Happy late winter / early spring to our loyal customers and Tri State gardeners. This is my first attempt at our new garden blog. I have high hopes to keep it timely, brief and hopefully helpful to new gardeners and veteran gardeners alike. I will make every attempt to update this 4 times a year. For my first attempt, I am starting with the basics.
- PRUNING 101
- LAWN OVER-SEEDING
- BUTTERFLY PLANTS
Pruning 101
Spring blooming shrubs that bloom before June 15th should be pruned soon after flowering has ended. Spring bloomers, especially the early spring blooming shrubs, generally bloom on old wood. Do not prune these bushes in winter or early spring when you are likely to remove young flower buds. Azalea, Quince, Forsythia, Lilac, Ninebark, Rhododendron, Viburnum and Weigela, are some examples of spring flowering shrubs.
Summer bloomers usually produce flower buds on new growth that emerges in spring. These bushes should be pruned in late winter or early spring. Examples of summer blooming shrubs are Abelia, Beautyberry, Butterfly Bush, Hibiscus (Rose of Sharon), Spirea, Crape Myrtle and Sweetspire.
Hydrangea pruning always seems to mystify gardeners. While there is a ton of great info on the internet. It really boils down to this.
Panicle Hydrangeas ( like Limelight ) are pruned Feb. – Apr.. Their blooms are more cone like in shape.
Mophead Hydrangeas ( Hydrangea macrophylla ) which people most commonly associate with Hydrangeas ( like Nikko Blue ) form their bloom buds late summer thru the fall. So they must be pruned in late summer. Their blooms are more rounded in shape.
A few notes on Mophead Hydrangeas:
To determine if your hydrangea blooms on old wood, think about when it flowers. Shrubs with this characteristic generally begin blooming in early summer and peter out by midsummer, though sporadic blooms may appear afterward. These shrubs form next year’s flower buds in late summer or early fall as the days get shorter and temperatures cool off. To reduce the risk of removing these buds, prune just as the flowers begin to fade. Often, the earlier you get it done after bloom, the quicker the shrub can recover, producing more and larger blooms next season.
Reblooming types like Bloomstruck and Endless summer should be pruned after the flowers start to fade on the first bloom cycle and then pruned no later than Sept. 15th.
Oakleaf hydrangeas bloom on the previous season’s growth, so prune right after flowering in the fall or in early winter. Prune the older growth from oakleaf hydrangeas after the shrub flowers. Take one-third of the total growth or less to avoid cutting off next year’s blossoms.
Lawn Overseeding
The best months of the year to overseed are March, April, May, and September, as long as we don’t experience any unusual droughts or heavy rainstorms. Overseeding in the spring or fall allows for 2 to 4 months of ideal weather for roots to establish before the transition to the temperature extremes of summer and winter. Soil temperature has a big influence on how well overseeding succeeds since lawn seed will germinate better in warmer rather than cooler soil.
Before overseeding, first rake thatch or debris from the area, then level any dips or hills in the lawn with a good compost or topsoil. It’s easy to scatter lawn seed by hand or by using a manual or power lawn spreader but be careful, as too much seed is not a good thing. Dense patches of seed can create intense competition between new grass seedlings.
After spreading the seed, it’s important to lightly cover the area with straw since this helps to hide the seeds from opportunistic crows, squirrels, and mice! Once you’ve finished over-seeding, keep the soil moist so the seeds will germinate and the new grass roots don’t dry out. Once the new grass is established, it’s best to adjust your watering schedule to water deeply and less frequently.
Great Butterfly plants for our area.
- Amelanchier (Serviceberry)
- Celtis (Hackberry)
- Hamamellis (Witch-Hazel)
- Lindera (Spicebush)
- Viburnum dentatum (Arrrowood)
- Aesclepias (Milkweed)
- Aster
- Carex (Sedge)
- Coreopsis
- Echinacea (Cone Flower)
- Monarda (BeeBalm)
- Solidago (Goldenrod)
- Parsley, Fennel and Dill are nice add ons to any Butterfly garden.
How to Attract Butterflies to your garden
- Use splashes of color.
- Plant for continuous blossom.
- Place flat stones.
- Create an area for “puddling.” Butterflies gather in puddling areas to get minerals they need.
- Provide food for caterpillars.
- Provide food for adult butterflies.
- Provide water.
- Provide shelter.
Happy planting!
Dave
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