TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM

OVER THE GARDEN FENCE

April 8, 2006

God gifted us with many beautiful colors to treat our eyes. I'm so glad He specializes in technicolor! Rainbows, rose blossoms, sunflowers, and sunsets wouldn't be very spectacular in black and white. In the spring, no color is as exciting as green. Our Michigan landscape is now awash in refreshing green meadows, budding woodlands, lush lawns, parks, and sprouting gardens. I hope all of you, our green-thumb friends, will be able to enjoy the "Great Green Event" of spring this weekend in your gardens and the many beautiful vistas in our area.

Now is the time for our first monthly rose feeding. Fertilize roses now with five pounds of composted cow manure and cup per bush of Espoma organic-based Rose Tone. Use 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.

Since butterfly shrubs bloom on new growth, an early spring feeding now will help the shrub produce more flowers this summer.

If hydrangea shrubs were fed last October, no fertilizer is needed now; if not, feed with Espoma Holly Tone in April and June.

This is the "last call" for transplanting most 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 hole. Always set plants at the same depth as originally planted. Firm the soil then water in well with Root Stimulator 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.

Climbing leaf-eating caterpillars such as cankerworms and gypsy moth larvae can be reduced in numbers by applying Tanglefoot to tree trunks now. First wrap tree wrap or band around trunk, then apply the Tanglefoot on the band. The band of Tanglefoot will trap both adult moths and the caterpillars.

Now is the best time of year to address dogwood tree health. Discourage borers by keeping all vegetation away from trunks. Mulch with two inches of cedar wood chips. Prune out dead branches and remove water sprouts from trunk. Apply Systemic Tree and Shrub Insect Control to the soil and water in thoroughly. Fertilize dogwood trees now with Holly Tone. Prevent Dogwood Anthracnose disease with sprays of Halt fungicide in May and June and one spray of Maneb during the forth week of September.

Maple, oak, and ash trees are often infested with leaf gall mites. Disfigured and unsightly leaves are the results of a leaf gall infestation. To control leaf galls, spray trees with 10% Permethrin at bud opening and again two weeks later when leaves are fully open.

If your clematis isn't performing as well as you would like, consider these suggestions. Every April, feed clematis vines with one-half cup Sulfate of Potash and ten pounds of composted cow manure. Clematis vines are heavy feeders and appreciate frequent feedings of water-soluble Nursery Select high-potash plant food. One gallon of liquid Nursery Select should be applied to each clematis plant every two weeks from April until flowers appear. After blooming, continue feeding through August. In July, feed another one-half cup of potash. From April through September, a clematis vine requires at least four gallons of water per week. Mulch clematis vines with two inches of cocoa hulls to keep root zone cool and moist. Be sure to keep mulch four inches away from stem and crown. Spray clematis vines with Halt Fungicide every two weeks April and May, then once a month June through September. In September, fertilize clematis with one-half cup of bone meal and fifteen pounds of composted cow manure around each vine. This formula will reward any gardener with arbors and trellises filled with beautiful clematis blooms.