Early each Spring, J&L Garden Center offers many gardening seminars. These classes include: Pruning, Herb Gardening, and Basic Gardening Activities.
J&L's gardening seminars will vary from year to year, but we always have our Pruning Class on the first three Saturdays in March. Please call for specific topics and for the exact schedule of classes.
Dormant Spray ... It’s Important
Dormant spray is the single most important spray of the year because it prevents and kills more insects than any other single spray during the year. Dormant Spray means spraying your plants with an insecticide before the plants begin to grow; while they are still dormant. Dormant oil (not motor oil) can be sprayed alone, or it can be mixed with another insecticide such as Malathion or Lime Sulfur. All plants benefit from Dormant Spray, especially fruit trees, raspberries, roses and evergreens. Sometimes the only way to kill certain insects (pear psylla, juniper scale, spider mites) is with your dormant spray.
Wait to apply Dormant Spray until the buds of your plants begin to swell, but be sure to spray them before the buds completely open (usually early April). Thoroughly spray the upper trunk and branches. Do not spray the lower trunk because beneficial insects lay their eggs in this location.
Unfortunately, dormant spray does not kill all insects. You will have to spray later in the year as needed. For example, dormant spray will not kill the worms in apples, worms in cherries, peach tree borer, aspen borer, or root weevil. These insects live inside the tree or in the soil during the winter. Dormant spray only kills those insects it comes in contact with. We have an information sheet about using dormant spray. This sheet will further explain how to use this important spray. Please stop by and pick one up.
Planting Time For Annual Flowers
Many factors influence how cold of temperatures a particular plant will tolerate. Some of these factors are:
- Type of Plant
- Age of Plant
- Whether the plant is just taken out of a warm greenhouse.
- If the plant has been 'hardened off' for a few weeks.
'Hardening Off' means that you give tender plants a chance to get
acclimated to the conditions they will be exposed to when you put them in
your yard. To harden plants off:
- a. Put them outside in a shady location during the day and bring them inside at night.
- b. Let them dry out before watering them.
- c. Do not over-fertilize plants.
- d. Allow two weeks of these procedures to completely harden off your new plants.
Micro-climates also make a big difference in whether the plant can survive. One garden can be two to five degrees colder than another garden even within the same yard - these two degrees can be the difference between the plant freezing or surviving the cold. You may have noticed plants under a tree canopy do not freeze as readily as plants out in the open because of the micro climate under the tree.
A few low temperature tolerances are:
- Cold Veggies low temp 25s covered 16s
- Hot Veggies low temp 39s covered 30s inside a Wall of water 20s
- Perennials low temp 25s
- Ageratum low temp 40s
- Alyssum low temp 32s
- Aster low temp 40s
- Begonias low temp 40s
- Dahlia low temp 40s
- Dusty Miller low temp 32s
- Geranium low temp 35s
- Impatient low temp 45s
- Marigold low temp 40s
- Petunias low temp 32s
- Salvia low temp 40s
- Snapdragon low temp 30s
- Stock low temp 35s
- Verbena low temp 35s
- Vinca low temp 45s
- Violas/pansies low temp 15s
- Zinnia low temp 40s
If the temperature is going to go below these minimum temperatures you can sometimes help protect your plants by:
- Bring them inside at night.
- Cover them with frost blankets, burlap, or old sheets. The cover will retain any soil heat. (The air temp may drop to 25 but the soil may still remain at 52). Avoid Plastic - Plastic will transfer the cold air temperature directly to your plants and will not retain soil heat.
- Water plants before covering them. The water will help transfer soil heat better than dry soil.
You may not be able to avoid frost damage to annual flowers if the temperature drops below 25 degrees.
The best rule of thumb: It is better to plant annual flowers and vegetables a week too late than a week too early!
Another rule of thumb not to follow: Plant Early and Plant Often!
Watch for J&L's Spring Gardening Newsletter and Gardening Calendar.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|---|
