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Arbor Day
Dale Bumpers College
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Gardening CalendarThis winter the temperatures got colder than we have seen in 15 years in most of Arkansas. This will surely be a test for all those semi-tropicals that we have been overwintering outside, including bananas, sago palms and amaryllis bulbs, but don’t start worrying too soon. Keep in mind that the air temperature and the soil temperature have to warm up before many heat loving plants begin to grow. Don’t be too quick to prune what looks like damaged leaves or buds. Give spring bloomers a chance to bloom and then assess the damage. Loropetalum and Encore azaleas may have some damage, but let them begin to grow to see where any damage might be. Others that gardeners are worried about are gardenias and hydrangeas. Gardenias low winter temperature is usually 15 degrees, and many yards got into the single digits. Luckily we did have moisture at the time, so let’s keep our fingers crossed. If they were killed back, it will affect the flowering this season. There is still time to prune those plants you normally prune in February if f you didn’t get the job done. From roses to crape myrtles and fruit trees, it isn’t too late to prune, but don’t delay too long. Again, assess damage as growth begins. Do clean up any broken or jagged branches on trees and bushes. A nice clean pruning cut is the best way to speed up recovery. This may be a season for a little tender loving care. Vegetables Vegetable gardens are still riding on a wave of popularity. More and more people are putting in a home vegetable garden. Right now is an excellent time to plant all the cool season vegetables including broccoli, cabbage, onions, potatoes, lettuce and spinach. You have from now until mid April to plant cool crops and even green beans can go in the ground later this month. The key to success with vegetables is a well drained soil with plenty of sunlight - at least six hours - more is even better. If you don’t have room for a stand-alone garden, you can interplant vegetables and herbs in your flower bed. Just make sure you don’t use any chemicals around them that aren’t labeled for edibles. You can also grow all vegetables and herbs in containers on the deck or patio. Again sunlight is the critical factor for success. Winter Annuals Winter annuals did not make it through the winter in top form. Pansies and violas are alive but few blooms were seen this winter. Give them a shot of fertilizer and you can push a few blooms on them which can carry you through for the next few months. The leafy greens used for color including flowering kale, mustard and Swiss chard should be assessed. If there is new foliage coming on and they can be salvaged, fertilize them as well. If they are beyond help, pull them and add some parsley, cilantro and English primroses to add some color and interest in the garden until you can plant summer annuals. Perennials Perennials are beginning to emerge in many gardens. Summer and fall blooming perennials can be divided as they begin growing. Evergreen heuchera, liriope and mondo grass should be cleaned up before the new growth gets too tall. Cut off the old foliage to help freshen them up for the growing season. Keep some mulch handy now to protect the tender new growth from any late frosts. Grasses Warm season grasses are not greening up yet, but many folks think they are because there is a lot of green out there. Winter annual weeds are growing like, well weeds, now. They are also blooming and setting seeds to haunt you again next year. Early in the month you could still spray with a 2, 4-D herbicide, but the later it gets, the less effective your sprays will be. Keep the weeds mowed to prevent blooms and/or seeds. Annuals will die with warm weather. If perennial weeds are more the issue - wild onions, wild strawberries and violets, mowing won’t help. Broad leaf weed killers can help, but if you can dig up the weed, roots and all you can help to get rid of them permanently. You can also still use a pre-emergent product early this month to prevent summer weeds. In many markets, the only pre-emergent comes blended with fertilizer, commonly sold as weed and feeds. It still is a bit early to fertilize lawns, since they benefit most from fertilizer after they are fully green. House Plants March typically brings our first taste of warm weather. Don’t be too quick to move plants outside. Sunning your plants will do more damage than leaving them alone. Wait until mid April before you move out houseplants or flowering tropical flowering plants outside. BulbsSpring bulbs are blooming nicely now. A few folks have mentioned they have some damaged foliage from our winter cold snap, but that shouldn’t matter. Let the foliage linger for at least six weeks after they bloom to allow flowers to set for next year. If bulbs have gotten too crowded, thin them after bloom and replant with the foliage in-tact. If you cut the leaves off too soon, you will end up with foliage next year instead of blooms. Summer bulbs including elephant ears, cannas, caladiums and gladiolus are now available at many nurseries and garden centers. You can buy them now to get the best selection, but don’t plant them. Planting when the soil is cool will hinder their growth. Wait for the soil to warm up, no earlier than mid to late April. May is not too late.
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University of Arkansas • Division of Agriculture |
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