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Garden Tips
April
2002 Volume 15, No. 1
Fertilize your plants
This is an easy task to do before everything
flushes out with spring growth.
We recommend using ProGro, an
organic, slow-release fertilizer available
at Horsford’s Garden Center.
For perennials, hand-broadcast fertilizer
over the entire garden area so
approximately 25 percent of the soil is
covered.
For shrubs, use 1 cup for every 2 ft.
of height or spread, sprinkling the
ProGro around the drip line, not at the
base, to encourage strong root growth.
Trees should get 1 cup of ProGro for
every inch of trunk diameter. Spread it
around the drip line of the tree, not
right against the trunk.
Annuals and vegetables benefit from
ProGro as well. Prepare your garden for
planting by loosening the soil, pulling
weeds, and cleaning up debris. Generously
top dress with ProGro and compost.
Fork them in, rake the soil
smooth, and plant.
Lawns have high feeding and watering
demands. Greenskeeper fertilizer
gives them all the nutrition they crave.
The results are uniform growth and
color. A 50-lb. bag covers 5,000 sq. ft.
Plant spring annuals
Spring in Vermont means pansies and
sweet peas. Horsford’s sells pansies by
the pak in every color. Tuck them into
the garden. Fill your window boxes.
Come in now while the selection is still
great.
Sweet pea seeds should be planted in
the cool earth. They will tolerate a late
spring snow. Our Garden Center has a
lovely selection of Renee’s Seeds sweet
peas seeds. Renee’s specializes in heirloom
seeds with heavenly fragrance.
Support your growing plants
Locate your peony plants and put growring
supports on now. The peony will
grow through the mesh top and stand
tall after spring showers. Check your
aconitum, delphinium, lilies and other
tall, delicate-stemmed perennials.
Decide on a growth support and put it
in place before the plant gets too bushy.
Be sure your clematis has something to
twine around. If it’s a summer or fall
bloomer, prune it now. Top dress all
clematis with compost.
Tools
Get to the shed and drag out your tools.
Pump up the wheelbarrow tire. Sharpen
your spade, lubricate your pruners and
test your watering can for leaks.
Hopefully, mice have not nested in
your straw hat or used your garden
gloves as bedding. Search your yard for
the trowel and cultivator you remember
using last August. If you find yourself
lacking, the Garden Center at
Horsford’s sells Felco pruners, saws and
replacement parts. Galvanized watering
cans, Mudd gloves, extra-long rose
gloves, and an assortment of trowel and
weeders are also available. Our favorite
is the “Trake.” It has a trowel at one
end, a cultivator at the other, and a
bright yellow or red rubberized handle
in between.
Mulch
Clean away old mulch from around
trees and shrubs. Use it on your rhododendron
plantings. Recut your edges
and borders. After fertilizing, re-mulch
with a new layer of shredded bark
mulch. Horsford’s always has a large
supply of shredded pine/spruce mix
and, in spring, shredded hemlock
mulch. A chart in our catalogue will
help you calculate amounts per square
foot. Call for delivery rates.
Seeds
As you plan out this year’s gardens,
remember that some plants grow best
from seeds planted directly in prepared
soil. If you have limited space, try incorporating
a few herbs and vegetables into
your existing beds. Many have beautiful foliage. Some are fragrant. Renee’s
Seeds, available at the Garden Center,
has an excellent selection.
Remove tree wraps
Hopefully, the white collars we all faithfully
wrapped around our trees’ trunks
did their protective job over the winter.
Mice damage should be minimal. It is
important to remove the wraps now in
order to prevent bugs and disease from
taking up residence in the warm moist
environment under the wrap.
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