URGENT – PLANTS ARE STRESSED
Right now, many of my plants are stressed out. Foliage is drying out and curling. Though we had a decent amount of rain earlier in April, the latter part of the month has been extremely dry. Coupled with that has been our abrupt change in temperature from 40s and 50s to 80s and 90s. If you can, please give your plants additional water. For some of you, if your irrigation systems have yet to be turned on, this will certainly be a challenge, but just do the best you can. Pay special attention to any trees, shrubs or other plants that were installed within the past 18 months. I expect the temperatures to return to a more normal level soon. I am hopeful that most of our plants will bounce back. Even if leaves drop, it’s possible that the plant will push out new growth this season. Be patient, and give your plants plenty of TLC.
KEEP TRACK OF TEMPERATURES
Enjoy the warm summer days that often surprise us in May, but also try to remember how difficult this is for our plants. If the weather suddenly turns warm, the plants will be experiencing stress and will need more water. A good rule of thumb is a 20 degree change in temperature is significant enough to cause stress. During the growing season, try to give your plants water 3x/week, if at all possible. Just do the best you can. Remember a long, slow, steady soak is much better than a quick burst.
SPRINGTIME IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL SEASON FOR MARYLAND
I love watching everything come back to life. Of course, it’s a mad dash to keep up with the TO-DO LIST, but it always fills me with a sense of hope. My Hydrangea macrophylla have struggled again due to our wildly fluctuating temperatures in March and April. Last year, my Hyd. serrata ‘Preziosa’ came through with flying colors, just as I had predicted for the H. serrata. Unfortunately, this year my H. serrata ‘Preziosa’ looks hard hit. I’ll know more in a few weeks. For some reason, my H. mac. ‘Twist N’ Shout’ looks great. This is one of those Endless Summer varieties, blooming on first- and second-year wood. Hydrangeas might not be much to look at during the winter, but they sure put on a show all season long. You can select from among spring, summer or fall bloomers. Enjoy a smattering of all three in order to keep your garden striking for months.
TURF GRASS – THE AMERICAN LAWN
Folks are always asking me why they can’t cut their grass shorter so that they can wait two weeks between cuttings. I know that cutting weekly is a pain, but you want to keep your grass as healthy as possible. Most of us have a fescue type perennial grass that stays green year-round. For this type of grass, the accepted rule of thumb is to set your blade 3” above grade. The additional height allows your grass to withstand high heat and drought without needing much in the way of additional irrigation. Also, if you cut the grass too short, you risk cutting the quick, making it hard for the grass to recover. If you have Zoysia grass or Bermuda grass, you will be able to cut your grass a bit shorter.
PEONIES AND ANTS
Have you seen ants swarming around your peonies? This is actually a good sign. Not only are ants NOT harmful, they are an example of biological mutualism. The peonies provide nectar (food) for the ants; the ants protect the peonies from aphids, thrips, and other non-beneficial insect pests. The ants are NOT eating the thin protective layer surrounding the flower bud. This is just a popular myth.
TIME TO DIVIDE PERENNIALS
Now, is the perfect time to divide and spread out many of the perennials. Frequently, it’s as easy as placing the shovel where you want to cut the plant, and dig straight down. The mother plant stays put, and the baby plant will be given a new home. Rule of Thumb…do not change the depth of the root mass, and soak immediately after planting to remove the unwanted air pockets.
DO…spread Holly-tone within the drip edge of all your BROADLEAF EVERGREENS, and other acid-loving plants. It’s not too late.
DO…spread Plant-tone within the drip edge of all other plants, but I usually limit myself to a liberal broadcast among all of my PERENNIALS. It’s not too late.
DO lay out protective rings of DIATOMACEOUS EARTH to protect large leaved perennials from slugs. Hopefully, I’ll get around to these chores soon.
ANNUALS…Now you can buy your annuals. Try something different this year. Experiment. You can always change it later. Feeding your plants once a week can make a huge difference in their performance. Miracle-Gro, Peters Professional All Purpose Plant Food or Jack’s Classic Plant Food are options. If you use a slow release fertilizer such as Osmocote, then you may only need to apply 1x/month or less.
SPRING-FLOWERING PLANTS…Your hellebores should be deadheaded to minimize the number of volunteer seedlings. Many of their seed pods are plump and ready to explode. Spring-flowering bulbs will benefit if you remove the spent flowers and allow the foliage to remain until it turns brown.
GARDEN TOURS…Do you enjoy visiting private gardens? May and June are the best time to see most Maryland gardens. Be on the lookout for tours taking place throughout the state.
POISON IVY…Poison Ivy is already leafing out. At least now we have a fighting chance to avoid it. Please take precautions when in the vicinity of this irritating plant. Feel free to refer to the Poison Ivy Primer here on my website.
