Master Gardener^sm Column for the Week of February 28, 2005
Judy Koehly
Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^sm Volunteer

Bring some early springtime beauty into your home. Cut branches of forsythia, quince, spirea, redbud, dogwood, witch hazel, magnolia, flowering cherry,and pussy willow to put in a vase of water and place in a warm, bright spot to force out the blossoms.

General pruning of flowering shrubs should always be done after the blooms have faded. You can prune summer flowering trees and shrubs now (butterfly bush, crape myrtle, gardenia, hibiscus, lantana, and Rose of Sharon) without harming next summer’s flowers. It is NOT recommended to prune crape myrtles down to the nub. Always prune back to just above an outward-facing bud or back to another branch.

Now is the perfect time to neaten up your yard. You can dig and divide crowded perennials. After threat of frost is over you can fertilize established trees, shrubs, and ground covers. Prune berry-producing plants such as holly, nandina, and pyracantha. Trim overgrown hedges. Prune dead wood and winter-damaged branches from trees and shrubs. Prune and fertilize camellias after blossoms fade.

Rake away and discard all fallen petals to discourage disease. Add organic matter to the soil and plant some snapdragons, sweet William, candytuft, pinks, sweet pea, and violas. You can make your own compost with yard waste, straw, non-woody plant trimmings, kitchen scrapes, vegetable matter, coffee grounds, tea leaves, egg shells, etc. but no meat or dairy products. Keep your compost pile damp and aerated.

Clean out birdbaths, birdhouses, and feeders. Hang out your hummingbird feeders this month to welcome the hummers migrating back to their Southeast breeding grounds.

Check your lawn for weeds and identify them for proper chemical control. Timing and type of chemical control is extremely important! Incorrect usage can be ineffective or even fatal to your lawn. For optimum results match the type of grass and weed with the proper chemical and use at the most effective time. Get help from the Cooperative Extension Service (253-2610) to identify the weed if necessary and read all directions on weed killers before using. Apply pre-emergent herbicide for crabgrass control before soil temperatures reach 70 degrees. DO NOT fertilize warm-season grasses. You can get a Lawn Maintenance Calendar from the Cooperative Extension Service for your particular type of grass. De-thatching your lawn will aerate and help water and nutrients penetrate the soil.

You can apply a time-release fertilizer to shrubs, roses, and evergreens now to minimize this chore during the growing season.

If you have wood ash left over from the fireplace, put it to good use by lightly (not too much as ash is a strong alkaline) sprinkling rings around young annual plants.

It’s not too soon to watch for insect pests. Aphids and cutworms love to chew on new plants and fresh spring foliage.

The foliage of spring-flowering bulbs should be allowed to die back naturally so the plants can efficiently store nutrients for the next growing season.

Send your gardening questions or comments to: Brunswick County Master Gardener Column, P.O. Box 109, Bolivia, NC 28422, or call (910) 253-2610. Enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope if requesting information or a reply. Answers may be printed in this column.

For further information or assistance, please e-mail:
Charlie Spencer, Brunswick County Extension Master Gardener^smVolunteer

Back to the Master Gardener^sm News Column Page of the Brunswick County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

Back to the Home Page of the Brunswick County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service.

This site is maintained by Kathy Walters.
URL Address: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/brunswick/
Date Created 2/24/2005