If you haven’t done so yet, NOW is the time to prune all the spring blooming shrubs like azaleas for next year. Mother nature has been very good to us this spring with lots of rain. Let’s hope it continues thru August when all the spring bloomers set their buds for next year.

Deadheading is the big June and July job! Many annuals and perennials bloom better when deadheaded. It is a must for our beautiful geraniums! BUT CLIP don’t pull the dead flower stem from the geraniums. You could split the branches causing them to take longer to re-bloom. Adding a little slow release fertilizer now also would help them re-bloom as well.Follow package instructions for best results. With all the rain we have been blessed with, the soil could use more nutrients. If you geraniums are looking a little yellow, you can use 2 tbsps. of Epson Salts to a gallon of water and that will green them right up. Your annuals and perennials could also use the deadheading and hit of fertilizer as well.  Look for a slow release fertilizer that doesn’t have a high nitrogen number. That’s the first number in the NPK (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium).

Enjoy all the gorgeous hydrangeas blooming now as well. But remember the big Mophead variety will need to be cut back (if needed) by the middle of August so when the plant sets their buds for next year, you will not cut off the buds by pruning the wrong time of the year.

You can also read the June 9, 2016 article for more information on both Day lilies and getting them to re-bloom and the Chrysanthemums tip so they bloom in September or October when u want them to bloom.