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Get Yardcare Advice for Your Canadian Region
- What are climate hardiness zones, and how do they relate to my plants? Our agricultural department and the US Department of Agriculture have worked together in an attempt to define the degrees of coldness in different regions of North America. As a result, we have the USDA cold hardiness map, which correlates with the plant hardiness. It takes into account elevation, latitude, snowfall and the influence of continental air masses. Many nursery catalogues have also assigned a hardiness zone to most plants in an effort to assist folks to match plants to their hardiness zones. This is not an exact science because of the effects of micro-climates, outflow winds and many other factors. It is, however, an excellent guide to the winter hardiness of plants in many areas. The lower the zone, the more cold hardy plants must be. With extra winter protection and sheltered locations, many higher zoned plants can survive in colder zones.
- Too often my hanging baskets dry up in early summer. How can I get them to stand up longer? One type of basket does not fit all situations, so it’s important to match your basket to your situation. If you have a very hot location, there are three vital considerations. First, the size of the container or basket should be larger in more hot and windy spots to retain more moisture. Plastic, wooden or wire baskets should be at least 16 to 18 inches in diameter. The soil you use should have good moisture retaining materials. Adding organic matter, like composted manures, and quality potting soils, does make a difference. There are also aqua crystals, such as Soil Moist, that you can add to the soil. When wet, these crystals bulk up and retain moisture. When the soil dries out, plant roots are able to access the moisture that is held in their soft porous coating. Thorough watering in the morning, before the hottest part of the day, will also help. Finally, many beautiful drought-tolerant plants, like biddens, geraniums, bracteanthus, portulacas, lotus, mecardonia and Ice Plants, love both hot sun and drought.
- Can I move my tropical plants outside for the summer? Most tropical plants are just that – plants that thrive in hot tropical sun. The challenge arises when we move them from a protected inside environment to a windy and sunny outside location with its fluctuating temperatures. The trick is to wait until we have consistent nighttime temperatures of 50 degrees Fahrenheit, (10 degrees Celsius) and then put our plants outside in a very protected situation, out of both the sun and wind for at least seven to ten days. Once they have acclimatized, move them into full sun and provide their usual care. Watch carefully for any burn on the foliage from wind or sun. They should be fine all summer, but be sure to move them back inside by late August, allowing them enough time to reacclimatize before the poor growing conditions of late fall set in.
- I have several vines around my home. When is the best time to prune? Vines add so much to a landscape, but some can quickly become overpowering and need to be kept in check. Flowering vines need to be pruned according to their flowering habit. Vines that bloom best on old wood, like early blooming clematis and wisteria, should be pruned immediately after flowering. Make certain you leave enough blooming wood to ensure flowers next year. Vines that bloom on new wood should be pruned early in the season or in late winter. Late flowering clematis, honeysuckle and campsis are great examples. Non-flowering vines, like ivy and Virginia Creeper, can be pruned anytime, but late winter or early spring is best.
- How do you protect more tender perennials for winter? Evergreen perennials, like bergenias, heucheras and euphorbias, are best planted in more sheltered locations out of cold winter winds. Even though they may be hardy, excessive cold winters and brutal winds can burn their foliage or defoliate them completely. A protective mulch or a wrap of burlap or landscape fabric will help protect the foliage. Herbacious perennials on the tender side need a good mulching with either straw, sawdust or bark mulch. Planting in well drained soil is also very helpful.
- My vegetable garden just doesn’t seem to be doing well. Any suggestions? If you’ve been having success in the past, there are some simple steps to follow. Pick up an inexpensive pH tester at a local garden store and check the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. Most plants thrive in soils with pH levels between five and eight. If your reading is lower, add some fast acting lime. If your reading is quite high, use a sulphate fertilizer to drop the pH level. A good conditioner often loosens the soil and allows oxygen in and around the roots, and if you add in plenty of compost and well rotted manures (except around potatoes), the organic nutrients and bacteria will certainly help. Also apply micronutrients around all your plants. Even a slight deficiency may cause growth to be less than vigourous. Finally, by simply side dressing the rows with some well balanced fertilizer, your vegetables will show a significant difference within seven to ten days.
- Is it necessary to dormant spray fruit trees in winter? Winter dormant spraying is very important for many reasons. Lime sulphur is mostly organic and cleans all the moss, algae and lichen off our trees. It cleans the bark and improves the overall appearance. Dormant oil, applied properly, will control insects that are overwintering in the cracks and crevices of the bark. Both of these products can also be used as a growing season spray in the summer for insect and disease control by simply diluting them more, as per the label.
- Are there a few good tips on preparing my soil for spring? After winter snows and rains have compacted the soil, it’s always a great idea to loosen it up. If your soil has quite a heavy clay base, work in some fine non-cedar sawdust or bark mulch to open up the soil. A simple test to check if you have added enough is to grab a handful of wet soil and squeeze it. It should crumble nicely with your thumb. If not, add more until you get the right texture. Once this is done, add organic matter, such as composted manures or garden compost to add both beneficial bacteria and fiber. A quick pH test with inexpensive testers can indicate if you should adjust the acidity or alkalinity of your soil. If the pH test is between five and eight, you should be okay. If it is below five, add the correct amount of quality lime. If the pH level is over eight, use a sulphate fertilizer to drop the pH. Once your pH level is within the five to eight range, you are ready to grow.
- Is it possible to have a great looking garden that is very low maintenance? Many folks love having a garden but simply don’t have a great deal of time to take care of it. This is simply a situation where good planning can make all the difference. By choosing plants that are compact and slow growing, you minimize pruning. Today’s new varieties allow you the choice of vertical, spreading and oval forms in conifers, deciduous trees and shrubs and even broadleaved plants. Annuals, perennials and bulbs are now available in compact varieties that have long blooming periods, require minimal care, and yet, provide a great display. Soil preparation is also very important.By preparing the soil properly with good depth, some moisture-retaining materials, lots of compost matter and adequate drainage, plants will thrive without too much attention. By using proper ground cloths for weed control, automatic drip irrigation systems and slow release fertilizers, plant maintenance can be kept to a minimum. By using plants, like ornamental grasses and ground covers that thrive on neglect, it is quite possible to enjoy an amazing landscape and garden which needs minimal care.
- How far back can you prune cedar hedges? One of the problems with hedges is we often ignore pruning them until they become too large. Cedar hedges, in particular, will look and perform best if they are pruned on a regular basis. You can prune them anytime during the growing season and even into the dormant shoulder season. It is best to prune last year’s growth and stay within the green parts of the plant. Be sure to prune both the top and the sides for the most even and attractive appearance. If the plants have become overgrown, you may have to prune harder, going into some of the woody stems, but always make sure there is some green left to regenerate new growth. Pruning too severely into old wood can result in a very unsightly plant that takes years to recover. A slow release, high nitrogen fertilizer, applied in spring, will keep your hedge healthy and a rich green.
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