Spring is in the Air... Time to get the garden and lawn ready

Each spring I make sure I have completed certain tasks by the time the Forsythia are in bloom and since they decided to burst into color a couple of weeks early this year I will follow suit and make sure that I apply my fertilizers and weed controls this upcoming weekend.

Forsythia

First the Garden:
Each spring I add a fresh layer of compost to my garden.  This year I chose the Coast of Maine Quoddy Blend Lobster Compost.  Available at select garden centers this compost is very nice mixture that will both add nutrients and also help build your beds with very rich soil. Visit www.coastofmaine.com for product information.   After adding a layer of compost I spend a some time adding fertilizer to all my perennials, trees, shrubs and rose bushes.  I like the Espoma brand.  It is 100% organic and easy to apply.  Plant-Tone, Holly-Tone and Rose-Tone is all you need!   A sprinkle here and a sprinkle there and you are all set and ready to go.


Second the Lawn:
Do you want your lawn to look like Fenway Park? 

Well if so it is vital that you apply the first, and most important fertilizer application by the middle of April.   Either a synthetic fertilizer and pre-emergent weed control like Scott's Step 1 or and organic options like Corn Gluten.


What Does A Pre-Emergent Control Do?
Pre-emergent herbicides are chemicals that prevent the germination of weeds in your lawn.  These herbicides control annual grass weeds like crab grass, chickweed and dandelions by inhibiting their cell division in the young root system. The failure of the root system to develop, results in the death of the young seedling weeds shortly after germination.

When Do I Apply Them?
Timing is very important.  Pre-emergent controls must be applied before the bad “weedy” seeds are allowed to germinate.  For us, here in New England, it is generally the middle of April- especially when you see those brilliant yellow flowers of the forsythia in bloom.  That is my signal.

So Which Type of Fertilizer Should I Use?
Synthetic vs Organic…
We are all familiar with those television commercials for Scott’s lawn fertilizer with crabgrass control.  This a great choice for a synthetic lawn fertilizer and is very effective the same year it is applied.  However, with the increasing desire to use only organic products in your lawn and garden, there is now a great alternative for you to consider.

Gaining in Popularity over the past few years, corn gluten meal (CGM) is a natural substitute for synthetic pre-emergent herbicides.  The use of corn gluten meal as an herbicide was actually discovered by mistake during a turfgrass disease research project conducted at Iowa State University.  Since then, CGM has been proven to prevent weeds from sprouting including seeds from many weeds such as crabgrass, chickweed, and even dandelions.  You should apply CGM the same time you would any other pre-emergent, then a second time around mid-August. Spread the product evenly, at a rate of twenty pounds per 1,000 square feet of lawn. Water it lightly into the soil to activate it. The CGM should remain effective for five to six weeks each time you apply it. 
Tips:

• Whichever type of pre-emergent crabgrass fertilizers you choose, you should apply it evenly over the entire lawn. Even if you have only noticed crabgrass in certain areas of the yard in previous years, take the time to cover the entire lawn. Spots that are skipped can allow stray crabgrass seeds to germinate, grow and spread.
• Do not aerate your lawn after application and wait three months before reseeding any part of the lawn
• If you are planning to over-seed on bare spots, or perhaps reseed the entire lawn, you will need to wait up to 3 months before applying new seeds as the pre-emergent will prevent any germination of new grasses.

So there you have it... Garden and Lawn ready for another growing season...

Feel free to email me with any questions or comments.  Mark

Mark Saidnawey

WBZ Gardening Expert

Pemberton Garden Services

2225 Massachusetts Ave.

Cambridge, Ma 02140

Mark@PembertonFarms.com 

Special News piece on WBZ-TV

Springtime, Where To Begin…

By Mark Saidnawey, WBZ-TV Gardening Expert, Owner of Pemberton Farms in Cambridge

March 21, 2012 6:03 PM

Check out todays special news piece on the extreme warmth for this time of year.  Filmed at Pemberton Farms with me and Todd Gutner.

Click here to Watch the TV segment from today

What does all this record warmth really mean?

Breaking records seems to be the norm this month, five days so far this and it's only the 19th.

So what does this warmth really mean for our us gardeners?  Well first off, It means we can get out there and start the cleanup process a lot sooner than normal and with days like we're having there's no excuse so far this year.  Mother Nature is giving us plenty of beautiful days to get the garden work started.

So where to start?  Well I for one always start with the job I least enjoy, raking the lawn.  This past weekend I raked my entire yard, front and back removing that old brown grass from the winters dormancy period. Although not a fun task your lawn will thank you for allowing it to breath again and begin putting out new growth.

Once done with that task I turned my attention to my perennials beds.

If you put down a protective layer of mulch or hay last fall on you flower beds it's now safe for you to remove them.  Even though it could, and will, dip below freezing again it's time to expose your dormant plants to this record heat of mid March.   Just today I saw new growth emerging on my Tulips, Dicentra (bleeding hearts), Hemerocallis (day lilies), Galium (sweet woodruff), Rudbeckia (black eye susans) and a few other showing signs of life about two weeks ahead of schedule.

What, if any effects will this mild winter and record warmth of March have on our plants?  Here are a few things to be aware of.

- Since the ground never completely froze this past winter (at least around the Boston area)  you should be able to work the soil a lot sooner than in years past and you will also see perennials emerge from dormancy a couple weeks ahead of schedule.  You should also be able transplant a lot sooner than normal as the soil is not as wet as it could be for this time of the year.

- The Winter Moth will be its worst ever?  Since there was not a prolonged period of below freezing days this winter scientists are predicting this year winter moth population will be at its highest ever and to look out for wide spread damage this year.  Although difficult to prevent this time of year you can spray with a dormant oil the help combat these tree eaters.

- Watch for the Forsythia to bloom early.  Usually the first to show their color in mid April, if the temps stay above average as they have been trending I would expect them to be a week or two ahead of schedule.  That also goes for all our other spring bloomers too like, lilac, cherry, rhody's and a few others.

- Don't be surprised to see some hardy annuals come back this spring.  Pansies, Dusty Miller, Snapdragons, and a few other strong survivors may peak their heads up soon.  That is if you left them in the ground last year.

So what does all this mean?  In the long run, probably nothing.  Mother nature has a way of regulating things over time and if a plant or two is early this year it will settle into it's normal growing pattern once the weather gets back to normal.  Although, after 9 straight months of above normal temps one never knows.

Thanks for reading.  If you use Twitter, follow me @MarksGardening

Cheers and enjoy the heat.  I see cold temps coming next week.

Pansies are out, The earliest ever at this Garden Center

Wow, March 16th and yes, Pemberton Garden Center has Pansies and a few other cold hardy annuals outside and ready for sale, about two weeks ahead of schedule.

So they are out, and after seeing the 7 day forecast and 80's on the horizon I suspect they're staying out and soon will be followed by several other varieties of annuals.

Happy Spring everyone and lets get started adding color back into our gardens.

Violina (Trailing Viola's)

Nothing say spring in New England like Pansies

Combo pots and Herb planters ready for sale

Two Great Soil Products...

Today we set a record in Boston at 68 degrees, and even better, the clock keeps ticking towards spring.

When it gets this warm so early in March our customers always start calling the garden center and asking, "when are the pansies coming"?  Well the answer is the same each year, the end of March.

So with a couple weeks still to go what can we do now to get ready?  The answer is simple.  Prep time!
During these warm days if you can take the time clean out your garden beds and clear them of any debris or winter protection you can start by the gardening season by adding a fresh layer of compost.

This year at our garden center we have two great products to use on in garden beds.  One is New England's most popular compost, Coast of Maine's Lobster Compost and the second is a relatively new product called Sweet Peet.

I've used them both in my garden and am very happy with them both.

                                       

Coast of Maine: 
Quoddy Blend Lobster Compost

Quoddy Blend is made from composted crab, lobster and aspen bark. The crab and lobster shells are a rich source of calcium and chitin, the aspen bark a source of tannins and lignins. It's a blend that's perfect for your vegetable garden, especially for your tomatoes! The calcium content is beneficial for lilacs and roses too.

We have named this blend for Passamaquoddy Bay, or "Quoddy" for short. The bay marks Maine's easternmost border with Canada and its deep, nutrient-rich waters, protected inlets, strong tides and currents make it ideal for salmon farming.

Quoddy Blend is available in 1 cubic foot bags. 

Sweet Peet: 

Sweet Peet® is the premium mulch for flower and vegetable gardens. Sweet Peet® buffers both acid and alkaline (low and High pH) soils by helping to maintain the desired gardening Sweet Spot. During its formulation, Sweet Peet® goes through a thermal stage where weeds and weed seeds are destroyed, preventing contamination in your garden. When tilled in at the end of each season, Sweet Peet® enriches the soil, improves tilth, encourages beneficial earthworms and replenishes microbes that are often destroyed by harsh chemicals and acid rain. Like most mulches, Sweet Peet® suppresses weeds by smothering the soil. But Sweet Peet does more it is produced to optimize the naturally occurring cat-ion exchange which creates an undesirable growing medium for weeds.

Enriches the Soil The all natural, organic ingredients of Sweet Peet® allows air and water movement through the soil. It increases soil fertility through the slow, natural breakdown of organic matter into essential plant nutrients. Improves Tilth Applying Sweet Peet® adds moisture retentative properties to the root zone and gives structural support for plants, while providing a medium for root growth and soil organisms.

Encourages Natural Growth Sweet Peet® buffers both acid and alkaline (low and High pH) soils by helping to maintain the desired gardening Sweet Spot. It helps neutralize both acidity and alkalinity in the soil, nurturing the feeder roots of garden plants and encouraging natural growth. Protects Against Chemicals Sweet Peet® buffers the effects of acid rain. Sweet Peet® encourages beneficial earthworms and replenishes microbes that are often destroyed by harsh chemicals and acid rain.

So there you have it!  Two great products to consider using in your garden this year.  if you're ready to get your hands dirty be sure to use only the best.  Come see us and see all the great soil amendment products we have. Enjoy and happy gardening! 

Mark 

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How to Grow the Best Strawberries!

If you’d like to get your kids interested in gardening, growing strawberries is just the ticket! They bear juicy, red fruit that nearly everyone loves and are pretty easy to manage.

If you don’t have space for a garden, you still have a few options–they can be grown in pots on a balcony, in flower beds and even hanging baskets. They generally produce fruit for two or three years so you can enjoy them again and again.


Here’s a tip sheet full of instructions to help get you started…

When: They should be planted in early Spring soon after all danger of frost has passed and the soil can be worked. Those who live in warmer climates can also plant them in the Fall and enjoy an abundance of berries in the Spring. 
Location: These guys love lots of sun so to help them thrive, find a spot where they will get at least 4-6 hours of sunlight.  They can thrive in a vegetable garden, flower beds, raised beds, pots & containers and even hanging baskets. If you choose containers, make sure the soil is at least 12″ deep so they have room to stretch their feet.   Select a location that’s sheltered a bit from the wind and away from where peppers, tomatoes and potatoes are growing since they could harbor verticillium wilt, this is a disease they’re susceptible to.
How: You’ll notice they will have some long roots going on and that can make things a bit clumsy when trying to get them in the soil. You can trim the roots back to about 4″ for easier handling. Arrange so the roots are fanned out a bit (horizontally) rather than deep (vertically).  How deep? You want the roots completely covered in soil but the crown resting right above soil level (you’ll see the crown right above the roots).

To get started, you first want to dig the soil up really well so it’s nice and loose and mix in some compost. Pinch off any blossoms and dead leaves. Water well after planting.

Watering: They need lots of water to thrive (at least an inch a week) but make sure the soil is well draining and that you don’t over water otherwise you’ll find rot setting in. Water daily during hot weather. To help keep the soil fairly moist, cool and weed-free, spread a layer of straw or mulch a couple inches thick around them.
 
Growing Season: Help them thrive by keeping the patch free of weeds, strawberries have shallow root systems and the weeds can seriously interfere with their growth. Keep the soil moist, well draining and cool if possible (cover with a layer of mulch). A nice and tidy patch that is well maintained yields the best results.
Harvesting: They will start producing berries in June and you can find varieties that will produce into Fall. It’s important to pick the fruit as they ripen to prevent them from rotting on the plant. If you’ve missed a few and do find some that are overripe and rotting, still pick them off to avoid attracting pests and disease.
Once they start ripening, check every other day to pick them (some believe you’ll get sweeter berries by letting the ripe ones stay on at least another day before picking).  Remove by pinching them off at the stem right above the berry (keep about 1/2″ of the stem attached to the berry).

Types

June Bearing: These produce once a year (June). June Bearing are planted this year to enjoy a harvest next year. To help them get established, pinch off all blossoms the first year of growing. June bearing typically produce the largest berries.
Ever Bearing: These produce twice a year (Spring & Fall). To help them get established the first year you start them, pinch off the first set of blossoms up until July then allow the blossoms to grow so you can enjoy a Fall harvest. Next year you can enjoy the harvest in both Spring & Fall (no need to pinch off any blossoms). Ever bearing typically produce smaller berries than the June bearing plants.
Day Neutral: These will produce throughout the summer. In the first season, pinch off the first set of blossoms to help them get established then allow the blossoms to grow. Day neutral typically produce smaller (and sweeter) berries than the June bearing plants. The Hill System works best for this variety.

Tips

• The small white flowers are edible, just like the berries!
• Once picked, don’t wash them until just before eating. This will help keep them firm and slow down softening while being stored.
• Some find it worthwhile to cover them with a light netting to help protect the fruit from birds. If you have a lot of birds in your area, give this trick a try.
• They will not ripen once they’re picked so make sure to pick only when they’re ready.
• Once picked keep them refrigerated until they can be eaten, this will help extend their shelf life.
• Some believe that berries picked in the morning have a longer shelf life than those picked later in the day.
• You can hull them quickly by washing first then taking a wide plastic straw–insert it at the bottom of the berry-–then push the stem out  
• Towers are an excellent way to grow strawberries in small spaces, you can build your own with a couple 5-gallon plastic buckets.  

Pemberton Garden Center sells so many Strawberry starter plants.  It always amazes me that almost every gardener that comes in has to buy some Strawberry plants.  These should be available for purchase at our store by early April, just a few weeks away!  Stay Tuned and happy planting. 

Mark

Turning the Corner towards Spring!

For those of us that love to garden the month of March is a welcome sign!  I for one am very happy that the "dog days" of winter are behind us and we can now look for the temps to rise as well as our dormant plants.   
It's been well documented that this winter has been extremely mild and snowless.  In fact, if it hadn't been a leap year Boston would have set an all time record for least snow fall ever for the month.  History was thwarted by a freakish calendar event, 29 days of February. 

So, It's March... Fingers crossed Mother Nature will let is start Gardening 

GARDENING WORK FOR MARCH

March has always been a difficult month to try and accomplish anything in the garden; however there are many things can do.  On a warm day I spend time picking up the branches that have fallen from my neighbors trees, clean up any remaining leaves and hope for warmer days ahead. 

Here’s a list of some of things that you can do this month. 

If conditions are dry, water your evergreens.

Do not remove winter mulch too early, wait until the end of the month.

Purchase your seeds now! Local garden centers have their best selection during the early spring.

In early March start seeds of leeks, parsley, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower indoors, they’ll be ready for planting by mid-April.  Wait until April 1st for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and other cold sensitive annuals.

Do not work soil if it is too wet.  Workable soil will crumble, not ball, after being squeezed.  You may encourage your soil to dry out by aerating with a pitch fork.

At month’s end, plant peas as soon as soil is workable, followed by onions, spinach and lettuce.  Pansies will also be available by months end, be the first on your street with a pot on your porch or in your window box, they can handle temperatures below freezing if they have been hardened off, you can also protect them by covering with newspapers.

Scratch in bulb booster around your spring bulbs when they are 2” high.

Spray rose bushes with fungicidal soap or wettable sulfur fungicide, then cover completely with dormant oil.  The fungicide will kill most spores: the oil will suffocate the rest and act as a barrier to airborne spores.

Cut down ornamental grasses before new growth appears.

When the forsythia blooms you may do two things:  cut out deadwood on hybrid tea roses and prune back to 18”, and apply pre-emergent crabgrass control on the lawn.

Hold off pruning spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, azalea, rhododendron, lilac) until right after they bloom, as they bloom on old wood.