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Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen

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eee # STORIES

From raking to pruning to fertilizing

Roy
Jonsson

| sow it grows

’ THIS TIME of year, my

mail basket overflows with
letters from readers inquir-
ing about the state of their

. gardens this spring. Here are
’ the answers to some of the

more common questions.

Question: When should I rake
the leaf litter and debris from my
perennial beds and garden areas?

Answer: The last frost of the
season can be as late as April 15, In
most areas it is safe to clean up and
compost dead leaves and debris
between the second and fourth
week of March.

A mild winter this year has
caused growth to start early so you
may wish to begin as soon as the
new shoots push through the

mulch. Leaf litter is best stockpiled
to be blended at a later date with
green lawn clippings. This green
and brown mix will produce good
compost.

When is the best time to
prune roses?

There is no set calendar date for
doing this job.

Watch your rose bushes and as
soon as the new buds are visible. it
is time to start pruning. The visible
buds will help you determine
where to cut.

Always choose an outside fac-
ing bud and cut on an angle just
above it. Visible buds facing

' inwards should be rubbed off with

your thumb as they will have to be
pruned out later anyway.

I have several types of
hydrangea in my yard. Do I
prune them all the same?

No! One type, Hydrangea
macrophylla, comes in two forms,
one with a mop head or ball flower
and the other with a lace cap. Both
of these plants should be pruned
for renewal by cutting out one-
quarter to one-fifth of the old
stalks. Look for stalks shedding a
paper like bark and cut these as
close to the ground as possible. The
newer stalks that remain should be
cut back to the first two farge buds.

A second type, Hydrangea pan-
iculata grandiflora or Peegee, has
large, white cone-shaped flowers
that gradually turn pink as the sum-

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mer progresses.

To prune this tree-like plant you
should first cut out dead wood and
then remove all branches that cross
over or crowd each other. New
wood from last year can be cut
back to two or three buds. Always
choose a bud on the lower side of
the branch or one pointing in the
direction that you want tne new
growth to take.

When should ; iime and fertil-
ize my lawn?

Applying dolomite lime to your
lawn can be done almost any time
but is usually done in late winter or
the very early spring. The sooner it
is applied the sooner it starts to
neutralize the acidic soil.

Lime normally takes a month to
have any significant effect. When
combiny the moss out of your
lawn, make sure the wet lime gran-
ules do not get removed as well.

The first application of fertilizer
can be put on when you see the
lawn begin to green up. Try split-
ting the recommended amount in
half and applying twice as often.
This may reduce the rapid flush of
growth and save many hours of
Mowing time.

Shouid I pot up my tuberous
begonias in the house or wait and
plant them outside in April or
May?

Starting the begonias later than

See Begonias page 14

Friday, March 10, 1995 -- North Shore News — 13

Ponte
RS

NEWS photo Terry Peters

’ GARDENING COLUMNIST Roy Jonsson advises that you watch

your rose bushes to know when it is time to start pruning. The
visible buds will help you determine where to cut.

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