Seasonal Gardening Tips

Posted by ValleyNet Webmaster, 3/1/06 at 11:02:35 AM. Originally compiled by Sandy Gillespie and Dottie Keller with additions by other members

JULY

Trim Artemisia "Silver Mound" and Others

"Silver Mound"artemisia should be sheared by about 1/3 before blooming so that plants won't open out from the middle. Pansies, alyssum, swan river daisies(brachycome), lobelia and petunias can also benefit by being cut back part way when they start to look straggly. If you then fertilize and water well the plants will recover quickly.

Cut back catmint(Nepeta), gaillardia and Carolina phlox to get a second growth of bloom.

Divide Lepard's Bane, Iris and Others

Divide leopard's bane(Doronicum) in July or August while dormant. Divide clumps of bearded iris after blooming. Separate them into single rhizomes consisting of a single bloom stalk with one or more "toes" on each side. Tops should be cut back to less than 6 inches. Replant in groups of 3. Dig mixture of sand and bone meal into hole and cover rhizome with 1" of soil to prevent winter heaving.

Also divide overgrown Siberian iris after blooming.

Hardy Chrysanthemums should be pinched back until July 4th. Feed them with liberal servings of bone meal and manure water until color shows in the bed.

Pinch Off Spent Blooms On All Perennials and Annuals

Pinching off dead blossoms prolongs the plants' blooming season and also prevents reseeding. Phlox, coreopsis, Shasta daisies, veronica, zinnias, nasturtiums, ageratum and marigolds should be given especially close attention.

Fertilize Peonies and Other Heavy Feeders

Fertilize peonies, delphinium, astilbe and all heavy feeders after blooming.

Plant Seeds of Perennials

Plant seeds of perennials for bloom the next year. Keep the ground moist and shade the new seedlings for a few days.

Propagate Clematis and Roses

Clematis and roses may be ground layered. Sink flower pots filled with half sand and half peat close by established plants. Bend a branch including 2 leaf nodes into the pot and don't forget to water. When new growth appears, separate the new plant in the pot from the parent by snipping the branch.

Control Weeds

Many perennials have roots near the surface. Shallow cultivation plus mulching are very helpful in solving the weed problem. Also, weeding soon after a shower will enable you to get the whole weed out more easily.

Choose The Correct Mulch

A simple and practical mulch involves covering a garden area with 3 or 4 layers of newspaper and then placing a light covering of wood chips over the newspaper.

Pine Bark mulch doesn't pack down like peat moss, nor will it blow about like buckwheat hulls.

Add a high nitrogen fertilizer of 10-5-5 if you use a wood chip mulch.

Peastone is a good mulch to use around most alpine plants.

Install Garden Edging To Keep Plants In Bounds

Mounding perennials tend to "flop" in July and August. A happy solution to this problem is to install a 3" high, flat topped garden edging. Local garden centers carry various products that will do the job.

Water Your Gardens, Lawns And Containers Appropriately

One good soaking is better than several light sprinklings for gardens and lawns. One inch per week is a good guideline. Put a rain guage in the soil to measure. During dry weather, if you are lucky enough to have a rain shower, then turn on the hose right afterward. That will allow the water to get well down into the flower bed or lawn.

Check container grown plants frequently for moisture. The soil in hanging baskets dries out faster than that in other containers. Turn your pots occasionally so that the roots don't grow into the ground beneath them.

Try Alternative Sprays For Garden Pests

Combine two cans hot green peppers with 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and blend in blender. Add 2 teaspoons Ivory liquid detergent and 2-3 cups of water. Strain and put in your spray bottle.

Brush Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, Colorado potato beetles and cabbage worms into a jar of detergent solution.

Use Safer's insecticidal soap to control aphids and mites on ornamental plants.

Cut Flowers In The Early Morning Or Late Afternoon

Cut flowers for arrangements either early or late in the day when the sun is off them and their moisture content is highest. Plunge them in lukewarm water immediately. Let them sit for several hours or overnight. Then recut the stems before arranging. Cut stems cleanly with a sharp knife.

To prolong the life of cut flowers, use a commercially prepared flower preservative or add 1 teaspoon each of vinegar and sugar to a quart of water. Another "recipe" for a preservative is 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon liquid bleach to 1 quart of water. Use this in the water in which you have placed the stems immediatlely after cutting as well as the water in the containers in which you arrange the flowers.

Revive Wilting Flowers

Recut the stems and place into tepid water for at least one hour. Use tepid water when arranging flowers rather than cold.

Dry flowers and Herbs

Some flowers from your garden that are easy to dry are yarrow(Achillea), babies breath(Gypsophelia), gloriosa and shasta daisies, delphinium and heliopsis. Wild plants that are fun to dry are tan or brown Dock, Sumac heads, Cattails, Queen Ann's Lace, Black Eyed Susans and rabbit's Foot Clover. It is best to cut flowers and culinary herbs before petals are fully opened.

Keep A Performance Log and Photograph Your Garden

With so many new annual and perennial varieties available to try these days, it is a good idea to keep a log. Note length of bloom and peak bloom time, color, height, breadth, good companions and pest problems. Then take pictures! Next year when you order plants it will make your job easy. Also note which plants in your perennial bed are performing well, which are disapointing and which plants you may want to move in the fall or the spring.

Tend Your Herbs, Vegetables and Fruit

Sow seed of basil and parsley in pots for winter use.

Dill seeds that fall to the ground will either germinate right away or next spring. Be sure to leave some of the seed pods on the plant to assure a continuing crop of dill. The self-sown plants are usually stronger than those grown by the gardener.

After cutting the central head of broccoli, leave the plant intact to continue it's production of side shoots. Harvest before yellow flowers appear.

Fertilize asparagus by scattering a dusting of 5-10-5 or 10-10-10 fertilizer in 2 foot paths down both sides of the asparagus trench, making sure to keep the fertilizer from direct contact with the plants' stems.

Paper bags placed over each ear will foil birds and squirrels from eating your corn.(but it won't fool the racoons!)

If eggplants develop pale foliage, it is a sign that they need a boost with 5-10-5 fertilizer. Don't scratch it in deeper than 1/2" as eggplant roots are very shallow.

Because bell peppers don't store well, leave some on the plant to ripen to red. The red ones are sweeter than the green!

Blueberries will develop their full flavor if you allow them to stay on the bush a week after turning blue. You may have to cover them with a netting to keep the birds away, however.

Remove suckers which you will find growing from the base of your fruit trees at this time of year.

Trim Pine, Spruce, Fir and Mugho Pine for Compactness

Cut off 2/3 of the new growth when the candle is full grown and firm. Also, trim hemlock and yew. Groom by nipping out extra long shoots. Remember that hemlock will not sprout from old wood.

Plan Your Bulb Order

It is not too soon to start planning your bulb order for fall planting.



What's Happening Home Community Service Seasonal Gardening Tips Conservation Meetings, Programs, Events How to Join				Seasonal Gardening Tips Posted by ValleyNet Webmaster, 3/1/06 at 11:02:35 AM. Originally compiled by Sandy Gillespie and Dottie Keller with additions by other members JULY Trim Artemisia "Silver Mound" and Others "Silver Mound"artemisia should be sheared by about 1/3 before blooming so that plants won't open out from the middle. Pansies, alyssum, swan river daisies(brachycome), lobelia and petunias can also benefit by being cut back part way when they start to look straggly. If you then fertilize and water well the plants will recover quickly. Cut back catmint(Nepeta), gaillardia and Carolina phlox to get a second growth of bloom. Divide Lepard's Bane, Iris and Others Divide leopard's bane(Doronicum) in July or August while dormant. Divide clumps of bearded iris after blooming. Separate them into single rhizomes consisting of a single bloom stalk with one or more "toes" on each side. Tops should be cut back to less than 6 inches. Replant in groups of 3. Dig mixture of sand and bone meal into hole and cover rhizome with 1" of soil to prevent winter heaving. Also divide overgrown Siberian iris after blooming. Hardy Chrysanthemums should be pinched back until July 4th. Feed them with liberal servings of bone meal and manure water until color shows in the bed. Pinch Off Spent Blooms On All Perennials and Annuals Pinching off dead blossoms prolongs the plants' blooming season and also prevents reseeding. Phlox, coreopsis, Shasta daisies, veronica, zinnias, nasturtiums, ageratum and marigolds should be given especially close attention. Fertilize Peonies and Other Heavy Feeders Fertilize peonies, delphinium, astilbe and all heavy feeders after blooming. Plant Seeds of Perennials Plant seeds of perennials for bloom the next year. Keep the ground moist and shade the new seedlings for a few days. Propagate Clematis and Roses Clematis and roses may be ground layered. Sink flower pots filled with half sand and half peat close by established plants. Bend a branch including 2 leaf nodes into the pot and don't forget to water. When new growth appears, separate the new plant in the pot from the parent by snipping the branch. Control Weeds Many perennials have roots near the surface. Shallow cultivation plus mulching are very helpful in solving the weed problem. Also, weeding soon after a shower will enable you to get the whole weed out more easily. Choose The Correct Mulch A simple and practical mulch involves covering a garden area with 3 or 4 layers of newspaper and then placing a light covering of wood chips over the newspaper. Pine Bark mulch doesn't pack down like peat moss, nor will it blow about like buckwheat hulls. Add a high nitrogen fertilizer of 10-5-5 if you use a wood chip mulch. Peastone is a good mulch to use around most alpine plants. Install Garden Edging To Keep Plants In Bounds Mounding perennials tend to "flop" in July and August. A happy solution to this problem is to install a 3" high, flat topped garden edging. Local garden centers carry various products that will do the job. Water Your Gardens, Lawns And Containers Appropriately One good soaking is better than several light sprinklings for gardens and lawns. One inch per week is a good guideline. Put a rain guage in the soil to measure. During dry weather, if you are lucky enough to have a rain shower, then turn on the hose right afterward. That will allow the water to get well down into the flower bed or lawn. Check container grown plants frequently for moisture. The soil in hanging baskets dries out faster than that in other containers. Turn your pots occasionally so that the roots don't grow into the ground beneath them. Try Alternative Sprays For Garden Pests Combine two cans hot green peppers with 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and blend in blender. Add 2 teaspoons Ivory liquid detergent and 2-3 cups of water. Strain and put in your spray bottle. Brush Mexican bean beetles, Japanese beetles, Colorado potato beetles and cabbage worms into a jar of detergent solution. Use Safer's insecticidal soap to control aphids and mites on ornamental plants. Cut Flowers In The Early Morning Or Late Afternoon Cut flowers for arrangements either early or late in the day when the sun is off them and their moisture content is highest. Plunge them in lukewarm water immediately. Let them sit for several hours or overnight. Then recut the stems before arranging. Cut stems cleanly with a sharp knife. To prolong the life of cut flowers, use a commercially prepared flower preservative or add 1 teaspoon each of vinegar and sugar to a quart of water. Another "recipe" for a preservative is 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon liquid bleach to 1 quart of water. Use this in the water in which you have placed the stems immediatlely after cutting as well as the water in the containers in which you arrange the flowers. Revive Wilting Flowers Recut the stems and place into tepid water for at least one hour. Use tepid water when arranging flowers rather than cold. Dry flowers and Herbs Some flowers from your garden that are easy to dry are yarrow(Achillea), babies breath(Gypsophelia), gloriosa and shasta daisies, delphinium and heliopsis. Wild plants that are fun to dry are tan or brown Dock, Sumac heads, Cattails, Queen Ann's Lace, Black Eyed Susans and rabbit's Foot Clover. It is best to cut flowers and culinary herbs before petals are fully opened. Keep A Performance Log and Photograph Your Garden With so many new annual and perennial varieties available to try these days, it is a good idea to keep a log. Note length of bloom and peak bloom time, color, height, breadth, good companions and pest problems. Then take pictures! Next year when you order plants it will make your job easy. Also note which plants in your perennial bed are performing well, which are disapointing and which plants you may want to move in the fall or the spring. Tend Your Herbs, Vegetables and Fruit Sow seed of basil and parsley in pots for winter use. Dill seeds that fall to the ground will either germinate right away or next spring. Be sure to leave some of the seed pods on the plant to assure a continuing crop of dill. The self-sown plants are usually stronger than those grown by the gardener. After cutting the central head of broccoli, leave the plant intact to continue it's production of side shoots. Harvest before yellow flowers appear. Fertilize asparagus by scattering a dusting of 5-10-5 or 10-10-10 fertilizer in 2 foot paths down both sides of the asparagus trench, making sure to keep the fertilizer from direct contact with the plants' stems. Paper bags placed over each ear will foil birds and squirrels from eating your corn.(but it won't fool the racoons!) If eggplants develop pale foliage, it is a sign that they need a boost with 5-10-5 fertilizer. Don't scratch it in deeper than 1/2" as eggplant roots are very shallow. Because bell peppers don't store well, leave some on the plant to ripen to red. The red ones are sweeter than the green! Blueberries will develop their full flavor if you allow them to stay on the bush a week after turning blue. You may have to cover them with a netting to keep the birds away, however. Remove suckers which you will find growing from the base of your fruit trees at this time of year. Trim Pine, Spruce, Fir and Mugho Pine for Compactness Cut off 2/3 of the new growth when the candle is full grown and firm. Also, trim hemlock and yew. Groom by nipping out extra long shoots. Remember that hemlock will not sprout from old wood. Plan Your Bulb Order It is not too soon to start planning your bulb order for fall planting.
Hanover Garden Club PO Box 726, Hanover NH 03755-0726