Radio Show Recap
“April showers bring May flowers”, which is why this month is the perfect time to fertilize perennials, trees, & shrubs! This week, Angelo explains why this is the best time to fertilize all plants in the garden along with what you should be feeding your Macrophylla Hydrangeas to get the best blue or pink coloring. He also talks about what plants can be pruned now and the best way to trim them. PLUS, he answers caller questions like “what should I be doing with my blueberry shrubs this time of year”, and “I grow Viburnum bushes to feed the birds with, when should I prune them to still get berries this season”?
Pruning Tips:
- Burning Bush – Look for “beads” on the branches. Once you see these on the plant, you can cut them back as hard as you want.
- Hollies, Boxwood, Yews (Taxus) – Overgrown shrubs can be cut back hard. This will get them to rebreak and begin branching better. Prune within the next 2-3 weeks.
- Panicle Hydrangea Trees – Cut to a 10-12″ basketball size.
- Panicle Hydrangea Shrubs – Prune down to a 7-10″ basketball size.
- Rose of Sharon – Can be cut to the ground every year.
- Japanese Maples – Thin out the crown of the plant. Remove crossed or weak branches. This helps promote good air circulation.
- Weeping Cherry Trees – Thin out the crown of the plant. Remove crossed or weak branches. This helps promote good air circulation.
- Spirea – Cut down to an 8-10″ basketball shape.
SHOP Products
- SHOP Bonide Orchard Spray or Fruit Tree Plant Guard for Fruit Trees
- SHOP Holly-tone & Iron-tone to fertilize Evergreens
- SHOP Plant-tone & Iron-tone to fertilize Boxwoods & deciduous trees and shrubs
- SHOP Bulb-tone to fertilize emerging spring bulbs
- SHOP MoleMax to control Moles & Voles
- SHOP RepelsAll to get rid of Chipmunks and other nuisance animals.
- SHOP Home Defense Max to keep bugs and insects out