TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROMOVER THE GARDEN FENCE

May 13, 2006

With the peak of planting season upon us, nearly every green-thumber is chin- deep in exciting garden opportunities. For gardeners, it seldom gets better than this! Tilling the soil, planting, applying fertilizer, and controlling and preventing weeds; these, and many more, are all possibilities for every gardener. So, not to overlook anything, let's look over today's garden calendar.

Check all Mugho, Scotch and ornamental pines for sawfly larvae. The larvae consume a great deal of needles very rapidly. Control pine sawfly larvae with one spray of Spinosad.Tent caterpillars are busy spinning their ugly webs in cotoneaster shrubs, cherry, plum, and other susceptible trees and shrubs. Control tent caterpillars with one spray of ultra-safe Spinosad.

The official "frost-free" date for our area is May 20th. Weather-wise gardeners will keep alert to weather predictions and current conditions. Many cool-tolerant annuals are safe to set out now such as snapdragons, petunias, cabbage, root crops, and sweet corn. I would wait to set out impatiens, begonias, zinnias, green beans, melons, and squash until it is closer to Memorial Day. Be sure to provide wind and sun protection for newly planted vegetable transplants. Protection from the elements for a few days will allow them to "harden off" and to begin some root growth.

Bedding plants in container pots can easily be protected from a light frost with a nighttime cover of lightweight cloth.

If frost is predicted, irrigate plants thoroughly just before sunset and just before sunrise.

Two weeks ago, Southwest Michigan gardens, orchards, and vineyards suffered from a very hard frost. Gardeners, by now, are able to assess the damage. Many trees, shrubs, and perennials show frost-damaged foliage. Most perennial plants will produce new leaves. Daylily, ferns, hosta and others will produce more leaves if given needed moisture.

I recommend removing all frost-damaged leaves from your perennials now, then spray Halt fungicide mixed with spreader sticker. This spray, when repeated again in ten days, will stop the growth of Botrytis Blight. Be careful not to over water frost damaged perennials.

New stem growth on shrubs that show frost damage can be pruned off. This will not only improve the appearance of the shrub, but will also hasten new growth.

Homeowners with ash shade trees in their landscape need to decide how important they are to keep alive. Decide whether you prefer replacing your ash trees with other varieties or protect them from the Emerald Ash Borer. If protecting the tree from the borers is your option, then take action now. Each May, drench Systemic Tree Insect Killer around the base of the Ash tree. Keep trees healthy and growing with annual feeding of Tree Tone. Irrigate Ash trees during summer drought periods to prevent stress. Continue this regimen yearly.

This is an optimum time to kill broadleaf weeds in lawns, broadleaf weeds and grasses in uncultivated areas, as well as brushy trees, poison ivy, blackberry and other unwanted vegetation. Why is this a good application time? Because the recent rains have moistened the soil. During April, even though weeds were growing, there wasn't enough soil moisture for good chemical absorption, thus the desired weed kill was not achieved. This week's rain will now assure better results. When the elimination of broadleaf weeds in your lawn is high on your "to-do" list, be sure to use Weed Free Zone Lawn Weed Killer. After thoroughly irrigating my lawn on May 2nd and 3rd, on May 4th I spot sprayed dandelions, clover, and a few other assorted broadleaf weeds with Weed Free Zone mixed with Spreader Sticker. By Friday evening most of the weeds had all but disappeared. Weed Free Zone is the best broadleaf lawn weed control I have ever used.

Last week I shared with you the many new tree, shrub, and rose bush varieties available for 2006 at Wedel's Nursery, Florist and Garden Center. This morning I have a listing of the many new flowering perennials that are available this spring.

. Red Star Aster

. Burgundy Red Astilbe

. Sky Blue Lace and Summer Skies Delphiniums

. Two new cone flowers; Fatal Attraction is mid-height at 26 inches with deep purple and pink flowers. Hope has large soft-pink flowers on 30 inch stems.

. Mini Martin is a beautiful new Euphorbia with green and red blooms

. Oranges & Lemons is the new Gaillardia introduction for 2006

. Macbeth is a new daylily this year. Macbeth has lavender and purple flowers and is a rebloomer

. Another new reblooming daylily you will surely want to look at is Yellow Submarine

. Obsidian is a new cream color Coral Bell

. There are two new hostas for 2006 to brighten any shady garden. Fireworks has cream and green leaves and June Fever sports chartreuse and green leaves.

. Unforgettable Forget-Me-Not will liven up any part-shady spring garden with its blue flowers and variegated leaves.

. Dinner Plate is a new double pink peony

. Wendy House is an outstanding purple garden phlox

. Bolero rosy-pink oriental poppy is also new

These new introductions, along with our other 600 perennial varieties give gardeners a wealth of flowering plants to add to their collection.