Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 14, 1991 TAG: 9103190189
SECTION: LAWN & GARDEN PAGE: LG-19 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN K. ARBOGAST/ AGRICULTURE EXTENSION AGENT FOR ROANOKE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
January
Tree branches that cast excess shade over annual or perennial flower beds and vines that are strangling trees or hedges should be removed.
Look at your landscape. Do you need evergreens to protect your privacy, reduce street noise, block the glare of street lights? Plan now for spring plantings.
Turn and prune all indoor plants regularly.
February
> Don't remove winter mulch from perennials too early. A warm period may make you think that spring is almost here when it isn't.
Check trees and shrubs for tent caterpillar egg masses and bag worms, and remove them.
Water shrubs throughout the winter if soil is dry.
Work the area for early spring garden crops as soon as possible, but do not work wet soil. Mix in winter cover crops and additional organic matter. Fertilizers should be applied just prior to planting, though.
Don't start your vegetable transplants indoors too early. Six to eight weeks ahead of the planting date is sufficient.
Prune fruit trees and grape vines after severe weather is over.
> March
Most bush roses should be pruned just as the buds have broken winter dormancy. After the dead and diseased parts have been cut, prune bush roses back 25 percent, if you want many medium-sized blooms, or 50 percent if you want fewer, larger flowers.
Remove weeds in bulb beds by hand.
Rejuvenate your liriope by using a sharp lawn mower to cut back the old foliage to a height of 2-3 inches.
Cannas for early summer flowering in beds should be started in boxes or large pots filled with a well-drained potting mix; keep pots in a warm cellar or enclosed porch.
Weak trees and shrubs may need to be fertilized.
Hedges can receive their first pruning.
In mid to late March plant the spring garden of hardy crops, which would include: onion sets, potatoes, garden peas, radishes, carrots, turnips and leaf lettuce.
Wait until growth appears to remove winter mulch from strawberries.
April
Plan spring flower and vegetable planting around the average date of the last spring frost (April 30 for Roanoke).
When chrysanthemums show signs of life, dig up and divide large plants; replant divisions 12-15 inches apart.
For more compact pyracantha bushes, pinch back new growth now.
Prune spring blooming shrubs such as forsythia, weigela and early spirea after they have completed flowering.
Do not fertilize or prune azaleas and camellias until they have finished blooming.
Plant grass seed in early spring to fill in bare spots in your lawn.
Delay organic mulching in the garden to allow soil to warm deeply, but act before weeds become established.
Thin young fruits of apples, pears and peaches to insure larger, healthier fruit.
May
Plant tender vegetables and annual flowers.
Regularly water newly planted trees and shrubs during the first year or two.
Newly transplanted soft-stemmed plants should be protected from cutworms with collars.
Move your house plants outdoors when the night temperatures stay above 50 degrees. Avoid sunburning the foliage by moving the plants gradually from the relative darkness of the house to their bright summer location.
June
Watch for and control blackspot and powdery mildew on rose foliage.
Prune rambling and spring-blooming climbing roses immediately after blooming.
Shade trees may still be pruned if they have dead or damaged branches.
Stop cutting asparagus when the spears become thin. After the last cutting is made, fertilize with a 10-10-10 formula. Allow the tops to grow during the summer to store food in the roots for the crop next spring.
Avoid sidedressing (fertilizing after planting) tomatoes, eggplants and peppers until they have set their first fruit.
Don't let your hybrid annual flowers go to seed.
July
Chrysanthemums should be lightly fertilized every two to three weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer. To keep plants compact and full of blooms, pinch out new tip growth until eight weeks before they are to bloom, starting approximately in mid-July.
Get continued bloom from annuals by fertilizing them with half a cup of 5-10-10 per square yard of planted area.
A brown or grayish cast over lawns can be caused by dull or improperly adjusted mower blades that shred grass rather than cut it.
A garden needs an inch of rain or water each week. Early morning is the best time to water. Mulch plants to reduce water losses and improve yields.
Implement all the best vegetable garden cultural practices to reduce pest problems, but be prepared to spray as needed to control insects and diseases.
Continue to make successive plants of crops such as beans, beets, cabbage, and sweet corn.
August
If azaleas look pale green to yellow, check soil pH. They need acid soil as alkalinity locks up soil iron needed for green color.
If the leaves of euonymus turn yellow and drop, check the stems and underside of the leaves for tiny, needle-like, white insects and a scattering of small, brown, shell-like shapes. This is euonymus scale (males are white, females brown).
Water shrubs deeply once a week during August. Many plants including camellias and rhododendrons are starting buds for next season's bloom at this time.
Plan to rejuvenate or plant home lawns in the late summer.
Pinch off onion flower buds from the top of the plants to direct all of the plant's energy into the developing bulb instead of seed production.
Mound soil over the lateral or brace roots of corn stalks for extra support against strong winds.
Plant a winter cover crop to enrich your garden soil. Annual rye, red clover and hairy vetch are good choices.
Remove old garden plants that have stopped producing.
The last fall garden vegetables should be planted in August.
Don't neglect plantings of strawberries, blueberries and bramble fruits just because the fruit has been harvested. These plants are forming buds for next year's crop. Prevent water stress now to prevent buds from shriveling.
September
Plant peonies now.
Never encourage growth of landscape plants with heavy applications of fertilizer or excessive pruning at this time.
Bluegrass and fescue lawns should be fertilized in late September or early October.
Remove dead plant material from the garden and compost it or plow it under.
Plant spinach, lettuce, kale, turnips and radishes in early September as the last crops for your fall garden.
Remove all 2-year-old canes from raspberry and blackberry plants to reduce overwintering of disease.
Check grapevines for mummified berries, pick them and dispose of them, but do not put them in the compost pile.
Don't wait for frost warnings to move your house plants indoors. Temperatures of 50 degrees or lower can damage many tropical plants.
October
Find out the average date of the first fall frost. For Roanoke, it is Oct. 15.
Cut down stems and foliage of herbaceous perennials when the leaves begin to brown.
It is too late this year to prune roses, but the rose garden should be raked and cleaned. Additional mulch should be added after the ground has frozen.
Continue to mow your lawn.
Clean up home orchard and small fruit plantings.
Poinsettias are short day plants and need special treatment to bloom for Christmas. Control day length by placing the plant in a dark area at 5 p.m. and removing it at 8 a.m. Start now for Christmas blooms.
Fall is an excellent time for taking soil samples in your lawn and garden. Apply lime if needed.
November
If fall rains have been scarce, water landscape evergreens thoroughly once every week or so until the ground freezes.
A November application of fertilizer is beneficial to a bluegrass or fescue lawn.
Dead leaf stalks of perennial vegetables such as asparagus and rhubarb should be cut to the ground after their tops are killed by frost.
Reduce fertilization and water on houseplants until late April or May when new growth resumes.
December
Mulch perennial borders after the ground freezes to a mulch depth of 2 or 3 inches.
Tie evergreens such as yews, juniper and arborvitae in a spiral fashion with rope or twine to compress the shrub's size and reduce damage from snow or ice.
Minimize traffic on a frozen lawn to reduce winter damage.
Fruit trees that are old enough to produce fruit can be pruned at any time during the winter provided the temperature is above 45 degrees.
Rotate house plants in dim locations to sunny spots to keep them all in prime condition.
Although most people postpone this chore to late winter, grape vines can be pruned between Thanksgiving and the end of December.
by CNB