Posted by Mike | Posted in Annuals, Checklists, container gardening, Fertilizers, Lawn Care, Perennials, Weed Control | Posted on 02-06-2011
Tags: fertilizer, flowers, lawn maintenance, organic fertilizer, organic gardening, pruning, watering, weeds
Even though the calendar says summer doesn’t start for a few more weeks, the “unofficial” beginning to summertime is Memorial Day, which has come and gone already. Now that most of your planting should be done and mulch should be down, what early summer tasks remain? Plenty. This is actually the busiest time of the year for gardeners as both seedlings and established plants will need plenty of attention. Here are some things to keep in mind:
BEDS AND BORDERS
Place stakes and/or supports around tall plants during late spring or early summer. This will help cosmetically and will also prevent plant damage from them flopping over when in full bloom.
Fill those Containers. If you haven’t already done so, plant your bedding plants in hanging baskets, window boxes and other containers. Now is a great time to buy bedding plants as you can find many discounts at your local garden center.
Deadhead Flowers. Remove faded blooms from repeat flowering plants such as roses and daylilies. Petunias also require constant deadheading. Doing this not only makes the plant look better, but it funnels more energy into creating new blossoms so your flowers produce all season long.
Treat Hostas. Now, while your hostas are looking beautiful, sprinkle them with snail and slug bait. You can find this at any garden center and you’ll be glad you did it. Once hosta leaves get eaten, they look bad the remainder of the season.
Water new plants. Make sure you are watering newly planted flowers, shrubs and perennials every day for the first couple weeks, then twice a week after that to get them established. Also, hanging baskets tend to dry out fast, especially in the heat and humidity.
Prune Shrubs. Now is a great time to prune shrubs since the spring bloomers should be faded out by now. As soon as flowering is over go to it.
Keep weeding. Staying up on weeding your flower beds will ensure they look good all summer long. Once weeds get out of control, they are so much harder to deal with.
LAWN MAINTENANCE
Lawn Treatments. It should be time for your second seasonal application of fertilizer. Weed and Feed is the most popular choice because it will rid your lawn of pesky broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelion and chickweed while fertilizing at the same time. GARDEN TIP: Make sure your lawn is wet BEFORE applying Weed and Feed. The best time to do this is early in the morning while the dew is still on the grass. This way the weed killer sticks to the weeds, where it is absorbed. Ideally you want to plan it so that it doesn’t rain for 24-48 hours afterwards.
Go Organic. If chemical fertilizers turn you off or if you are concerned about children or pets, there are many great organic fertilizers available that will green your lawn without harmful chemicals. Organic Choice and Milorganite are two popular brands.
Keep Mowing. Mow your lawn once or twice a week during this time while it is vigorously growing. However, DO NOT set your mower deck too low. Cutting too deep will weaken your lawn and make it vulnerable to disease. Also, try to mow in a different pattern each time you mow for an even, healthy lawn.
Water your Lawn. If you did any seeding or applied sod in the spring, make sure you keep watering them until they are established.
As your spring work set the table for the season, now is an excellent time for the little bit of maintenance required for your lawn to really shine all season long.
