Radio Show Recap
This Week in Your Lawn & Garden:
- Preventing Crabgrass | It’s your last chance to prevent annual crabgrass from sprouting in the lawn. Soil temperatures have been warming, which is perfect for germination of this annual weed seed. Apply Scotts® STEP® 1 (use STEP 1 “for seeding” if planning to sow grass seed this season). SHOP Crabgrass Preventer
- Ditching Dandelions | Get rid of dandelions and other lawn weeds now by applying Weed Beater® Ultra. SHOP Weed Controls
- Preparing Container Soil | Don’t keep last year’s soil in the pots and attempt to re-plant over it (compost that into garden beds). Always use fresh outdoor planting mix in your pots. Start your plantings right by following Angelo’s 6 Steps for Success planting guide. Start with fresh Petitti planting mix, and apply Bion-tone® starter fertilizer to help plants root, and establish well. Fertilize with Osmocote every 6 weeks. READ Angelo’s Planting Guide
- Preparing the Veggie Garden | Choose a spot facing south or west for best sun exposure. If drainage has been a problem, build the soil up or plant in raised mounds, so plants are not sitting in the wet. Replenish nutrients in your soil. Till in any winter wheat or cover crops you’ve been growing since last fall. Add organic compost, Sweet Peet®, Petitti Planting Mix, and Soil Perfector™, if heavy with clay. HOW TO Prepare Garden Soil
- Choosing Deer-Resistant Shrubs | Some of the best deer-resistant options for Northeast Ohio include…
Foliage: Smoke Bush, Nishiki Willow
Evergreen: Boxwood, Cypress, Juniper, Spruce, Pine
Flowering: Viburnum, Magnolia, Spirea, Pieris Japonica, Dogwood, Inkberry, Winterberry, Honeysuckle, Itea, and Panicle Hydrangea.
MORE Deer-Resistant Options - Ridding Spider Mites | These pests are active now (about 2.5 weeks ahead of the usual timeframe) on spruce, burning bush, viburnum, and many perennials. Spray Neem Oil or Insecticidal Soap to control them before they damage the plants. SHOP Mite Controls
- Preventing Powdery Mildew | Start routinely spraying Bonide® Copper Fungicide now on Lilacs, Grapes, Clematis, Hollyhock, tall Garden Phlox, Roses, Bee Balm, Peony, and other susceptible plants as they leaf out to prevent the onset of powdery mildew. It is easier to prevent by spraying ahead than it is to control the problem once it shows up. SHOP Copper Fungicide