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Garden/Landscaping Tips from Ken Morgan
Tuesday Mornings
Sponsored by Robin's Nest Floral & Garden Center, rt. 50 in Easton

March Gardening Tips

March is a month of transition from the cold to milder days, it’s the perfect time to start preparing your garden for the growing season. March is the best time for pruning trees and shrubs, especially for fruit and shade trees. If you have fruit of flowering trees, bring in a few pruned branches and place in water with flower preservative, and watch spring to begin to bloom inside as well.

Week One:

1. Deadhead fall pansies to encourage reblooming as the weather warms up. Apply Espoma’s Flower-tone at the suggested rate to encourage larger blooms.
2. Clean up winter trash and the remains of last year’s annuals and perennials. Take the debris to the trash, do not compost as it could be harboring diseases or insects.
3. Water any vegetables or annual flowers started indoors using a water-soluble fertilizer at half strength.
4. Check pH of the garden soil for annuals and perennials, which should be at 6.0 to 7.0. Also, applications of organic matter, such as Leafgro or composted manure, worked into the soil are most helpful.
5. When spring flowering bulbs emerge and are showing their tips, be sure to fertilize with Greenlite’s Super Bloom at half strength, to insure the best color show.
6. Discourage the little black fungus gnats that can hover over house plants by allowing the soil to dry out between watering and emptying all saucers of standing water.
7. Cut back all perennial herbs now including thyme, chives, sage, tarragon, rosemary and oregano.
8. If you have not already done so, prepare vegetable garden soils now by adding organic matter such as Leafgro or Composted Manure. If you have problems with blossom end rot on tomatoes and other vegetables, try adding Mag-i-cal by Jonathan Green. Not only will this product improve the soil structure and pH, it also provides Calcium which is essential for healthy plants and helps to prevent blossom end rot. This product works faster than lime to raise the pH and calcium levels in the soil.
9. If you plan on moving larger houseplants outdoors for the summer when the weather warms, consider repotting them now. Doing this will improve their summer performance. We suggest Baccto potting soil for all types of repotting.
10. Mist your houseplants every day or two with water at room temperature. Be sure to groom them often, removing all dead or yellowing leaves. Remember, pruning and deadheading encourages new growth. Cut back any foliage plants that are not producing new growth and repot them in new soil.
Week Two:
1. If you did not do so in the fall, fertilize all evergreen and deciduous trees with Espoma’s Tree-tone according to package directions.
2. When fertilizing evergreen trees be sure to also check the pH around these trees. Since most evergreen trees are planted around the lawn, lime is sometimes applied to adjust the pH to 6.5. Evergreen trees require a pH of 5.0 to 5.5; therefore, the soil pH needs to be acidified by using Espoma’s Soil Acidifier.
3. Spray small trees, shrubs, and roses with Bonide’s Dormant Oil-Lime Sulfur spray to control gypsy moths, caterpillars, mealybugs, mites, scales, leaf spots, leaf curls, and other plant diseases. Ideal conditions for applying occur when air temperatures are above 40° for a 24-hour period, with no rain in the forecast. Do not spray if you see any leaf growth as this will burn the foliage.
4. Wild onion and wild garlic are emerging, use Weed Beater Ultra to spot spray. Unlike many other weed killers, this product works in cooler temperatures. Another method would be to use Kleen-Up by Bonide (or Roundup), and equal amounts of water in a coffee can plus 1/3 teaspoon of liquid Woolite or Joy. Then paint this mixture on the plants with a sponge brush.
5. Chickweed and Henbit are now growing use Weed Beater Ultra to control these and other actively growing weeds. This spray will work better than other types of sprays because it can be applied when cooler temperatures prevail.
6. Prune ornamental grasses back to within 2" of the soil. Fertilize now with Espoma’s Plant-tone.
7. Inspect all houseplants now for insect pests. Typical home winter heating systems do not normally provide enough humidity for indoor tropical plants. This stress allows for aphids and other insects to attack. If found, rinse off all of the plants in the sink or tub. When dry, spray with insecticidal soap to kill any remaining insects, and repeat once a week for three weeks.
8. Prepare larger houseplants too big to be repotted for the coming season of growth by top-dressing the soil, replace the missing soil with compost, or with Baccto potting soil. Be sure to also add the recommended dose of slow-release fertilizer around the edge of the pot.
9. Rhododendrons are evergreen shrubs that require proper feeding and pH. These plants require a pH of 4.0 to 5.5. Be sure to test at the dripline of the shrub, apply Iron Sulfate or Garden Sulfur by Espoma to lower pH. Rhododendrons are light feeders, so do not apply commercial fertilizers! It is suggested that you use Holly-tone or Cottonseed meal by Espoma.
10. Repot Bougainvillea plants that are over-wintering now before the new growth begins to grow. If no roots are growing out the drainage holes, use the old pot, but add new Baccto potting soil. If the roots are showing, select the next larger pot using new Baccto potting soil.
Week Three:

1. Hellebores (Lenten Roses) in a woodsy setting, will multiply if you let them go to seed. Fertilize with Hollytone and check pH and adjust to 5.5 to 6.0.
2. Cut back Russian Sage leaving just 6" to 12" of the woody stem. Pinch out the tips of the new growth when it emerges to encourage bushier growth. Be sure to fertilize with Flowertone by Espoma.
3. If peonies were affected by botrytis last year (ugly blackened patches on the stems or foliage), spray emerging tips with Mancozeb by Bonide to prevent the spread of this disease.
4. Slugs and Snails have not surfaced yet, but if the warmer temperatures continue, they may be coming sooner than later. Diatomaceous Earth (DT) is a natural control that works well in dry soil, but is not effective in moist soils. Use Sluggo in these areas. You can also use beer in shallow aluminum pans to kill them.
5. Young emerging Daylilies are very desirable to deer. If deer have been a problem, spray the tender young shoots with liquid fence. One application should be enough until the foliage toughens up.
6. Growing Camellias is an enriching experience and not as difficult as most people think. This shrub thrives in good morning light and afternoon shade. Soil should be well-drained and moist. Working in compost, leafgro or composted manure into the soil around the plant is recommended. Always mulch the area around the plant and be sure to check the pH. Soil pH should be 4.5 to 5.5 at all times. Test now and again in late October. Use Espoma’s Soil Acidifier or Iron Sulfate to lower pH. Apply Espoma’s Holly-tone now and again in the fall, to insure proper feeding.
7. Azaleas and most other plants can only extract food from the soil when the pH
is in the range of 4.5 to 5.5. Apply Soil Acidifier by Espoma to lower pH in the proper range. Feed Azaleas in early April by using Holly-tone.
8. Asparagus plants should be side-dressed with 2lbs. of fertilizer 10-10-10. pH testing should also be done and adjusted to 7.0. You can also apply organic matter around the plants.
9. Fruit tree pruning should be done now. Be sure to rake up all the pruned branches, fallen leaves, and unused fruit and debris from under and around the trees. Discard or burn all the debris and do not compost. A little extra work now could save you hours of work later on in the season.
10. Be sure to spray your fruit trees with a lime-sulfur dormant oil spray. Be sure to apply spray only when air temperatures will remain above 40° for a 24-hour period, with no rain in the forecast. As with all spray chemicals, they will work when dried on the tree.
Week Four:
1. Spray for spider mites with Malathion or Horticultural Oil on the needles and limbs of arborvitae, cryptomeria, false cypress, fir, hemlock, juniper, pines, taxus, and spruce. Remember not to use any type of oil spray on Blue spruce as this will remove the blue pigment from the tree.
2. Replace or sharpen the blades on your lawn mower as part of your spring servicing. Dull blades will pull and tear the grass, resulting in an unsightly lawn.
3. Spray plants such as boxwood, hollies, hydrangea, and mountain laurels with Bordeaux mix as a disease preventive. Bordeaux is a safe organic spray chemical.
4. This week is perfect timing for applying a pre-emergent to stop crabgrass from sprouting. We suggest several products to do this job, and there are two ways to
do this. Jonathan Green has a spring lawn fertilizer with the chemical dimension to prevent and even kill sprouted crab grass. This product will work for 16 weeks after which time you need to re-apply another crabgrass preventative. Espoma has an organic product made from corn called Corn Gluten, which also prevents crabgrass from sprouting. This product also provides a small amount of nitrogen to jump start your lawn. Bonide also has a spray product which will also work.
5. If you spot the webs of bagworms or tent caterpillars, in the cool of the evening, scoop the tents out with a stick and destroy them. You can also spray them with Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT), liquid Sevin, Malathion, or Rotenone.
6. You can prune summer flowering trees now or in early April.
7. Harvest branches from flowering trees that can be forced into bloom indoors. Flowering cherry trees, crabapples, dogwoods, and even fruit trees especially peaches, nectarines, cherry, and apples.
8. Stunted growth and leaves on trees that are uncharacteristically red or dark green may signal a shortage of phosphate. Apply super phosphate at the package rate. Weak stems and disease problems on trees may mean a lack of potash. Apply straight potash at package rates according to the height of your tree.
9. Ground covers like Liriope, Mondo grass, and Plumbago benefit from early spring shearing.
10. Install plant supports and plant the seeds for sweet peas now. They can take a lot of cold so now is a great time to start these beautiful plants.
Tips for moving & transplanting Trees & Shrubs
1. Find some help. Large plants are heavy and cumbersome. It will take at least two people and maybe more to lift a shrub that is three feet or more wide.
2. Have a sharp ax, sharpen round point shove, or spade readily available. Use a flat file to sharpen the points of your shovel or spade if necessary. A folding saw may also aid in cutting big roots.
3. If the shrub is wide and grows low to the ground, use twine to wrap around the branches. Tie one end of the twine close to the ground on a strong main trunk. Have one person carefully squeeze the branches while the other wraps them with twine.
4. Use ribbon or string to mark the prettiest side of the plant. You do not want to
place the flat side of the plant growing close to the house in the front of the new location, and it is very difficult to spin the plant in the hole once placed. This will save you a lot of aggravation and time.
5. It is important to keep a tight root ball (roughly 2/3 as wide as the shrub) so dig a ring 4"-6" wide on the outside at the root ball. If you are not sure, you can always ask a professional. Then use a spade to dig under the plant. Do not try to rock the plant with the spade until you have undercut all the way around the shrub. Do not cut roots larger than a ½" wide.
6. Once the root ball is free, one person can tip the shrub to one side while the other slides a tarp or burlap bag under it as far as possible. Then, lay the shrub down in the opposite direction and pull the tarp all the way under the plant. Now slide the shrub out of the hole.
7. Dig the new hole 4"-6" bigger than the original root ball. In heavy clay soils mix in clay cutter or gypsum to help break down the clay, leafgro, or some other compost to promote good root development, and bio-tone plant starter to provide a good start and prevent transplant shock before placing the plant in the new hole.
8. Plant the tree or shrub so that the root ball is a few inches higher than the surrounding soil grade. This is very important in heavy clay soils because if you plant to low the roots could very well rot and kill the plant.
9. Backfill around the plant with loose dirt (large clumps of dirt trap bacteria), using the butt end of a handle, tamp the soil to make sure the dirt is settled around the root ball. Apply 2" to 3" of mulch around the plant making a mound so that the water will drain away from the plant. Do not mulch the crown (base) of the plant.
10. Water the plant thoroughly, making sure the root ball and surrounding soil are completely wet. Provide 1" of water each week for the first growing season if rain is not present.
March is for pruning:
Prune newly planted trees lightly the first few years to control the development of the scaffold or limb structure. Do this by only removing branches heading into the center of the tree or crossing others.
Never take away more than 20%-25% of a tree’s growth as this could cause "water sprouts". Always prune out any winter or storm damage. Prune out any low angle limbs growing between 12:00 and 1:30 or between 10:30 and 12:00. These low angle branches are structurally weak and will eventually break under the weight of its own leaves, fruit or snow. Thin and immature branches growing at poor angles should also be pruned out. High angle limbs are a problem and should also be pruned since they are prime candidates for weight load injury.
Flowering trees and shrubs that bloom on new wood should be pruned before growth begins in late winter or early spring. Flowering trees and shrubs that bloom on old wood should be pruned immediately after they bloom to avoid cutting off branches where its buds are being initiated for the following season.
To control height, prune after new growth has fully developed in both trees and shrubs. To slow or dwarf growth prune after the season’s new growth is complete.
To regenerate a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub that is overgrown, just before it begins its spring growth, take out a third or a quarter of the branches.
When pruning roses, place the cuts so that the center of the bush remains open for maximum air circulation. Remove dead canes, growth skinnier than a pencil, and canes crossing the center that are growing in the wrong direction or crowding out other canes. Carpet roses should be pruned back to about 6 inches.
Forsythia need to be pruned right after spring flowering pruning 1/3 of the branches back by 1/3.
For more information, contact Ken Morgan at Robin's Nest Floral & Garden Center, 410-822-8700, or http://www.robinsnestfloral.com/!

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