LILACS grow best in full sun, in well-drained soil, with one cup of 8-8-8 and 3 cups of agricultural lime placed underneath the foliage mass every 3 years. The Persian and Korean lilacs are often preferred over the common lilac.

PRUNE SPRING FLOWING SHRUBS. Just as flowers begin to fade is the best time to prune spring-flowing shrubs, such as the spireas, flowering quince, azaleas, viburnums, and forsythia.

MARTIN BIRD & BLUEBIRD HOUSES can go up by mid-March.

CARE OF SHADE TREES – (1) Never disturb the root system, any digging or hoeing which damages roots can slow tree growth; (2) keep grass away from the tree trunk for the first few years to reduce the competition for nutrients and water. The mulched area should extend to the tree’s drip line. Avoid deep mulches around the base of the tree.

DIVIDE ESTABLISHED PERENNIALS that are overgrown. This is an easy way to enlarge your garden without having to purchase more plants. Two spading forks can be used to separate clumps of overgrown perennials.

APPLY PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDES to shrub beds by mid-March. Popular materials for weed control are Surflan, Dacthal, Devrinol, and Ronstar. Use these chemicals before mulching the beds.

REPOT HOUSEPLANTS – To keep potted plants healthy they should be repotted each spring, scrub and old pot with soap and water or a 10% Clorox solution before reusing and repot in good garden soil and peat moss or better yet, use commercial potting soil. Do not fertilize the first month.

FOR A LOW MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPE, plant areas of dense shade with ground covers (examples are Pachysandra, periwinkle, ajuga, or ivy, and sweet wooddrift) instead of grass. Ground covers are also especially useful in an area susceptible to erosion.

PRE-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL FOR TURF. Crabgrass preventers should be applied while the forsythia is in bloom.

VOLES OR (PINE MICE) can ruin prize ornamentals by chewing away the bark on trunks and roots. Populations build up during the winter months. To control voles use snap traps baited with a piece of apple. Hardware cloth wire mesh can be wrapped around the lower trunks of specimen plants. Rozol bait is approved for chemical control.

PLANT COOL SEASON VEGETABLES (beets, carrots, Swiss chard, lettuce, onion sets, radishes, and spinach.)

MULCH STRAWBERRY BEDS at bloom time to keep berries clean.

CUT back old strands of ivy to 3 inch heights.

FERTILIZE AND LIME VEGETABLE garden before planting.

PLANT A TREE for Arbor Day.

TUNE UP garden equipment.

TUNE UP YOURSELF. A regimen of exercise before the garden season will prevent back injuries.

TURN A 5-GALLON BUCKET into a tool holder/garden basket by tying a carpenter’s tool pouch to the outside.

USE FROZEN JUICE CONCENTRATE containers, paper towel inner rolls cut into 3 inch rings to protect seedlings from cutworms.

PRUNE OFF faded flowers of daffodil but leave the foliage undisturbed.

FERTILIZE BOXWOODS once each year with a mix of cottonseed meal and 10-10-10 fertilizer – use 1/4 cup per plant.

USE POLYESTER plant covers or bed sheets for frost protection in the garden.

FERTILIZING TREES AND SHRUBS – Now’s an excellent time to apply fertilizer before the new growth begins. Use a special nursery fertilizer, 10-10-10, or a law fertilizer with the nitrogen less than 18%.

TREES: Deep-feeding gives best results in compacted soils. Surface feeding often is consumed by grass and tends to bring tree roots to the surface to be damaged by heat. So, fertilize trees by making a series of 1 1/2 inch diameter holes, 6-8 inches deep. Begin holes about 4-6 feet from the trunk, and extend them just beyond the spread of the branches. Holes should be slanted at a 45 degree angle, not straight down. Use 1 to 1 1/2 pounds complete fertilizer (10-10-10) per year of age of tree.

SHRUBS: Most shrubs respond well to a feeding of high nitrogen (slow release) fertilizer such as 16-4-8 or a special nursery blend. Do not permit fertilizer to touch stems of plan. Apply 2 teaspoons per foot of plant height or spread. Evergreen shrubs need fertilizing only once a year.

PERENNIAL PLANTS should be set out this month so they may become established before hot weather sets in. Prepare beds using leaf compost or pine bark. Incorporate superphosphate before planting. Get surplus plants that your friends and neighbors have divided and taken out of their garden and set out now.

SUMMER BULBS can be planted in late April. This covers dahlias, gladiolus, tuberoses, fancy-leafed caladiums, elephant ears, amaryllis and cannas. Start digging and storing early flowering bulbs such as ranunculus and anemones as their foliage begins to yellow.

BROWN ROT OF PEACHES AND FIREBLIGHT OF APPLES AND PEARS are common diseases this time of year. Sprays should be applied during bloom.

SPOT ANTHRACNOSE OF DOGWOODS begins to show up now. A pro and post-bloom fungicide spraying is recommended. Keep the tree watered and fertilized well.

SPRAY ROSES every 7-10 days until frost, beginning with the onset of new growth.

AZALEAS & CAMELLIAS do best with 2 light fertilizer applications using organics or a special azalea product following spring bloom. Regular pruning, mulching and irrigation are a must to keep these plants flowering well.

SLUG HOTEL – Control slugs and snails using carbaryl and metaldehyde baits placed in empty plastic food containers. Keep the lid on and cut out 3/4 inch holes in the sides.

TRANSPLANT AZALEAS so you can match and group by color. They like some shade.

SPRAY – Red-tip photinia with Daconil or Bayleton fungicide for leaf spot problem; wooden homes and wooden lawn furniture for carpenter bees; iris beds for iris borers; azaleas for lacebugs.

KEEP WRITING in your garden diary.

AS YOU SET OUT YOUNG VEGETABLE PLANTS – cover them with the top half of milk jugs. This protects them from sun and wind burn.

MAKE A TEPEE TRELLIS from a sing stout wooden pole set firmly in the ground. Attach support strings three-quarters of the way around to form tepee framework. Plant edible-podded peas near string ends. Children love it.

MOW FESCUE LAWNS at 2 1/2 to 3” Summer grass lawns (Zoysia/bermuda) at 1/2 – 1 1/2″. Fertilize Zoysiagrass at this time.

STAKE growing peonies. Don’t worry about the ants.

WATCH OUT for late frost.

COMPOST BINS can be constructed. Equal parts by weight of grass clippings and leaves make a fine compost.

PREPARE PLANTS NOW FOR DRY WEATHER – Dryness can be guarded against by using a thin layer of mulch (2 – 3 inches) of pine straw, shredded leaves, wood chips, or bark to conserve water in the soil for use by the plant – place mulch around base of plants. Check with the power company for a load of shredded wood chips (compost these for 4 – 6 months before using around plants). Consider using landscape fabrics underneath the mulch in dry soils.

HERBICIDE CAN BE USED to control weeds prior to planting vegetables and flowers. Round-Up is a common weed killer that can be used.

FROST SENSITIVE BEDDING PLANTS can be safely planted the first week of May. Be careful about the amount of fertilizer used at planting time. One pound per 100 square feet.

PINCH PLANTS FOR FLOWERS – Pinch back mums, zinnia, salvia (red sage), cockscomb (celosia), petunias, marigolds, and snapdragons to slow down top growth, encourage lateral branching and more blooms. Use your index finger and thumbnail to break out the lead growth at tip of plant.

DIVIDE CANNAS. Clumps of cannas should be divided every three or four years to encourage flowering and set root sections 5 – 6 inches deep. 15 inches apart.

FERTILIZE CRAPE MYRTLES AND ROSE OF SHARON with one cup of 10-10-10 per plant to get abundant summer bloom throughout the summer months; additional applications are needed in June and August. Spray twice this month for aphid control (insecticidal Soap, oil or chemicals are needed) If mildew occurs, apply Benomyl or Bayleton fungicides.

AZALEA LEAF GALL shows up now. Swollen leaves covered with a white powdery material may be seen – it is not too destructive – just pick off the leaves and burn them to prevent spread of the leaf gall.

HANG UP THE HUMMINGBIRD FEEDERS!

CUTTING A ROSE – The removal of too much wood and foliage can seriously weaken your roses, especially during the first year. Leave 2 – 3 well-developed leaves between the cut and the main stem. A mixture of half Sprite and half water makes a good floral preservative in your vase.

GIVE HOUSE PLANTS A VACATION – Potted plants grown indoors over winter can become a part of the garden setting now. All types of indoor plants, including your collection of foliage plants, may be placed in the shady garden border, mostly among shrubs. Lot plants spend the summer outdoors to thrive in nature’s rains and fresh air. Control insect pests as needed with Safer soap products or 10% alcohol in water.

PRUNE WISTERIA NOW AND THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER to control size and shape.

CHECK FOR BORERS ON DEODORA CEDARS – Boers on those trees can weaken the tree and make it more susceptible to winter injury. A chemical such as lindane or thiodan can be sprayed to help control borers.

BERMUDAGRASS (WIREGRASS) IS EASY TO CONTROL in ornamental plantings thanks to new grass herbicides Vantage and Grass-B-Gon Spray before grass is 6” high.

CHECK WITH LOCAL GARDEN SHOPS for innovations in drip irrigation. A drip system with timer can be a great labor-saver when dry weather arrives.

SIDE DRESS (fertilize) vegetables 6 weeks after planted.

SPRAY RED TIP PHOTINIA if leaf spot is observed.

PLANT TENDER VEGETABLES and annuals {ex. tomatoes, peppers, melons – flowers – marigolds, zinnias, etc.)

CONTINUE REMOVING THE TIPS from fast-growing evergreens at growth intervals of 6 – 8”.

FOR BUSHY PINES cut back the new growth 1/3 to 1/2 in late May.

PLANTING CONTAINER GROWN PLANTS – Unless the container is one of the plantable types, always remove the plant from the container. The planting hole should be twice as wide as the root ball and the same depth as the root ball. If the soil has poor structure add a soil conditioner like ground pine bark mulch. Set plant at same level it was growing in container or higher. If roots of plant are pot bound, make 3 or 4 slits with a knife down sides of root ball. Fill in around roots with soil, bark mixture. Water heavily to remove any air pockets around the roots. Mulch with pine straw or other mulching material to hold moisture in the soil. In poorly drained soil, rototill the bed and plant high or install French drains and berms. Bring in good topsoil and mulch well.

REMOVE FLOWER SEEDS – As you make the rounds of your garden, clip away faded flowers of plants that make seed including crepe myrtle & rhododendron to help develop more flower buds for next seasons bloom.

DIG FLOWER BULBS As soon as foliage dies down, dig tulips. Dutch iris, narcissus, and other hardy bulbs. Divide and replant bulbs immediately, or store in a cool, dry place and plant them this fall. It isn’t necessary to dig them up each year, but at least take them up and divide often enough to keep them from becoming root bound.

MAKE A CRITICAL SURVEY OF YOUR LANDSCAPE now that deciduous trees and shrubs are in leaf. Note if you seem to have too much, or too little, by way of plantings. Late this fall, or during the winter months, you can add to or subtract from plantings. Remove dead/dying wood from trees at this time.

SUMMER PRUNING – For bushy well-shaped plants that bloom profusely, prune shrubs as they grow. Prune by cutting or pinching out growing tips to make vigorous new shoots from several branches. In June, summer prune abelia, forsythia, privets, mock orange, deutzia, althea, bush honeysuckle, weigelia and euonymus.

PRUNE CLIMBING ROSES after they bloom: fertilize at that time.

WARM SEASON SOD REPLACEMENT. Now is the time to replace any warm season turf that has suffered disease or cold damage. Sod can be purchased in rolls or square pieces. Cut the damaged area out with a shovel and lay the new sod in the hole. Water the sod heavily one time. Then keep the sod moist until the root system takes hold and can support itself.

TOP DRESS WARM SEASON TURF with about 1 lb. of nitrogen per 1000 sq. feet. The extra nitrogen will help the turf grow during its optimum growing months of June, July, and August.

USE GOLF TEES TO FIND OR MARK LOCATION of spring bulbs or dormant plants.

NOW’S THE TIME TO:

1. Snap off growing tips of your chrysanthemum plants when they’re about 6 inches tall. They’ll branch and bloom more profusely. Also side dress with fertilizer (bone meal and compost).
2. Feed nandinas with a complete fertilizer (8-8-8) so their bright berries will last through winter,
3. Encircle lilacs with a complete fertilizer, rake it in and water thoroughly.
4. Stake and tie brittle, new clematis stalks. Prune clematis after they bloom.
5. Stake dahlias when you plant them so they’ll have support later and will not be damaged by staking after plants have grown large.
6. Keep all old flower blooms cut from annuals. This enables plants to produce more blooms for a longer period.
7. Start stem cuttings of geraniums, leaf cuttings of succulents to be potted and used as house plants over-winter. Use equal parts of peatmoss and perlite as a medium.
8. Mulch azaleas, gardenias and camellias with 2 to 3 inches of leafmold or peat moss.
9. Transplant seedlings of annuals such as marigolds and zinnias if the stands are too thick. Give all annual plants plenty of space to develop by thinning and transplanting.

WEED IN THE COOL-COOL-COOL OF THE EVENING – If weeds have grown so large that pulling them will disturb roots of nearby garden plants, do the weeding in late afternoon or in cloudy weather. By so doing, you give nearby injured or disturbed plants time to repair the damage before they again face the hot summer sun.

EXCEPTIONAL PLANTS TO PLANT FOR FALL COLOR:

Chrysanthemums – an excellent perennial flower for fall color. Plant rooted cuttings in flower beds, planters, or tubs on patio. Pinch out the tips of garden mums to encourage lower, compact plants with many flowers.

Copper P1ant (Acalypha) – a bronze or copper-colored plant that thrives in full sun. Needs winter protection.

Alternanthera (Joseph’s Coat) – a low, creeping annual that is very colorful in summer and fall.

Impatiens and Coleus – annuals of many different colors. Plant in partial shade.

Flowering cabbage (kale), Ornamental peppers, and Jerusalem cherries are tender annuals grown from seed in the spring. (Keep away from children).

Daylilies – Tubers of daylilies (hemerocallis) may be planted at almost anytime of year but “take” well when planted in early spring or late summer. Stems vary in height from 6 inches to 6 feet. By selecting varieties that bloom at different times, you can have flowers all summer. Leave tubers in the ground until they become crowded – usually 3 – 4 years. Daylily proliferations are those grass-like stalks. They may be pulled off and rooted in moist sand for more plants of good varieties you wish to multiply.

Pansy seed – Late in July, place pansy seed in the refrigerator (not home freezer) for 10 – 14 days. Then plant in flats or plant bed outdoors.

SHADE TREES MAY NEED MORE WATER. Shade trees in declining health may simply be thirsty. Most of the water should be placed at the outer reaches of the root system where the small root hairs which take up the soil moisture are located. When you water a tree, water deeply – apply sufficient water so the soil is quite moist to a depth of at least one foot.

BAGWORMS ON EVERGREENS Hand pick the bags (or use Dipel spray).

ROOT CUTTINGS OF AZALEA, CAMELLIA, AND HOLLY. Use a soil mix of equal parts peat moss and either perlite or sand.

GIVE LANDSCAPE PLANTS A SECOND feeding of fertilizer to increase size.

STOP PINCHING chrysanthemums mid-July.

REMEMBER TO CHANGE directions when mowing lawn,

PINCH BACK old bloom heads of rhododendrons.

BLOSSOM END ROT on tomatoes? Too little water or too little lime may be the reason.

STAKE TALL flowers or vegetables.

REMOVE last vestiges of daffodil foliage.

DEADHEAD annuals. (Pick off dead blooms)

WATCH FOR WHITEFLIES – Control with malathion, insecticidal soap, or summer oil. Repeat application at least once a week.

PRUNE bleeder trees such as maple, dogwood, birch, and elm. Prune hedges as needed.

WATERING – Remember to give a thorough soaking when you water shrubs, flowers, or lawns. Frequent sprinklings can do more harm than good. You want to encourage the growth of a deep root system. When watering shrubs during dry periods of summer and fall, be sure to apply enough water so moisture will move downward to root system. It is helpful to make a 3 – 4 inch mound of soil about 18 – 24 inches outward from shrubs. Let water flood inside mound and soak downward to roots. If you use overhead irrigation on shrubs apply water at some time other than late afternoon because moisture on leaves overnight may encourage disease growth.

MULCHING – Mulching of shrubs and young trees can be very important in hot, dry weather. Shallow roots are protected from the sun, moisture is conserved, weeds and grasses are controlled with a good mulch. A 3 – 4 inch layer of pine straw, oak leaves, peat moss, or leaf mold will help to grow strong, healthy plants.

TRANSPLANT IRIS AND DAYLILY – August is a good month in which to transplant iris and daylily. By doing so now, new transplants will have time to become well established before cold weather.

FALL CONDITIONING is a term gardeners are beginning to hear. It involves the use of high potash and phosphate fertilizer (no nitrogen) to slow down growth and harden plants for winter. Camellias, gardenias, azaleas, and sometimes boxwoods are fed in August with such as a 0-14-14 fertilizer to toughen them up so they are less likely to he injured by extreme winter weather.

STIMULATE WISTERIA – If you have a wisteria vine that has declined in flowering the last few years, the trouble could be excessive vegetative growth. Wisteria may be induced to bloom more freely if rampant growth is stopped now. Cut back runners and root-prune with a sharp spade. Insert the blade to its full depth in a semi-circle about 6 feet from the main stem of established plants.

SPRAY AZALEAS IN LATE AUGUST for control of lacebugs Orthenel. Two sprays at 10-day intervals are needed now and again in April.

PRUNE MAPLES, DOGWOODS, AND BIRCH at this time. Also, remove suckers and water spouts from trees.

PLANT FAIL VEGETABLES, cabbage greens, lettuce, broccoli, squash.

FERTILIZE warm season grasses – Do not fertilize shrubs.

SUBMIT soil samples so lime can be applied in fall.

FERTILIZE strawberry patch with nitrogen.

PLANT PANSY seeds in flats for landscaping in September.

TRIM YOUR RED TIP for fall color.

CHECK FOR CATERPILLARS on azaleas, cherry and pecan trees.

APPLY PRE-EMERGENT lawn killer for chickweed — balan or dacthol.

IF NEW LAWN get soil ready for new seeding in September.

KEEP AN EYE out for oakworms and sawfly larvae. Although foliage stripped from shade trees is not injurious in late summer, the worms may be a nuisance.

USE A 5-GALLON BUCKET with two 1/4″ holes in bottom to drip water young trees. Two buckets per week.

LAWN SEEDING – September is the optimum time to start seeding and renovating fescue lawns. Fertilize lawns in September, November, and February for good root growth. Turf-type fescues varieties have finer textures than K-31, are more shade tolerant and make a dense green turf. Use a slow-release lawn fertilizer in hot weather, and a seed starter fertilizer when seeding a new lawn. Liming is a must for a good lawn.

AUTUMN COLOR IDEAS – Ginkgo trees (Maidenhair trees) are becoming an important source of brilliant yellow color. Among other good choices for foliage color from trees are: Sweet Gum, Red Maple, Southern Sugar Maple Japanese Maple, Sourwood, Crepe Myrtle, and chrysanthemums, contribute much to the colorful autumn scene. As autumn merges into winter, you’ll want to accent the landscape scene with berry color from such plants as pyracantha, nandina, viburnum, beautyberry, and many of the holly group. The ever-popular shade-loving aucuba has a dwarf form which appears to be more reliable regarding berry production. Don’t forget the brilliant red foliage of the burning bush (euonymous alata) or rabbiteye blueberries.

BULB PLANTING – If you are planning spring color from bulbs, now’s the time to order for late October and November plantings. For best landscape effect, plant groups of bulbs in between shrubs, or scatter bulbs in wooded areas to naturalize them; avoid planting in straight lines. Use a bulb fertilizer.

FRUIT TREES – Many well planned landscapes include fruit trees as seasonal accents to the front or side yard. A flowering pear, peach, apple, crabapple, or cherry is every bit as showy as a flowering dogwood in the spring.

GARDEN COMPOST – Of continuing importance is the gardening practice of composting leaves and other garden refuse. Never burn or throw them away. Grinders, compost hasteners, fertilizers, and lime all help to decompose the compost pile – making it available for garden use next spring,

CONTROLLING BLUEGRASS AND CHICKWEED is made simple by using pre-emergent herbicides applied in mid-September in the lawn and shrub plantings.

OVERSEED WARM SEASON GRASSES with rye grass in late September.

PLANT PANSIES and flowering kale/cabbage for fall color.

LATE IN MONTH divide peonies. Cover their buds with 2 Inches of soil, then mulch.

CONTINUE spraying roses.

COLLECT DRY SEED PODS, unusual leaves, rose hips, etc. for dry arrangements. Air dry those materials in a cool, dark location.

TREAT LAWNS FOR GRUBS. More than 5 grubs per square foot indicates a serious problem. Fall applications are preferred to spring treatments,