In March you begin to see the flush of
new growth on many plants.
* Prune your non-blooming evergreen trees and
shrubs. Cut to the height and width you want. Remove any old
weak steams at the ground level. Follow by feeding them with a high
nitrogen fertilizer.
* Prune blooming evergreens like rhododendrons, camellias
and azaleas if necessary, but only after they have bloomed. Feed them
with an acid-loving fertilizer like Espomas Holly-Tone.
* Plant berries like strawberries, raspberries,
blueberries, blackberries, currants, gooseberries, and other great sweet
treats. Remember to use a Transplant Fertilizer.
* Prune your summer blooming clematis one foot from the
ground. Wait to prune your spring blooming clematis until after it
has bloomed.
* Now is the time to plant summer blooming bulbs like
dahlias, gladiolas and lilies. Shop early for the best
selection. When planting remember to amend your soil with a bulb
food.
* Begin preparing the soil in your edible garden by mixing
in well aged compost or a soil amendment like NW Best Soil Builder and Top
Dressing.
* Last chance to spray your fruit trees before the buds
break. For tips on dormant spraying check out our website at www.als-gardencenter.com.
The warmer weather in April makes for more gardening
fun!
It’s time to get your lawn into shape. Fertilize it now and allow
spring rains to carry the fertilizer into the soil to feed your roots. If
your lawn is looking really bad, it might be time to reseed your lawn.
Once your spring-blooming shrubs and trees, like rhododendrons,
azaleas, camellias and magnolias have finished blooming, trim and prune
them back into shape.
There are many young perennials emerging. Bait for slugs and snails
before they begin dining on your tender greens.
Now is the time to feed all of your trees and shrubs with a slow
release fertilizer, like Al’s 10-4-8 Slow Release Fertilizer. This
will help them put on new lush growth.
If you haven’t already, prepare your vegetable beds by adding
compost and other organic materials, like Al’s Premium Compost with
Mycorrhizae. Once your vegetable beds are ready, you can begin by planting
broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, chives,
leeks, lettuce, peas, radishes, rhubarb, spinach and turnips.
If you want to get a jump start on the season by planting your tomato
starts outside now, you need to protect them from frost by using
walls-of-water or other protective screens. For the best performance,
plant your tomato starts with Espoma’s Tomato-tone and lime. This
will help them grow and prevent blossom end rot.
Control rose diseases such as black spot and powdery mildew. Remove
infected leaves and spray with a fungicide.
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