Hort Tips

March - Edible

Start cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts indoors for transplants. Factsheet available.

Start seeds for eggplant, tomato and peppers late in the month.

Try heirloom varieties of vegetables. Factsheet available.

Try oriental vegetables. Factsheet available.

March - Ornamental

Prune shade trees. Avoid "bleeders" such as maple, birch and elm. Prune oaks in the fall to avoid oak wilt disease. Factsheet available.

Try perennials in shady areas. Factsheet available.

Prune summer flowering shrubs like snowball hydrangea and pink spirea.

Prune grapes, raspberries, blueberries and fruit trees early in month when temperatures are above freezing.

Remove mulch from roses and perennial flowers if they begin to sprout; keep mulch near in case of cold snap.

Swarming insects? Termites or ants? Factsheet available.

Divide summer and fall blooming perennials in spring. Factsheet available.

Control apple scab. Factsheet available.

Control iris borer by cleaning up and destroying old foliage before new growth appears.

Choose a lawn care service. Factsheet available.

Cut ornamental grasses back to the ground.

Prune summer blooming clematis just before new growth begins. Factsheet available.

Prune Taxus (yews) in late March or early April. Cut back to green shoots.

Spray fruit trees before buds open with a dormant oil if scale or insects were a problem. Temperatures must be above 32°F with no chance of freezing within 24 hours after spraying.

March - Interior

Repot root-bound houseplants into pot one size larger. Factsheet available.

Fertilize houseplants as growth occurs.

April - Edible

Plant asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, beets, carrots, radish, potatoes, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, peas, rhubarb, spinach, parsley and turnips.

Plant strawberries. Plant so soil level is just above where roots begin. Twenty-five plants will produce twenty-five quarts of strawberries.

Start cucumber, summer squash and watermelon seeds indoors.

Keep rabbits out of the vegetable garden. Factsheet available.

Have soil tested. Soil testing booklet available. Call 773-233-0476

Plant "straw potatoes." Factsheet available.

April - Ornamental

Try disease-resistant crabapples. For a list of disease-resistant varieties call 773-233-0476.

Protect peonies from botrytis blight; apply Bordeaux mixture spray to buds and when first shoots appear.

Prune off webs of Eastern tent caterpillars. Factsheet available.

Rake winter debris from the lawn.

Initiate rose disease prevention as soon as growth begins. Factsheet available.

Apply pre-emergent crabgrass control in late April or early May. Factsheet available.

Plant late flowering magnolias for reliable blooming. Factsheet available.

Mow groundcovers to remove winter burned foliage. Fertilize and water after mowing to encourage rapid regrowth.

To re-use clay pots from year to year, scrub off any dirt and soak them for 30 minutes in a 10 percent bleach solution. Use nine parts room temperature water to one part liquid chlorine bleach.

Sign up for Home Lawn Care Course. You will receive three lessons, one a week. The course, written by University of Illinois horticulturists, covers all the basics of lawn care: seeding, sodding, watering, mowing, fertilization, weeds, grubs and lawn diseases. Send $10 to Lawn Care Course, University of Illinois Extension, 3807 West 111^th Street, Chicago, IL 60655. For questions about this course call 773-233-0476.

April - Interior

Plant Easter lilies outdoors after they have finished blooming. Factsheet available.

Start caladiums and tuberous begonias indoors. Factsheet available.

May - Edible

Potatoes and green peppers produce better when grown over a white plastic mulch.

Harvest green onions, lettuce and radishes from early garden.

Plant melons, peppers, eggplant, sweet potatoes and other warm season vegetables. Factsheets available.

Check to see if bees are visiting blossoms on fruit trees. Numerous bee visits mean a good fruit set.

Soak roots of fruit trees and small fruits before planting.

Tomatoes started from seed can be planted in the garden when they have 5-7 leaves.

Use heavy duty mesh for reinforcing concrete for tomato cages. It will last forever and not rust. Factsheet available.

Deep transplanting is good for tomatoes. Remove all leaves that would be under the soil. New roots will sprout along the stem.

Use a garden hose to outline a new garden bed.

Cut or pinch off flowers in new strawberry plantings. Factsheet available.

Protect transplants from cutworms with collars. Cut strips of cardboard 2" wide by 8" long and staple them into a band and place around plants. Press collar about one inch into the soil.

Harden off vegetable transplants before planting. Put outdoors for two hours first day and one hour or so each day for a week.

Plant several varieties of sweet corn with different maturity dates.

Begin spray schedule to control diseases and insects on fruit trees.

Continue to harvest mature plantings of asparagus and rhubarb so they will keep growing. Factsheet available.

Water transplanted tomatoes using a 2 liter plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. Drill a hole in the cap. Stick the cap end 6-8 inches into the soil and fill bottle with water. Place bottle about 12" from transplant.

Mark the handle of your spade or hoe in inches for a handy measuring device for row width and planting distances. Paint or tape the measurements on the handle. A coat of varnish can make the marks last longer.

Cover tender vegetables with floating row covers (Reemay) or old blankets or sheets when frost is predicted. Will provide protection down to 28 degrees F.

Continue to harvest mature plantings of asparagus and rhubarb so they will keep growing.

Plant muskmelon and watermelon at end of month.

May - Ornamentals

Avoid floppy peonies by planting the smaller flower Japanese singles.

Plant trees, shrubs and fruit trees.

Plant multiflora petunias. They withstand storms and heat better than other types of petunias.

Plant annuals, perennial flowers and herbs near the end of May.

Mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs. This practice reduces weeds, reduces fluctuations in soil temperature, retains moisture, prevents damage from lawn mowers and looks attractive. Factsheet available.

Make a tomato cage birdbath. Buy a tomato cage, a large plastic flower pot saucer, morning glory seeds and string. Criss-cross string through the cage. Place saucer on top of cage. Plant morning glory seeds around cage. Fill saucer with water.

Choose plants that are easy to maintain. Plants that do not need "deadheading" include begonias, impatiens, coleus, alyssum, ageratum, lobelia, vinca and salvia.

Prune most spring flowering shrubs like forsythia, viburnum and lilacs after bloom.

Plant gladiolus corms early this month. Plant corms every 7-10 days for blooms all summer.

Finish uncovering roses and tender perennials.

Do not refuel a gasoline powered engine when it is hot or running. The exhaust could ignite gasoline. Let engine cool 5 minutes before refueling.

Allow spring bulb foliage to die naturally. Leaves manufacture the food resources which are stored in the bulb for a repeat showing next year.

Grow statice, globe amaranth and strawflowers for drying. Factsheet available.

As leaves emerge on roses spray with appropriate fungicide every 7-20 days to prevent blackspot.

Pinch back annuals when 4 to 6 inches high to promote bushy growth. Some that require pinching are zinnias, petunias and salvia.

Avoid deep cultivation of evergreens that might wound roots. Evergreens have many roots near the soil surface.

Lawns maintained at the correct height resist disease and weed infestation. Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue should be kept between 2 to 3 inches in height. Mow frequently, removing no more than one third of the blade at each cutting.

Use impatiens in shady areas. Begonias, coleus, ageratum, salvia and vinca prefer light shade (5 to 6 hours of sunlight).

Don't spray pesticides on a windy day. Not only is pesticide wasted, it may endanger other crops, animals or people.

Put your tools away at the end of the day; clean them and hang them up, if possible. Keep the cutting edge sharp for easier use.

Raised beds should be no wider than four feet so plants can be reached from both sides.

Regularly water newly planted trees and shrubs during the first year or two after planting to help establish a good root system. They need at least one inch of water each week.

Make a support rod for your hanging baskets using an old mop or broom handle. Place two sturdy hooks into your porch or patio roof about as far apart as the handle is long. Suspend the rod with two equal lengths of chain. The rod can hold several hanging baskets, depending on size.

Break up the overgrown roots of container grown plants with a knife or trowel.

Grass clippings can be used as a mulch in flower beds and vegetable gardens if allowed to dry well before use. Fresh, damp, grass clippings will mat and may attract pests. Never use clippings from a lawn that has been treated with a herbicide.

Cut off dead flower heads of tulips and daffodils.

Identify garden insects before spraying with an insecticide.

May - Indoors

Cacti will bloom sooner if they are root bound in a small pot.

Avoid chilling houseplants by watering them with cold tap water. Let water stand until it reaches room temperature.

Water dry houseplants before fertilizing and never fertilize wilted plants. Adding fertilizer to a dry root ball burns the roots, damaging or killing the plant.

Avoid over potting African violets. They bloom better in small pots.

June - Edible

In late June stop harvesting asparagus and fertilize.

Harvest peas when pods are plump. After harvesting replant the area.

Keep cucumbers consistently moist to keep them from becoming bitter.

Do not walk through a garden after watering or rain. This can spread disease.

Do not worry about June fruit drop on fruit trees. It is a natural occurrence.

Make a homemade grow bag. Fill a large, heavy-duty, plastic trash bag with a soil mix (Pro-mix) and plant a tomato.

Plant green soybeans. They have a buttery, crunchy flavor. Are a snack food in Japan.

Factsheet and seed source available.

Stake tomato plants with 4'-5' stakes.

Plant cucumber varieties ‘Spacemaster' and ‘Salad Bush' for small gardens or containers.

Plant beans, cucumbers, squash, sweet corn and late tomatoes.

Side-dress eggplants, tomatoes and peppers with fertilizer when they set their first fruit.

Do not slice a tomato until you are ready to eat it. According to USDA research a tomato loses its aroma and flavor just three minutes after slicing.

Mulch tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. Mulches help keep down weeds and conserve moisture. Different colored mulch materials reflect different wave lengths of light and have produced noticeable results. Tomato harvests increased significantly in both size and quality when plants were grown over red plastic. Gardeners Supply 128 Intervale Road, Burlington, VT 05401, offers red plastic mulch for tomatoes.

Catch earwigs and sowbugs by trapping them in moistened, rolled up newspapers. The earwigs and sowbugs will hide in the paper during the day. Dispose of the newspapers.

Make a vegetable cleaning box. Replace the bottom of a wooden box with chicken wire. Place just picked vegetables in box and rinse off.

Harvest strawberries.

Water the garden with the equivalent of one inch of water per week.

To protect bees that pollinate many of our crop plants, spray pesticides in the evening after bees have returned to their hives.

Make a sunflower room for the kids. Draw a square in the soil and plant sunflowers around the square. Leave an open space for kids to go in their outdoor room.

Prune and tie "staked" tomatoes plants - factsheet available.

Use about 3-4 inches layer of newspaper for a mulch around vegetables. Dip newspaper in a bucket of water before placing on ground so it will not blow around.

Plant pumpkins in early June.

Carve your child's name in the skin of a young pumpkin. Name will expand as pumpkin grows.

Check cucumbers for cucumber beetles. Beetles can cause a bacterial wilt disease. Cover with a floating row cover (Reemay) until they flower.

Grow sweet potatoes. Use the short season variety 'Georgia Jet.'

June - Ornamentals

Pinch back annuals at 4" - 6" high. Helps to promote bushy growth.

For large rose blooms disbud the side shoots from grandifloras and hybrid teas.

When you buy container grown nursery stock, check the root ball and make sure it is not bound too tightly. A mass of circling roots will stay that way even after it is in the ground.

Bug zappers kill more beneficial insects than mosquitoes. They also attract insects.

Do not use peat moss as a mulch. When it dries, it becomes impermeable to rain. It's best to mix it with soil.

Climbing roses don't really climb, they have long canes that require support. You'll need to loosely tie the canes to trellises with broad strips of material. Do not use wire, it can damage the cane.

Spray insecticides late in evening to avoid injury to bees.

Grow scented geraniums. They make great air fresheners.

Plant bottle gourds and make a birdhouse. Factsheet available.

Apply mulches to roses, annuals and perennials.

Shrubs and perennials look nice as foundation plantings, but rain may not reach under the eaves, so you may need to water frequently.

Bronze-leaved varieties of begonia do particularly well in full sun. Keep the foliage dry and provide good air circulation around the plants.

Make your own hummingbird food. Boil 4 cups of water and stir in 2 cups of sugar. Cool and fill feeder. Keep leftover food in refrigerator.

Harvest herbs just before flowering. The leaves contain the maximum essential oils. Cut herbs early on a sunny day.

Mulch clematis roots with an organic mulch 4"-6" deep. They like their roots cool.

Trees drop leaves in June. This is normal. Not to worry.

Stake perennials as needed before they become broken or damaged.

For hanging baskets in cool, shady location, use trailing tuberous begonias, ferns, impatiens or fibrous rooted begonias in combination with trailing plants, such as English ivy.

Bats can be an important weapon for insect control. A brown bat can eat 3,000-7,000 insects per day/night. Attract bats with bat houses. For free plan write to the Virginia Gardener, Department of Horticulture, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va 24061-0327.

June - Indoors

Don't rush to move your houseplants outdoors. Cool weather can cause leaf drop.

Keep cats away from diffenbachia. Diffenbachia contains a chemical that is very irritating to the animal's mouth. It can make the cat's tongue swell and interfere with breathing.

Turn houseplant pots a half turn every two days to promote even growth.

Rubber plants, Eureka palms, Peace lilies, Spider plants and pothos can make your indoor environment healthier by removing pollutants from the air.

 

Spring 2001
Finding the Best Site for a Garden Is More Than a Random Process | Build a Raised Bed | It Takes a Kernel of Skill to Grow Great Sweet Corn | Pruning Ornamentals Keeps Your Garden on the Cutting Edge | Lawn Care Calendar | Hort Shorts | Hort Tips | Mad Cow Disease | Green Eggs: The Science of Egg Cookery | Concern for Egg Safety | New National Standards for Organic Food | Your Spring Vegetable Garden Plan | Health & Household Tips | Did You Know?

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