After experiencing a "normal" Michigan winter, it seems the same label could be applied to spring so far. First warm, then cold; but surprisingly, the plant world is marching on towards full bloom nearly everyday. Proof is all around; weeping willow leaves are the size of mouse ears, pussy willow shrubs are dusting their yellow pollen, and iris reticulata, eranthus, snowdrops, and crocus are in full bloom. You will also notice that the scarlet maple are blooming in their full splendor, yellow forsythia and witch hazel shrubs are proclaiming this wonderful season, and the Cornealian cherry is surprising guests to the garden with it's yellow flowers. All this and beautiful, lush green grass should be enough to excite every gardener to plunge into a garden project today.

A great event occurred this past Thursday. We were blessed with our first substantial rainfall. This moisture was anxiously awaited by local farmers, nursery growers, landscapers, and gardeners. According to one report, we received only 26% of our average moisture last winter. There are still some dry areas that homeowners need to be aware of. Soils under trees, eves, and building overhangs are still very dry. A thorough irrigation of these areas now will be necessary for good plant performance this spring.

Before our visit to the garden this morning, I would like to share some product information that will be helpful and save you time this year.

For years, garden slugs were controlled with Bug-Geta granules spread on the ground. Now there is an alternative and easier method to control slugs. Slug-It is a new product by Monterey. Just mix the concentrate in a 2-gallon sprinkling can and sprinkle over any ornamental plant. Slug-It can be used around vegetable and fruiting plants also.

Weed Stopper is now available for homeowner use. Weed Stopper is a pre-emergence weed control that is sprayed on the soil, unlike granular Preen. Thorough coverage of treated areas gives excellent control of both annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. Three ounces of Weed Stopper mixed with two gallons of water will prevent weed seed germination in one thousand square feet of ornamental shrub, tree, and flower plantings. Weed Stopper may be applied over existing mulches or just before applying mulch. Weed Stopper may also be mixed with Round- Up or Kills-All herbicides to help prevent re-growth.

Grass Getter is a post emergence grass control that may be used to kill most annual and perennial weed grasses in flower gardens, vegetable gardens, ground cover areas, landscape plantings, and around fruit tree and berry-producing plants. Grass Getter mixed with Spreader Sticker is sprayed right over plantings directly on weedy grass plants including strawberries, raspberries, many vegetables, and nearly all flowering and ornamental plants. Grass Getter will safely kill grass in these plantings such as quack grass, orchard grass, crabgrass, and many others.

Did you ever prune a branch off a tree or remove sucker growth at the base of the trunk and have re-growth of pesky suckers? Enter sucker-Stopper. Sucker-Stopper applied to crabapples, plum, maple, willow, and many other trees will reduce the nuisance chore of returning over and over to prune off sucker growth. A real "sleeper" product introduced this year at Wedel's is Consan fungicide. The uses of Consan in the garden landscape and home are many. Consan is a fungicide all right, but much more. It is also used as an algaecide, bacteriacide, disinfectant, and sanitizer. One of the most interesting claims of Consan is the control of toadstools and Fairy Ring in lawns. It has been 40 years since we have seen a control for toadstools and Fairy Ring. Consan will be a great help to lawn owners who have suffered with these problems for years. Let's do some prep jobs now so we will be ready when the weather moderates.

First, go to the garage or garden shed and examine gardening and lawn tools and equipment. Use a wire brush to clean off any soil or rust on shovels, rakes, hoes, and cultivators. Oil all metal surfaces. Then use a file or grindstone to sharpen all cutting edges. If you have never sharpened you hoe and shovel, you'll be amazed at how much better they perform. Rub in linseed oil on all wood handled tools to prevent handles from cracking. Look over cutting tools. Sharpen with a whet stone all pruners and loppers. If pruner or lopper blades are warped, be sure to replace blades, anvil, or possibly the entire pruner.

Lawn carts and wheelbarrow axils and bearings should be lubricated.

vv Lawn mowers should be serviced before the mowing season begins. Change oil, clean air filters, lubricate wheel bearings, and sharpen blades. Early spring maintenance of garden and lawn tools will save you time later. To assure a successful garden this year, a critical look at its soil and asking some questions are important. Can the soil in your lawn and garden support good plant growth? Do your plant roots have good food and lodging? For vegetable gardens, flower beds, lawns, and landscape plantings to perform their best, proper soil nutrition and structure are of utmost importance. Healthy, productive plants live in healthy soils. What constitutes good soil? Although plant needs vary, most plants that grow in our Southwest Michigan soils have some common basic needs; and if met, most plantings will be successful.

An understanding of what soil is made up of should help. We are not dealing with dirt. Dirt is something unclean to be discarded. Soil, on the other hand, is the cornerstone that supports plant life. Not all soil is created equal. Ordering a load of "black topsoil" could get you a real surprise. So-called topsoil comes in a wide range of soil types – some good and some not-so-good. It is important to inspect soil before ordering any for your property. The major components of soil – sand, silt, and clay – in the right proportions, combined with organic matter, is what we all desire in our landscapes and gardens. Considering that most urban and suburban soils are less than desirable for maximum plant results, soil amendments are usually called for.

Now, before spring planting begins, condition and improve the soil in your gardens. Consider using composted cow manure, compost, and sphagnum peat moss to raise organic levels in depleted soils, and gypsum for needed calcium. Use Clay Soil Conditioner and gypsum to soften hard soil, improve drainage, and increase root growth. Add Ironite to provide needed natural minerals and micro-nutrients. Provide the best root zone for your plants and lawn and they will reward you handsomely.

Do you need help in determining how to best amend your lawn and garden soils? Bring in a soil sample to Wedel's for free testing and analysis.

If you winterized your roses by mounding them up with shredded bark or peat, begin uncovering them gradually by removing an inch or so of mulch each week until uncovered. If rose cones were used, remove them on warm sunny days, but be sure to replace them on frosty nights.

Now is the time for our first monthly rose feeding. Fertilize roses now with five pounds of composted cow manure and ¾ cup per bush of Espoma organically based Rose Tone. Use ½ cup Espoma Rose tone monthly with the last feeding around August first. This fertilizing program will encourage rose plants to produce the best foliage and flowers possible.

Now is a good time to transplant many trees and shrubs before new growth begins. Dig plants with as many roots and with as much soil attached as possible. Prune branches back 20% before lifting plants. Prepare new planting sites properly. Make the new planting hole 50% larger than the root system and fill the hole with a mixture of 1/3 sphagnum peat moss, 1/3 composted cow manure, and 1/3 light soil taken from the planting site. Always set plants at the same depth as originally planted. Firm the soil, then water in well with Fertilome Plant Starter solution. The smaller the plant, the better the chance is of survival. If in doubt about whether a plant should be moved or how it should be done, stop in at Wedel's and ask our Michigan Certified Nursery Specialists to help you. Remember, transplanting before new growth begins is essential for your plant's move to be successful.

To help keep ground cover beds healthy and weed-free, a little early spring attention is needed. First, use a hedge shear or pruner to remove all winter damaged foliage and brown leaves. Then, pull out by the roots all visible broadleaf weeds and grasses. Next, top dress ground cover beds with two inches of a half sphagnum peat and half composted cow manure mixture. Fertilize with Espoma Tree Tone and water in well. To prevent weed seeds from germinating, spray with Weed Stopper Weed Preventer and water in. The Weed Stopper will prevent weed seeds from germinating. It is important to remove any existing weeds, roots and all, before starting your project. Enjoy myrtle, spurge, euonymus, and other ground cover plantings more this year with some maintenance now.

If your maple tree leaves were infested with green or red galls last year, now is the time to control them. Maple leaf bladder gall mites create wart-like bumps on the upper surface of red and silver maples. Control gall mites with a spray of Saf-T-Side Horticultural Oil now and two sprays of Malathion one week apart as the leaf buds open.

George Wedel