Garden Tips

If you have rhubarb you should be picking it. Always gently pull the stalks. Do not cut them. Harvest about a third of the stalks at a time. Cut any flower stalks extend fruit production.

Get composting. It is easier than you think. You do not need fancy bins just a designated spot for collecting green matter. Toss in your kitchen scraps, grass clippings, leaves, coffee grounds etc.. The goal is to create an environment where bacteria that causes decay can live and reproduce at the highest rate. There are some key requirements to accomplish this effort. First, keep the pile moist. One of the biggest reasons compost piles fail is because they are too dry. Allow air to circulate. Using a garden fork, toss and turn the pile ever so often to keep it from compacting. Put a good mix of material into the pile so the microbes can survive. Create a pile with layers of fresh green material alternating with layers of dried material and soil.

Remember, the best time to prune your lilacs is immediately after they bloom.

Dig and divide all your summer and fall blooming plants now.

Plant dahlia tubers and gladioli bulbs. The soil should be warm enough now for both of these. If you are planting tall dahlias with large flowers put a gro-thru ring over the tuber so it will have good support as it grows. It is rather impossible to put these on after the fact and they are considerable more attractive than a bamboo stake.

Fertilize your lawn and garden if you have not already done so. Remember, if you are trying to create healthy, organic soil then don’t use a chemical fertilizer. Instead you should use only and organic fertilizer. Use the chemicals in your flower pots.

Start planning your window boxes and patio planters. This is a good time to come to the nursery and get ideas. We like to mix up our containers to create long season interest. We use small trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and annuals. We would love to help you with your creation.

Flowers invite birds and bees into your garden thus ensuring more pollination. Don’t forget to tuck some annuals into your vegetable patch both to deter certain insects (marigolds work well for this) and to increase your vegetable production.