4/4/2020

Fruit Trees: ( Northern Areas )

If you have not pruned fruit trees and grape plants, do so as soon as possible.
Grape plants pruned in the spring will bleed, but this will not significantly harm the plant. It is better to let the plant lose some sap now than to prune in the fall, which can lead to winter damage after a very cold winter in northern areas. Make sure the pH is near 7 when growing grape plants. If the pH is low, add Bonide Hydrated Lime and continue to monitor the pH.

Grass:
Cut ornamental grasses to 2-6” above the soil level and feed with Turf Trust.

Lawn:
If you sown grass seed in the late-fall, winter, or this spring, then you cannot use Dimension crabgrass preventer this spring. Annual bluegrass can be controlled with Ortho Max Nutsedge Killer. It can be prevented from coming up next season by applying Crabgrass Preventer with Dimension in late August.
Make sure you feed your lawn with Turf Trust if you have not done so this season, to help grow a deep root system.
After the snow melted and the lawn suffers from snow mold disease rake the lawn lightly, apply Kick Start and Turf Trust. The lawn will grow out of the disease without the use of any other products.
Lawns: You can control lawn weeds with Bonide weedbeater ultra and summer crabgrass can be preventer with Dimension. To kill wild violets in the lawn spray them with Hi-yield Turflon-ester ultra.

Flower Beds:
    •To prevent summer weeds, apply Bonide crabgrass and weed preventer in shrub and perennial beds before mulching.
    • During the spring, use controlled released fertilizer on annual plants planted in flower beds (petunia, begonias, and impatients) instead of using liquid fertilizers. Liquid fertilizers have a low efficiency rate, last only a few weeks, and can leach. Use controlled released fertilizer like Garden Trust. Do not place the Garden Trust in the holes with the plant when planting, only side dress one week after planting, and only apply once a season.
    •    Garden Trust not only gives your flowers, nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium, but also gives them minor and trace elements in the ratio needed by the plants.
    •    Feed daffodils, lilies, and minor bulbs now if those bulbs had not been fed last fall. Use  Garden Trust.
Feed daffodils, lilies, and minor bulbs now if those bulbs had not been fed last fall. Use  Garden Trust
    •    When buying forced perennials, like prime roses or helleboris, keep the plants protected from frost. Plant these tender young perennials in early to mid-April in the ground, depending on weather. These plants will be hardy next winter when planted correctly.
Deer
Spray Hosta and other plants that deer like to eat as they emerge with Bobbex deer repellant. Spray once per week for the first month as the new growth comes out. After that you can maintain spraying with once a month applications.

North of Richmond do not plant tender vegetables or flowers not even cool weather vegetables until the cold spell is over.

Standard Impatiens are affected by downy mildew. Last season homeowners lost a lot of Impatiens to this. This year before purchasing your impatiens, inspect for signs of downy mildew. Check the underside of the leaves for a white residue. If you notice any, do not purchase from this batch.  When you purchase disease free impatiens, plant them after there is no longer a threat of frost.  When planting mix Sphagnum peat moss with your soil . ( if in containers use a mix of 1/3 peatmoss 1/3 vermiculite 1/3 pertilte) After planted feed them with Garden Trust fertilizer. Use 1.5 lb per 100 sqft. Apply this as a top dressing.   Do not apply in the hole when planting. Only one feeding is needed for the season. In containers feed them with fish fertilizer bi-weekly. To keep the bedding Impatiens healthy, and protect them from the downy mildew, apply Agri-fos (Garden Fos ) fungicide once a month.