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Preparing Your Garden for Spring Jeff Griff Lowe's Greenhouse and Gift Shop

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Preparing Your Garden for Spring Jeff Griff Lowe's Greenhouse and Gift Shop PREPARING YOUR GARDEN FOR SPRING JEFF GRIFF LOWE’S GREENHOUSE AND GIFT SHOP COMMON LAWN CARE QUESTIONS 1. WHEN SHOULD I FERTILIZE MY LAWN? Late March or early April depending on weather conditions. 2. WHAT IS PRE-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL? Kills all seeds as they begin to germinate... Preen, Step 1. Do not put down where you are going to seed or patch your lawn. 3. DO ORGANIC LAWN CARE PRODUCTS WORK? Fertilizers work much better than weed controls. 4. CAN I PATCH THE BARE SPOTS IN MY LAWN NOW? Do not do until the soil warms and see #2 above. 5. SHOULD I RAKE OUT DEAD/BROWN PATCHES? You can lightly rake but it is generally unnecessary. 6. IS THATCHING MY LAWN NECESSARY? If you have a build-up of thatch thicker than 1”. 7. HOW DO I KILL WEEDS IN MY LAWN? A thick growing lawn will prohibit weed growth. Spot weed killers uses much less chemical than general weed and feed applications. 8. HOW TALL SHOULD I CUT MY LAWN? 2.5-3” in summer... lower in early spring and fall. 9. HOW OFTEN SHOULD I CUT MY LAWN? Try not to cut more than 1/3 of the lawn at any one time. COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT LANDSCAPE BEDS AND PLANTINGS *HOW DO I KEEP WEEDS OUT OF MY BEDS? Start clean, stay clean. Preen, mulch, till, spray. *WHEN SHOULD I MULCH MY BEDS? Once the soil has warmed... often not until late May. *WHAT IS THE BEST MULCH TO USE? Hardwood bark mulch... not recycled decks and pallets. *WHAT CAN I PRUNE NOW? Most structural pruning is best done during dormancy. *DO I NEED TO FERTILIZE MY TREES/SHRUBS? Not necessarily but I fertilize new, struggling and my favorite plants in spring and fall. *WHAT TYPE OF FERTILIZER SHOULD I USE? Granular organic fertilizers. Evergreens and acid loving plants prefer an acidifier in their feed. *WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO PREPARE NEW LANDSCAPE BEDS? Till to a depth of 12” and add compost. *WHEN CAN I PLANT TREES/SHRUBS? Any time the ground is not soaking wet or frozen. COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PLANTING ANNUAL FLOWERS *WHEN CAN TENDER ANNUALS BE PLANTED? Once the threat of frost has passed... late May. *IF THE WEATHER IS NICE SHOULD I PLANT EARLY? No... the soil temperature is what is most important. *WHAT ANNUIAL FLOWERS CAN TOLERATE AN EARLY PLANTING? Pansies, petunias and snapdragons. *HOW DO I PREPARE THE SOIL FOR ANNUAL PLANTINGS? It needs to be very fluffy... add compost or take away all existing soil and replace with potting soil 9” deep. *WHAT FERTILIZER SHOULD I USE ON ANNUALS? Water soluble or slow release granular (Osmocote). *WHAT IS THE BEST POTTING SOIL TO USE IN MY CONTAINER GARDENS? Professional soils... Happy Frog, Baccto Professional...not Miracle-gro. *WHAT ARE SOME ANNUALS THAT REALLY PERFORM WELL THAT WE MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT? Petunias are still king of the hill but sunpatiens, dragon wing begonias, calibrachoa and the new coleus varieties are excellent performers. COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT PERENNIAL GARDENS/PLANTS *WHEN CAN I PLANT PERENNIALS? Anytime the ground is not soaking wet or frozen. *WHEN CAN I TRANSPLANT/DIVIDE PERENNIALS? There are some plants that don’t transplant well and a few others that are time specific. Generally, fall bloomers in spring, spring bloomers in fall and summer bloomers are more flexible. *DO I NEED TO FERTILIZE PERENNIALS? Some plants require more fertility than others but generally not if you have well prepared soil. *WHAT IS THE BEST TIMING FOR MULCHING PERENNIALS? After your fall cleanup. *WHAT IS THE BEST MUCLH FOR PERENNIALS? I like to rotate compost and hardwood bark mulch. *HOW DO I CONTROL WEEDS IN MY PERENNIAL GARDENS? Mulch, seed inhibitor, pull and/or carefully spray if space allows. Some of the most difficult weeds cannot be eliminated by just pulling. Keep grass clippings out of beds. *HOW DO I SORT OUT DIFFICULT WEEDS GROWING IN MY PERENNIAL CLUMPS? More often than not you can’t. Completely bare-root and separate the root systems. *WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT PERENNIALS THAT GET TOO TALL AND/OR FLOP? Timely pruning can control eventual plant height of many perennials. *WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BEST PERENNIAIALS? So many!!! Rozanne Geranium is the #1 selling perennial. Coneflowers, new Dwarf Monarda and new Dianthus are very long blooming options for sunny areas. Hellebores, Coral Bells and Astilbe are some of the best shade perennials. COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT GROWING HERBS *CAN I GROW HERBS FROM SEED? Basil, cilantro and dill come quickly and easily from seed. Catmint, chives, fennel, mint and oregano come more slowly but are fairly reliable. The rest are better by finished plants. *WHEN CAN I PLANT HERBS? Hardy perennials (oregano, thyme, lavender) can be planted at any time while tropical types (basil, nasturtium) need to be planted after the threat of frost has passed. *WHERE SHOULD I PLANT HERBS? Sunny areas. *WILL HERBS COME BACK AGAIN NEXT YEAR? Many are perennial, some are annual and others are tropical and need to come indoors in winter. *HOW MANY PLANTS DO I NEED? Greatly depends on how you will consume them but you can’t make pesto from just 1 basil plant. *DO HERBS NEED ANYTHING SPECIAL TO DO WELL? Most require well drained soil. *CAN I GROW HERBS IN POTS? Yes... most all do well in pots. *WHAT ARE THE EASIEST HERBS TO GROW? Most all are fairly easy. COMMON QUESTION ABOUT PLANTING VEGETABLE GARDENS 1. WHEN CAN I BEGIN TO PLANT MY VEGGIE GARDEN? Everything is weather dependent. Cabbage, peas, kale, lettuce and potatoes can be planted early... mid-April. Tomatoes, peppers, basil and corn should not be planted until late May. Raised beds help warm the soil and allow for earlier planting. It is all about soil temperature. 2. WHAT VEGETABLE CAN I/SHOULD I PLANT BY SEED? Beans, peas, lettuce, radish, beets, carrots. 3. HOW BEST SHOULD I PREPARE MY GARDEN SOIL? This depends on the condition of your existing soil. Add compost to plantings, till only when dry. 4. DO I NEED TO GET MY GARDEN SOIL TESTED? Only if you are not having god results. Home test kits are very accurate and generally good enough. 5. SHOULD I ADD LIME TO MY GARDEN? Add lime for tomatoes and pepper or if a soil test reveals acid soil. 6. SHOULD I ADD COMPOST TO MY GARDEN? Yes but be careful of your source. 7. DO I ONLY HAVE TO PLANT VEGETABLE PLANTS 1 TIME A SEASON? Many vegetables can only be harvested once so multiple plantings are suggested. 8. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO FERTILIZE VEGETABLES? Organic, granular fertilizers in the soil and supplemental liquid applications through the growing season. 9. ARE APSAPARUS AND RHUBARB EASY TO GROW? These are perennials and come back/develop each year. COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT GROWING FRUITS *WHICH TREES NEED A BOY AND A GIRL/CROSS POLLINATION TO PRODUCE FRUIT? Apple, sweet cherry, pear. *WHAT ARE THE EASIEST FRUITS TO GROW? Blueberry, apple, pear, blackberries, strawberries. *WHAT FRUITS ARE BVERY DIFFICULT TO GROW HERE? Cherries, peaches, apricots. *WHEN SHOULD I PRUNE MY FRUIT TREES/BERRIES? During dormancy... March. *WHAT/WHEN SHOULD I FERTILIZE MY FRUITS WITH? Organic granular fertilizer. *WHAT ELSE DO I NEED TO DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL WITH GROWING FRUITS? Most should be treated with dormant oil to control common insects and disease issues. Lowe’s Greenhouses 16540 Chillicothe Rd Chagrin Falls 44023 440-543-5123 www.lowesgreenhouse.com .
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