Timely Tips from Over the Garden Fence
You can catch George Wedel on Over the Garden Fence, 9:05 am Saturdays on AM 590 WKZO.
And return here each week at www.wedels.com for the latest in Wedel's timely tips.
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TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM OVER THE GARDEN FENCE SEPTEMBER 14, 2002 There are times when even the most dedicated “green thumbers” need to recharge their gardening batteries. Joyce and I did just that this week with a visit to Kingwood Center Gardens in Mansfield, Ohio. We have visited Kingwood several times and have always left inspired and reinvigorated with new ideas and enthusiasm for our own gardens. This summer’s heat seemed not to have stunted Kingwood’s perennial or annual flower beds, they were outstanding. We brought home visions of new combinations of ornamental grasses, coleus, marigolds, celosia, and sweet potato vines. Need some inspiration? It’s worth the four hour drive to Mansfield. Need directions? Check their web site at www.kingwoodcenter.org. Last week, we shared information about the great garden investment that perennial Dutch spring flowering bulbs make. Plant once and enjoy for seasons to come. What’s more, even a novice can plant flower bulbs successfully by following just a few simple rules. Give your tulip, crocus, narcissus, and other spring blooming bulbs a good start and a little bit of attention each year and you’ll enjoy rich, colorful rewards, spring after spring. The following tips are on how to reap high dividends from perennial flower bulbs. · Tip 1. Choose bulbs that perennialize well. Not all bulbs will return year after year. Look for bulbs marked “good for perennializing” or “good for naturalizing”. Wedel’s sells over 400 varieties of spring flowering bulbs, more than 50 are identified as good perennial or naturalizing bulbs. For a list of bulbs that perennialize well, stop at Wedel’s Garden Center. · Tip 2. Before buying bulbs, be sure to check the size and quality. So-called “bargain” bulbs are seldom real bargains; sometimes they are so small that they won’t bloom the first year. Tulip, hyacinth, crocus, and daffodil bulb quality is easily noticed. Healthy bulbs are firm, never soft, and are noticeably heavy for their size. All Dutch flower bulbs at Wedel’s are number one grade, guaranteed to bloom the first spring. · Tip 3. Plant in soil that drains well. It is said that “bulbs don’t like wet feet”. Avoid planting bulbs in places where water collects, such as near downspouts or at the bottom of a hill. Standing water is bad for bulbs. In a garden bed, work organic matter like compost or peat into the soil. Be sure to work the soil down a few inches lower than you will actually place the bulbs so the roots will have room to grow in. · Tip 4. Choose the right light. Most spring bulbs prefer full sun, though some can tolerate partial shade. Pay attention to the flowering time. If the variety you’re planting blooms early, chances are the trees won’t have leafed out yet. You may have more sunny spots than you think! · Tip 5. Plant with the pointy end up. Bulbs have a top and a bottom. The pointy end is generally the top. Of course, with small bulbs, such as Anemone Blanda, crocus, scilla, and others, it’s not always easy to tell. The other rule, not quite so catchy, is “basal plate down”. The basal plate is the flat part on the bottom of the bulb from which the roots will sprout. Take a good look and it’s not too hard to find this flat, usually darker basal plate. If you make a mistake, take heart. The bulbs will more than likely right themselves as they root. They really are that easy to grow! · Tip 6. Perennialized bulbs need food. Naturalized and perennialized bulbs need to recharge after blooming to prepare for the following year. For the first season, work composted cow manure into the soil, eight inches deep and use also as a top-dressing. Before setting bulbs into the soil, work into the soil just below the bulb some Bulb Booster fertilizer. When planting is complete, scatter more Bulb Booster on the finished planting site. Early each spring, fertilize your bulb plantings by scattering some Bulb Booster over all emerging bulbs. This feeding will help the bulb produce a good flower the next spring. · Tip 7. “Dead-head” the plants by snipping off the flowers after they have faded. This prevents the formation of seeds, but allows the green foliage to die back naturally, a process which generally takes about six weeks after bloom. (A dead heading exception: daffodils do not require dead-heading – though some people choose to do so for aesthetic reasons. Avoid the urge to “tidy-Up” bulb plantings after bloom by tying up the leaves with string or rubber bands, as some suggest. The six week leaf die back time is a critical “work period” for leaves busy with photosynthesis (the process by which leaves combine chlorophyll and sunshine into the starches that recharge the bulb with food for next year’s bloom). The leaves must be free to soak up sunshine during this crucial period. If dying foliage seems unattractive, the best solution is camouflage. Interplant bulbs with hostas, coral bells, lilies or other perennials that leaf out early in the spring season. They will grow up and around fading bulb plants and disguise the dying foliage of the bulbs. Remember that some bulbs, such as many tulips and hyacinths, do not always come back strongly in subsequent years. If the variety you planted wasn’t a variety marked “good for perennializing” and they are planted in a prime position in the garden, then it’s probably best to treat them as annuals and compost or toss them after blooming to free up the space to plant new bulbs in the fall. Garden plants, trees, shrubs, and lawns not properly irrigated in many landscapes are dying for a drink. Water drought stressed plants today – tomorrow could be too late. To have a positive effect, it will take more than a shower or two or some light sprinkling. Before leaves fall, irrigate all trees with at least four inches of water. Irrigate shrubs thoroughly and mulch with cedar wood mulch. Many unirrigated lawns will have to be reseeded. The prolonged dry spell has killed many turf areas. Reseeding now will help keep these areas from turning into weedy problem spots. The best way to reseed lawns is to rent a slit seeder from Wedel’s. After reseeding, apply Scotts Super Winterizer, then lightly scatter Lawn Soil over the seed. After the reseeding project is finished, be sure to keep soil surface moist. This will require five to ten minutes of light misting three or four times daily. For a complete how-to instruction seed for successful new lawn installation or a reseeding job, pick one up at Wedel’s. Japanese beetle grubs are merrily munching on the grass roots of untreated lawns. To control white grubs in the turf, apply Diazinon granules now and irrigate into soil with one inch of water. Just a reminder, it won’t be long before leaves will be falling in earnest. To facilitate leaf removal from many landscape features, drape nylon bird netting over them. Cover evergreens, ground cover beds, and garden ponds with bird netting and occasionally lift and shake off leaves. This will prove to be a real time saver! George Wedel TIMELY GARDEN TIPS FROM OVER THE GARDEN FENCE SEPTEMBER 14, 2002 There are times when even the most dedicated “green thumbers” need to recharge their gardening batteries. Joyce and I did just that this week with a visit to Kingwood Center Gardens in Mansfield, Ohio. We have visited Kingwood several times and have always left inspired and reinvigorated with new ideas and enthusiasm for our own gardens. This summer’s heat seemed not to have stunted Kingwood’s perennial or annual flower beds, they were outstanding. We brought home visions of new combinations of ornamental grasses, coleus, marigolds, celosia, and sweet potato vines. Need some inspiration? It’s worth the four hour drive to Mansfield. Need directions? Check their web site at www.kingwoodcenter.org. Last week, we shared information about the great garden investment that perennial Dutch spring flowering bulbs make. Plant once and enjoy for seasons to come. What’s more, even a novice can plant flower bulbs successfully by following just a few simple rules. Give your tulip, crocus, narcissus, and other spring blooming bulbs a good start and a little bit of attention each year and you’ll enjoy rich, colorful rewards, spring after spring. The following tips are on how to reap high dividends from perennial flower bulbs. · Tip 1. Choose bulbs that perennialize well. Not all bulbs will return year after year. Look for bulbs marked “good for perennializing” or “good for naturalizing”. Wedel’s sells over 400 varieties of spring flowering bulbs, more than 50 are identified as good perennial or naturalizing bulbs. For a list of bulbs that perennialize well, stop at Wedel’s Garden Center. · Tip 2. Before buying bulbs, be sure to check the size and quality. So-called “bargain” bulbs are seldom real bargains; sometimes they are so small that they won’t bloom the first year. Tulip, hyacinth, crocus, and daffodil bulb quality is easily noticed. Healthy bulbs are firm, never soft, and are noticeably heavy for their size. All Dutch flower bulbs at Wedel’s are number one grade, guaranteed to bloom the first spring. · Tip 3. Plant in soil that drains well. It is said that “bulbs don’t like wet feet”. Avoid planting bulbs in places where water collects, such as near downspouts or at the bottom of a hill. Standing water is bad for bulbs. In a garden bed, work organic matter like compost or peat into the soil. Be sure to work the soil down a few inches lower than you will actually place the bulbs so the roots will have room to grow in. · Tip 4. Choose the right light. Most spring bulbs prefer full sun, though some can tolerate partial shade. Pay attention to the flowering time. If the variety you’re planting blooms early, chances are the trees won’t have leafed out yet. You may have more sunny spots than you think! · Tip 5. Plant with the pointy end up. Bulbs have a top and a bottom. The pointy end is generally the top. Of course, with small bulbs, such as Anemone Blanda, crocus, scilla, and others, it’s not always easy to tell. The other rule, not quite so catchy, is “basal plate down”. The basal plate is the flat part on the bottom of the bulb from which the roots will sprout. Take a good look and it’s not too hard to find this flat, usually darker basal plate. If you make a mistake, take heart. The bulbs will more than likely right themselves as they root. They really are that easy to grow! · Tip 6. Perennialized bulbs need food. Naturalized and perennialized bulbs need to recharge after blooming to prepare for the following year. For the first season, work composted cow manure into the soil, eight inches deep and use also as a top-dressing. Before setting bulbs into the soil, work into the soil just below the bulb some Bulb Booster fertilizer. When planting is complete, scatter more Bulb Booster on the finished planting site. Early each spring, fertilize your bulb plantings by scattering some Bulb Booster over all emerging bulbs. This feeding will help the bulb produce a good flower the next spring. · Tip 7. “Dead-head” the plants by snipping off the flowers after they have faded. This prevents the formation of seeds, but allows the green foliage to die back naturally, a process which generally takes about six weeks after bloom. (A dead heading exception: daffodils do not require dead-heading – though some people choose to do so for aesthetic reasons. Avoid the urge to “tidy-Up” bulb plantings after bloom by tying up the leaves with string or rubber bands, as some suggest. The six week leaf die back time is a critical “work period” for leaves busy with photosynthesis (the process by which leaves combine chlorophyll and sunshine into the starches that recharge the bulb with food for next year’s bloom). The leaves must be free to soak up sunshine during this crucial period. If dying foliage seems unattractive, the best solution is camouflage. Interplant bulbs with hostas, coral bells, lilies or other perennials that leaf out early in the spring season. They will grow up and around fading bulb plants and disguise the dying foliage of the bulbs. Remember that some bulbs, such as many tulips and hyacinths, do not always come back strongly in subsequent years. If the variety you planted wasn’t a variety marked “good for perennializing” and they are planted in a prime position in the garden, then it’s probably best to treat them as annuals and compost or toss them after blooming to free up the space to plant new bulbs in the fall. Garden plants, trees, shrubs, and lawns not properly irrigated in many landscapes are dying for a drink. Water drought stressed plants today – tomorrow could be too late. To have a positive effect, it will take more than a shower or two or some light sprinkling. Before leaves fall, irrigate all trees with at least four inches of water. Irrigate shrubs thoroughly and mulch with cedar wood mulch. Many unirrigated lawns will have to be reseeded. The prolonged dry spell has killed many turf areas. Reseeding now will help keep these areas from turning into weedy problem spots. The best way to reseed lawns is to rent a slit seeder from Wedel’s. After reseeding, apply Scotts Super Winterizer, then lightly scatter Lawn Soil over the seed. After the reseeding project is finished, be sure to keep soil surface moist. This will require five to ten minutes of light misting three or four times daily. For a complete how-to instruction seed for successful new lawn installation or a reseeding job, pick one up at Wedel’s. Japanese beetle grubs are merrily munching on the grass roots of untreated lawns. To control white grubs in the turf, apply Diazinon granules now and irrigate into soil with one inch of water. Just a reminder, it won’t be long before leaves will be falling in earnest. To facilitate leaf removal from many landscape features, drape nylon bird netting over them. Cover evergreens, ground cover beds, and garden ponds with bird netting and occasionally lift and shake off leaves. This will prove to be a real time saver! George Wedel |
Timely Tips
Archive
09/21/02 |