Gardening with Tim (Union County Master Gardener)

Despite the cold temperatures, I believe that spring is at hand.  The forsythia has since bloomed and now would be the time to do any pruning that it may need.  I hope that you have already finished pruning your roses and started your spray program.

The daffodils, tulips, verbena, grape hyacinths, may night salvia, azaleas, dogwoods, and spirea are now in bloom and looking gorgeous. It is a treat to see everyone’s yard as I ramble about town. If you have not shopped for or ordered your summer bulbs, better get busy before the best ones are gone. Go ahead and get them bought now and put them in a cool place till time to plant.  I would not be in too big a hurry to plant, because the threat of a frost or even a freeze is still at hand.  Grandma used to say that you could plant your summer bulbs when the ground was warm enough to sit on when you went fishing.  The old timers also say that thunder in February means frost in April.  We did in fact have thunder on the 24^th day of February, so they say we have a chance of frost on the 24^th day of April.  I’m keeping track cause that was a new one on me this year. 

I would say that the old adage of planting your vegetables on or after Good Friday this year might just be a good bet.  Some vegetables should have already been planted.  They would be cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, lettuce, and greens.  Just keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to cover them in case of a frost or freeze.

Tender plants such as hydrangeas will need to be covered in case of a frost or freeze also.  A frost or freeze will not kill your rose bushes, but it might stunt them a bit.  If you have only a few you might consider covering them if the weather is threating, otherwise just keep a watch on them.  If they start to turn brown, just prune them back a little and they will make a comeback.  Roses are very hardy plants.

It is still not too late to use pre-emerge on your lawn to kill summer weeds.  Be sure and read the label and make sure that you use the correct one for your type of grass and be careful not to use on a windy day because it could drift into your flower beds and damage your flowers and shrubs.  The weed and feed combination products are not a favorite of mine.  After all you are trying to kill the weeds, not fertilize them.  You do not want to fertilize your lawn until it begins to green up.

If you have noticed those dreaded fire ant mounds popping up, it’s time to start treating them.  I recommend to first use a broadcast bait to treat the entire lawn and then treat the mounds a couple of days later. 

As with all fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides, please read and follow directions carefully. More is not better.  You should always wear protective clothing and a respirator when spraying and keep children and pets out of the spray area for 24 hours as a precaution.  Clean spray equipment and wash your clothes by themselves.

I noticed my first hummingbird today and it dawned on me to fill up the feeders.  We quickly boiled some sugar water and set it aside to cool.  I didn’t want the little one to do without, so I rushed into town to Fred’s and got some mix to put out for him until the good stuff that Ms. Janet makes got cool enough to put out there.  MS. Janet’s recipe is 6 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar brought to a boil and then cool.  The hummingbirds love it and we usually have lots of them over the summer.

If you have any questions please send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com  or leave me a message at the Union County Extension Office at   662-534-1916.

Happy Gardening and keep digging in the dirt.

Roses (April Care and Maintenance) Tim Burress

April is here and you should have completed all of your heavy pruning.  Lime sulphur should have been sprayed and organics applied to the bushes and worked in.

Bushes should be leafing out and some are already starting to bud.  Lady Banks should be full of buds and by the end of April she should be in full bloom.

The first week of the month give each bush about three tablespoons of a rich nitrogen fertilizer and three tablespoons of Epsom salts.  Sprinkle this mixture around the drip line of the bush and work into the soil. Mid-April, I recommend that you give each bush another dose of fertilizer. The mixture that I use is mix one tablespoon of a good rose bloom food (Bloom Kote, Super Bloom), one tablespoon of Epsom salts, one tablespoon of fish emulsion, and one tablespoon  of chelated iron.  I mix these items in a gallon of water and pour them around the drip line of each rose.  The roses that I do this to are hybrid teas, floribundas, and grandifloras.  The other roses in my landscape I give them about one half cup of triple 13.  The last week in April I repeat this same fertilizer program.  This formula is for large bushes and I cut this formula in half for mini roses and smaller new bushes.

April is also the time to get your roses on a regular spray program.  I spray all my roses every seven to ten days with a mixture of fungicide, insecticide, and miracle grow.  The only roses that I do not spray this often is knockout roses and I spray them at the beginning of the season and then once every six weeks.  The fungicides that I prefer are Compass, Daconil, Banner Maxx, and Mancozeb.  There are others on the market and Daconil is not a good choice after daytime temperatures reach 85 degrees on a daily basis. I add Malathion to this mix to control insects.  I also add a few drops of dish wash soap to the mix to make the chemicals stick to the bushes. I like to alternate the fungicides to help prevent fungi from building an immunity to them.  Keep a close watch when the buds start to show color and mist them with a hand spray bottle to control thrips and bud worms.  I use Malathion, but other insecticides will work also.  If you only have a few roses (a dozen or so) I recommend a product that is a soil drench, that you use about every six weeks.  That product is called Bayer Once and Done.  It is, however not cost effective if you have a large number of roses in your landscape.    

Sprayers are available in all sizes and styles.  I prefer the four to six gallon size that are on wheels or as a backpack and are battery powered.  These sprayers are available from Rosemania at 888-600-9665 and Rose Inc. at 918-455-7673.  Both of these companies have good reputations and have fairly quick delivery times.  These sprayers are on average $125.00 to 200.00 and are good investment if you have a large rose garden.

As always when using chemicals, especially when spraying, wear protective clothing and a respirator.  Please read the labels and follow the directions, more is not better.  If you have any questions, send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or give me a call at 662-316-0088.

Happy Gardening and Keep Digging in the Dirt.