Bunny and Tulip
Sometimes it would be nice to have a plant tell you, quite clearly, what is troubling it. Unfortunately, plants don’t speak English but they frequently use a botanical sign language. Be careful though, their sign language is tricky! A wilted plant may be dry or it may have too much water. If the plants could speak for themselves, here’s some things they would like to tell you.
    • Tulips are a favorite of rabbits and deer but the plants don’t particularly like being munched. There are lots of ideas to deter the munchers including bars of soap and cayenne pepper. The only product I’ve ever had any luck with is “Liquid Fence” but it smells so horrible it repels both the rabbits and the gardener!
    • The early blooming Daffodils are finished with their show and they feel droopy. Cut off the spent flowers both because they don’t look nice and also so the plant doesn’t expend energy on seeds. Allow the foliage to remain until it turns yellow to nourish the bulbs.
    • The turf grass feels like it’s suffocated and squished. Core aerating the lawn at this time of year increases the oxygen in the root zone for your lawn and promotes healthy growth.
    • The roses think last years’ canes are too heavy and they are ready to be cut back. If you didn’t cut your roses back in the fall (or only cut them back part way), they’re beginning to bud out and are ready for their spring trim. Look for the first or second outward facing bud, then cut at a diagonal just above the bud. If some canes died over the winter, cut them back as low to the ground as possible.
    • Cool-season vegetable seeds, such as lettuce, spinach and peas, are eager to get out of their seed packets and directly into the vegetable garden soil.

Are your plants trying to say something but you don’t understand them? Perhaps I can interpret!  Send me an email, call or text me at (970) 988-3808 to chat about your plants.

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