mix around each perennial plant and dig in 1 to 2 inches deep. This same mix will do wonders for annual flower beds, container plantings and vegetable gardens.

The most asked question this week was, "Is it too late to apply crabgrass preventer?" The answer is no, there is still time for Scotts Lawn Pro Crabgrass Preventer to be applied and have 100% success. I would suggest irrigating the lawn after application to activate the crabgrass preventer. The second most asked question this week was, "Is it too late to sow grass seed?" The answer is no, if you haven't already applied a crabgrass preventer to the area to be seeded. Grass seed can be planted most any time in spring, summer, or early fall if irrigation can be provided. Don't ever plant grass seed without providing adequate moisture.  If irrigation isn't possible, then sow grass seed on September 15th or on November 15th. Remember, when watering grass seed, it is frequency, not quantity, that is important.  Keep the top half-inch of soil, where the seed is, continuously moist with several sprays of water daily. Spreading EnCap Seed Mulch with your grass seed will reduce the need to water as often.

Tent caterpillars and pine sawfly larvae are now active on susceptible host plants. Examine long-needled pines for sawfly larvae and crab, cherry, and apple trees for tent caterpillars. If found, spray with all-natural Spinosad for complete control.

It's time to protect valuable trees from the destructive Gypsy moth larvae. Most folks can protect smaller trees and shrubs from this hungry pest with sprays of Spinosad or Sevin. Larger trees that are more difficult to spray can be protected from Gypsy moth larvae with Sticky Tree Bands. These bands form a barrier around the tree trunk that insects cannot cross. Have the Sticky Bands in place before the Gypsy moth larvae become aggressive and defoliate your prize trees.

Come to us for 100% all natural rose food, holly/rhododendron food and tomato food as well as cottonseed meal, unsteamed bone meal, kelp meal, greensand and all natural, non-burning fish emulsion.

Looking for native plants for gardening and landscaping? Wedel's has a host of native tree, shrub, groundcover, evergreen plants and wildflower seeds for:  native bird, animal and butterfly habitat; erosion control, noise and air pollution control and for supplying essential oxygen while absorbing carbon dioxide as well as beautifying your landscape.