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Impede the Weeds
Stop those weeds
in your garden before the sprout! Apply a pre-emergent granular
herbicide to greatly reduce the germination of annual and perennial
weed and grass seed. Be aware that the timing of application
depends on the area of your garden being treated. You don’t want to
prevent your vegetables from sprouting! Since this product works
only on ungerminated seeds, it can be used safely on established
flower beds, vegetable gardens, and other landscaped areas to reduce
tedious weed maintenance.
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Scale Alert
The infamous
scale insect that infests poplars, aspen, and lilacs to name a few,
can be controlled in the spring, before the emergence of leaves, by
using an oil-based suffocant. Applied with a sprayer, you can
greatly reduce the population of this pesky sucking insect with just
a few applications. Success of treatment can be determined by
scraping the scale’s shell covering with a fingernail. If the shell
flakes off easily, it is dead. If the shell is soft, a repeat
application is recommended.
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Lawn Care – Fertilize, Right?
Right!
Bluegrass type or rich lush turfs require nitrogen fertilizer
applied at the rate of 4 pounds of nitrogen (N) per 1,000 square
feet per year—1 pound around Easter, 1 pound around Memorial Day, 1
pound around 4th of July and 1 pound around Columbus
Day. Nitrogen is the first number appearing on the fertilizer bag
chemical analysis and is expressed as a percentage, by weight of the
total N content. For example, a 25-6-5 formulation appearing on a
20-pound bag of fertilizer indicates that 25% of the 20-pound bag
(or 5 pounds) is nitrogen. In this example our 20-pound bag would
cover 5,000 square feet at the rate of 1 pound nitrogen per 1,000
square feet.
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Lawn Care—What Else Should I Do?
We’re often
asked what else should be done to a lawn in Colorado besides
watering and fertilizing. Core cultivation (or aeration) at least
once per year is extremely beneficial to the health of the lawn.
Aeration makes it easier to deliver nutrients oxygen and water
efficiently and helps reduce compaction, especially in heavily
traveled areas. Aeration is also the most effective method of
removing thatch. Thatch is an accumulation of dead roots, and
decaying matter at or above the soil surface.
Phelan Gardens
concurs with Colorado State University Extension that thatch should
not be removed by power raking because this damages healthy grass
plants. Heavy thatch can be removed over time with
Thatch
Decomposer and core aeration
four times per year. For
best results, water the lawn thoroughly before aerating so plugs
will be at least 3 inches deep and spaced 2 – 4 inches apart.
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Numbers to Know—Call Before You Dig!!
Are you ready
for Spring? Have you mapped out your new landscape? Decided to
install a sprinkler system? Resolved to rebuild that rickety
fence? Far be it from us to encourage procrastination, however,
WAIT! Before you pick up that shovel or post hole digger, pick up
the phone. Call the utilities department
(1-800-922-1987)
and have them locate buried lines before you dig. One simple phone
call could save you a lot of headaches down the road.
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Need Gardening Information
Lots of gardening
advice for the front-range is available from Colorado State
University by calling 636-8923. You can also go online to
download information on many gardening topics at
Colorado State Cooperative Extension Horticulture Online.
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Soil Amending: Do It As Though Life
Depends On It!
In this powerful
rugged terrain of Colorado, it is essential to build up your
garden’s muscle. It’s going to take a little of your own, as well,
but the benefits will be substantial. Each spring work 2 – 6 inches
of organic matter in to flower beds and garden areas. Organic
matter can include composted manures (cow, sheep, and chicken),
decomposed leaves, mushroom compost, fish emulsion, and plant meals
such as blood meal, bone meal, and feather meal. The best overall
conditioner is Canadian sphagnum peat. These amendments will
improve soil texture and fertility, as well as boost plant health
and resistance to disease.
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How Low Can You
Go?
So the temperature
outside is rising and you’re itching to get planting, but we
probably haven’t seen the last frost yet. Not to worry! There are
a number of cold weather plants that, once they are hardened off,
can be planted earlier than others and last well into the fall.
Included in these are: Dianthus, Snapdragons, Violas, Pansies, Baccopa, Vinca, Alyssum, Lobelia, Petunias, Flowering Kale and
Cabbage, Verbena and Marguerite Daises.
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Pruning Lilacs
To encourage the
best flower show, you should plan on pruning your lilac each year.
This should be done immediately after the lilac has finished
blooming. Otherwise, you run the risk of lopping off next year’s
flower buds which develop soon after the lilac blooms. Also, as you
prune old wood out, keep in mind that a new lilac shoot takes three
years to develop a flower. As a general rule, shape the lilac in a
way that is aesthetically pleasing to you, but don’t prune out more
than 1/3 of the wood.
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Treating
Fireblight in Fruit Trees
Fireblight is a
bacterial disease that can affect apple, crabapple and pear trees.
Leaves will wilt, brown and remain on the tree giving it a
“scorched” appearance. According to CSU Extension, there is no cure
for fireblight. However you can manage the disease.
Prune off infected
twigs/ branches as soon as you notice the problem. Prune 12” below
the visible edge of the infection. Since this disease is easily
spread by insects and rain, try to time your pruning when no rain is
predicted for two weeks. It is also VERY important to sterilize
your pruners after EACH CUT. Otherwise, you may spread the bacteria
to other parts of the tree. Fireblight sprays will not take away
existing infection. However, they can act as a preventative for a
tree that is known to have had fireblight during the previous
season. These sprays are generally applied in spring when your tree
is first flowering. Be sure to read all directions carefully when
using any garden chemicals.
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For any
questions you have on this article, or any topic of concern, email
us—or better yet, come by and talk to one of our professional staff
members.
Remember, Phelan Gardens is open year-round!
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For additional
information, check the following links:
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