It’s still early in the gardening season; it’s an ideal planting time!
Plant! Don’t forget to amend the soil with organic material and/or gravel when you plant.
Pull weeds. You especially want to watch for weeds that are in bloom or setting seed. At the minimum, remove the flowers and seed pods to slow the spread of weeds and unwanted plants.
Fertilize your Roses. I’ve noticed roses had a hard winter and most of last year’s canes were desiccated. Most roses are coming back from the root, but you can give your roses a boost by fertilizing now. Use a well-balanced fertilizer, with analysis numbers such as 10-10-10 or similar.
Drain standing water to discourage mosquitoes. Mosquitoes hatch and pupate in 10 days so be sure to refresh your birdbath and drain standing water weekly. Use bug spray when you work in the garden.
Hold up!
Wait to water your lawn and flower beds until they need it. We’ve received so much water this spring and soil moisture content is high. Check that your plants need water by poking a screwdriver or spade into the soil before watering. Keep an eye on your container gardens though, as they dry out quickly and are sometimes under a roof or overhang where they won’t receive rain water.
Don’t transplant or relocate plants that are in bloom. If you want to relocate some Irises, mark the ones you want to move with a landscape flag or a dot of spray paint on the leaves. Wait until they are finished blooming to divide and relocate. Same for Peonies and other blooming perennials that may need to be divided.
