Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 13, 1992 TAG: 9203130326
SECTION: LAWN & GARDENS PAGE: L&G-22 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN ARBOGAST
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
March
Renew potted indoor plants by cutting back leggy shoots to encourage compact growth.
Garden winter cover crops should be tilled or worked into the soil well before planting the spring vegetables. Also, chopped up, non-diseased remnants of the '91 garden should be mixed in if that was not already done. Do not work wet soil.
Divide and transplant summer- and fall-blooming perennials just as growth starts in the spring; rework whole beds, not just each planting hole, before planting, adding compost and fertilizer.
Seed root crops such as carrots, beets, radish and parsnips directly into your vegetable garden (mid to late month).
Propagate deciduous shrubs that have flexible branches, like forsythia, now by layering. Bend a branch over, cut it one-third of the way through where it touches the ground and cover that area with soil. Later, use the new plants you've started to expand your borders or give away.
April
Make new plants out of overgrown leafy ornamental plants (not landscape plants grown for their flowers) by cutting them back severely the first of the month.
For a few days after transplanting, protect young vegetable plants from wind and sun by shading them with upside-down berry baskets, large flower pots, milk jugs fashioned into hot caps or tents made from cardboard. Good early spring vegetables usually grown from transplants include broccoli, cabbage and head lettuce planted early this month.
It should be safe to cut back twigs affected by winterkill to green wood on most ornamental trees and shrubs now.
Chopped up yard refuse from spring yard cleaning should be added to the compost pile.
Mow the grass frequently when it is growing rapidly. A good rule is to mow when the grass is about one-third taller than your regular cutting height. Be sure that the mower blade is sharp so that the grass is cut, not torn.
May
It should be safe to plant tender vegetables and annual flowers.
Plant squash very early in the month so that a decent harvest can be expected before the squash vine borer kills the plants in midsummer.
Grass clippings from herbicide-free turf can be used as a mulch in flower beds and vegetable gardens, but the clippings must be allowed to dry well first or else applied in 1/2-inch-thick layers to avoid a nasty odor.
Plan summer vegetables that can be planted in the coming weeks after each row of the spring garden is harvested.
June
Remove old flower heads from plants, especially hybrids, to prolong the period of bloom.
Properly identify the cause of plant problems in the garden or landscape before attempting controls. If the severity of the problem calls for application of a chemical or organic control, be sure to read the label first and use the product only as directed. Follow the recommended waiting period before harvest if the application was made to an edible plant.
During dry times, water vegetables and flowers early in the day, if possible. This will avoid water loss to evaporation that can occur when a sprinkler is going during the heat of the day.
Spring flowering shrubs, which means those that bloom before the end of June, should be pruned as soon as they finish blooming. Early spring bloomers should be pruned now if you didn't get to it just as soon as it could have been done.
Continue to make summer plantings of warm-weather vegetables.
July
Divide and transplant bearded iris; replant only the vigorous ends of the rhizomes (that fat horizontal structure); cut the leaves back to about 8 inches.
For a fall harvest of cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts - all vegetables that need moderately cool nights to develop - start transplants during the first days of the month in a shady, protected garden area or flower bed, in the home greenhouse or on a semi-shady windowsill.
Late in the month and on into the next, seed the following for the fall garden: leaf lettuce (chill your seeds first), radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, kale and spinach.
If the weather is hot and dry, don't rely on mulch to keep your vegetables and ornamental plants going. If water use is limited (public or wells), set priorities so that food plants or any new landscape plants will receive at least an inch or water each week.
Scout for pests that bleach color from plants in hot, dry weather, particularly spider mites on roses, marigolds and certain evergreens; and lacebugs on azaleas, particularly those planted in sunny spots.
August
Pick off bagworms found hanging or feeding on junipers, cedars or other plants now. Chemical controls for these worms are only effective when the pests are very young.
Prop up branches of fruit trees that are threatening to break under increasing weight of ripening fruit.
Irish potatoes continue to grow as long as the tops are green. Dig only as many as you need for immediate use, but leave the rest in the ground because they will keep better there. Use mulch or soil to cover any potatoes that are showing at the soil surface, because exposure to sunlight will cause them to turn green.
To reduce the number of pests on your fruit trees next year, pick up and destroy all fallen fruit.
Remove and destroy all diseased plants from the garden.
Take care of your low-fruiting plants which produce their fruit in the first half of the growing season, such as strawberries, blueberries and bramble fruits, because next spring's fruit buds on those plants start now.
September
Late summer is the best time of year to sow bluegrass, fescue or ryegrass seed. Whether you are overseeding a thin lawn or completely seeding a new lawn, the grass seed needs to come in good contact with the soil and must be kept damp. For overseeding, rent a lawn dethatcher or core aerifier machine and run it over areas to be seeded at least two times to make openings for the new seed to fall into. Fall seeding done after this month may not have time to develop before cold weather.
For indoor plants that have been outside for the summer, remember to inspect for pests or problems, apply any necessary treatments outdoors and bring plants in before nights drop below 50 degrees F.
Sow winter cover crops over each section of the garden where fall crops are not growing as the summer crops are pulled out. Work in organic matter, such as the chopped up remains of clean vegetable plants, before sowing; extra fertilizer should not be needed.
October
Start the long night-short day process for poinsettias and Christmas cactuses that you hope to have in color for the holidays. Flower buds will form when these plants are given 14 hours of uninterrupted, complete darkness each night and then a sunny but short day.
Move and divide crowded perennials (most kinds).
Wait to apply winter mulch over perennials and around roses until the soil is well chilled (after several frosts have occurred).
Spread any available organic matter, such as collected leaves, on the garden if you will be tilling it before winter. If you won't rototil until spring, compost the organic matter to add at that time. Leaves that are tilled into the garden in the fall will have time to decompose to improve the soil before spring planting.
Dig Irish potatoes that you plan to store.
Save pine needles that naturally fall from white pines at this time of year to use as landscape mulch.
November
Transplant most species of landscape trees and shrubs that you plan to dig and move yourself right away, because the plants should be dormant now and the soil is still warm enough for root recovery.
If fall rains are lacking, remember to keep compost piles moist but not soggy to help in the decay process.
Take soil tests from the garden and flower beds now if not done in the last three years. If lime is needed to reduce the acidity of the soil, it should be applied now in the fall so that some improvement in soil pH can occur before spring planting, because lime is slow to work.
Continue to mow the grass as long as it continues to grow. Do not leave the grass high for the winter: That can cause it to mat down or die out under snows or winter foot traffic.
December
Even though this should have been completed weeks ago, it's still OK to plant spring flowering bulbs; these bulbs are difficult to store until next fall if purchased but not planted, so get them in the ground.
Organic mulch spread around fruit or landscape trees should be pulled back at least 6-8 inches from the trunk to prevent mice from burrowing in the mulch and chewing on the trunk bark. Also, place trunk guards of some kind to physically prevent rabbits from chewing on the bark in the dormant season.
Be sure all pesticides left from the growing season are stored in a tightly closed container with the readable label attached and kept in a safe location away from heat or freezing.
January
If your soil-test results indicate the need for a small amount of agricultural lime to raise the pH for the lawn or garden, you can substitute wood ashes from the stove or fireplace after the charcoal chunks have been removed.
Inspect your indoor plants frequently for pests, which seem to occur more frequently during the winter. Mealybugs on house plants can be killed by touching them with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol.
Avoid damage to lawns and landscape plants by not using salt on walks and drives to melt ice; spread salt carefully where it is used. Consider using sand, sawdust or fertilizer instead.
February
If seed packets contain too many seeds for your needs, save money on seeds and postage and reduce the amount of packaging headed for the landfill by ordering or buying locally with a couple of friends.
Remove honeysuckle and other weedy vines from deciduous plants now.
If you have sunny windowsills, a home greenhouse or grow lights, sow seeds for transplants for the spring garden; vegetables may include: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards and lettuce.
Be ready to take advantage of suitable weather to mix in winter cover crops or simply prepare the soil for the spring garden. Don't fertilize until just before planting.
by CNB