Pruning Spring Flowering Shrubs Pruning can benefit landscape plants by maintaining size, promoting flowering, removing dead and diseased limbs, focusing growth on younger or more vigorous stems and helping to control insect and disease problems. However, timing can be critical on flowering shrubs, especially spring blooming shrubs. Spring flowering shrubs, like viburnums, lilacs…
Handling and Planting “Bare Root” Plants in the Home Landscape Chances are good that you’ve bought or ordered bare root plants before — those plants that come with no soil around their roots. Lots of plants are sold as bare root plants, including some roses, ornamental trees and shrubs, fruit trees, asparagus, and some perennials.…
Irrigate, irrigate, irrigate, but don’t create a swimming pool Keep the seed bed watered as often as necessary to keep the top half-inch of soil constantly moist, but don’t create pools of standing water or let it dry out. In May, this may only be twice a day and in June, it will probably be…
HOW TO TRANSPLANT You’ve invested time and money in your landscape, but landscapes evolve and mature over the years. At some point you may need to make changes. These changes could include moving established trees or shrubs. Reasons to Relocate a Tree or Shrub Transplanting mature trees and shrubs is possible, although the process…
FIVE TIPS TO GET YOUR GARDEN READY FOR SUMMER Here are a few tips to quickly prepare your garden and make a lasting impression on your guests: Add some color – Color is the first thing we notice in a landscape. Container gardens filled with exciting combinations of geraniums, petunias, impatiens, begonias and more…
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TRANSPLANT? While it is technically true that all plants can be transplanted, it is equally true that some do not like to be moved once established. Younger plants transplant better than older, shrubs better than trees, and deciduous plants better than evergreens. Observing a few guidelines will ensure that…
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PESTS Bagworms Bagworms are caterpillars that form a small bag or cocoon-like pouch that hangs down on the leaves and branches of shrubs and trees. The bags are made of silk, with bits of twigs and leaves interwoven to disguise and strengthen the bag. The larvae or caterpillar…
PLANT WITH CONFIDENCE What you’ll need: Good sturdy shovel A+ Planting Mix Plant Food Pruners or a knife Mulch Garden hose Watering wand Dig a hole that is slightly shallower and at least 6” wider than the root ball on all sides. Plant a little high! Mix your existing soil with a soil…
10 STEPS TO CREATE A BEAUTIFUL CONTAINER GARDEN When designing your plant combination, you may want to use the ‘thrillers, fillers and spillers’ method. Thrillers are plants that add height, such as fountain grass, spikes or tall bloomers like XL Dahlias or Salvia. Fillers are the plants that will stay a medium height and…
EIGHT TIPS TO SUCCESSFULLY GROW HERBS Give Them Some Sun – Most herbs thrive in six hours or more of sun per day. An exception is basil, which prefers a little shade. Condition Your Soil – Fertile soil and drainage are very important because you want to harvest as much as possible. If you’re…