February/March 2009 Garden Tips
1 Carefully remove heavy snow from evergreens and shrubs. Use a broom handle to gently shake branches.
2 Use sand rather than de-icers on sidewalks and driveways; it won’t harm the plants or the environment.
3 Prune shade trees, crabapple, mountain ash, oaks, elms, birch, hawthorns, honey locust, and fruit trees.
4 Check on deer damage to young trees and shrubs reapply deer repellant, wrap, or fencing as needed.
5 Avoid over-watering houseplants.
6 Check on your stored tender corms and bulbs to make sure they are not molding or drying out too much. If the storage material is dry, lightly mist it with water to keep the bulbs in good shape.
7 Shop garden centers now for the best selection of seeds. If you are starting seed indoors, use fresh seed starting mix, which is designed especially to allow excellent drainage—critical to preventing damping off or other causes of seedling death.
8 Review last year’s photos of your gardens and containers. Start developing ideas of what you want to add, change and repeat.
9 Tune up your mower and sharpen the blades on your tools.
10 Make an appointment today with a landscape designer to get your plans going for the upcoming season. Now is an ideal time to take this consulting step using photos and winter views of your landscape. Order materials early to lock in a good price and contact a designer for a head start on your 2009 landscape plan.
11 Cut pussy willows, forsythia, apple branches, and other spring flowering woody plants to force indoors for a bit of early spring color. Place stems in room temperature water out of direct sunlight.
12 Bring a little green inside by planting some seeds for your garden. Feel free to be “green” yourself by recycling empty yogurt containers or pudding cups—just punch holes in the bottom. Or, reuse last year’s packs and flats.
RESOURCES
Schulte’s Greenhouse and Nursery
763-497-3747
Drummers Garden Center & Floral
507-388-4877
Heidi’s Lifestyle Gardens
763-475-4969
The Mustard Seed Landscaping & Garden Center
952-361-9954
Lakedale Landscaping, Nursery and Tree Care
320-532-3594
6 ISSUES (1 YEAR)
