16 | The Tribune | Weekend
Friday, June 18, 2021
gardening
Time for some garden maintenance WELL, a week ago I was wondering where the rains were, and then there they were! Finally, the rain is falling again. With the temperatures gradually increasing, and a little bit of rain, plants in the garden are about to jump up again. It is once again that time of year to chase weeds and get to trimming and pruning. If you haven’t fertilized those plants that are showing deficiencies (yellowing et al), the months of June and July are the perfect times to get that done. Shrubs, palms, and even trees can all use a boost of nutrients to help with the growth push that is beginning to take place. If you have a lawn that is patchy due to drought, or issues over the last few months, it is a great time of year to top dress with peat moss, compost, or even sand if nothing else is available. This helps the soil base and gives nutrients and water a medium to hold on to so that they can be made available to the grass. Our sand is flat, generally, and made up of shell fragments and the likes, and it really does not serve to hold moisture or nutrients, but it will suffice, although it’s by far the least desirable option. It’s also the perfect time to put down an application of a weed and feed (post emergent) if you have weed issues in the lawn, or if there are no existing weed issues, then an application of a pre-emergent herbicide with fertilizer will prevent weed seed from germinating and taking hold. Be sure that the grass is not being mowed too low, if you’re seeking a nice thick lawn. Back to the garden shrubs. With the much faster growth rate that is beginning (things grow much faster in June – October than from November to May), it is a good time to check on garden tools, sharpen blades used for pruning and trimming to save time and labour when the trimming is done. Pruning helps
to create a bushier shrub, but a common mistake it to prune only the tops and edges of a shrub, creating a mass of wood inside a layer of foliage. Proper pruning methods include cutting branches to two or three different heights to allow foliage to grow through the entirety of the shrub and in turn creating a much healthier and fuller shrub. With the rain, we also know that the storm season is approaching, and that means that it is important to thin trees to allow increase airflow. If a tree is fruiting or flowering, it is best to wait until afterwards, but if you’ve got trees that are more ornamental and not fruiting, removing the branches inside the canopy, in the middle of the tree can allow more light penetration and when the winds come, it will be able to move through the tree and there will be less broken branches to clean up! Pests will become much more active now with the increased heat and humidity. Continue to watch for and treat as necessary things like leaf miner, mealybug, whitefly, and scale. Aphids are not generally an issue for most plants and will serve as a buffet for beneficial insects that will help keep pest levels in balance. Fungus or powdery mildew can be a slight issue if there is not enough airflow, or if there is not enough light in or around a plant or tree. Pruning can help this as well. So, break out the garden tools! If your garden is healthy, then it is about to go bonkers, and will most likely need some tending to keep it under control. A balanced and healthy garden is all about nutrients, water, airflow, and light penetration. When things are in balance, issues resolve themselves, or are not created in the first place. Good luck, it is the busy season for garden maintenance. As always, I wish you happy gardening. • Adam Boorman is the nursery manager at the Fox Hill Nursery. You can contact him with any questions you may have, or topics you would like to see discussed, at gardening242@gmail.com.
