| Keeping your trees and shrubs looking good year | | | | similar and many plants will bloom again thinking it |
| round. | | | | might be spring. Fall is a good time to winterizer |
| I manage a large retail gardening store and get | | | | your lawn. Winterizer is sold in most nurseries and |
| hundreds of questions regarding trees and shrubs. | | | | it is a vitamin for the root system not a fertilizer. |
| It is not really hard to keep your plants looking | | | | It is still important to water and check your trees |
| good year round but I do have some very good | | | | and plants during this time. About twice per year |
| tips on how this should be done. | | | | should suffice. The one big exception are Magnolia |
| We will start with the summer months. The hot | | | | trees these trees need watering about once or |
| sun rays will scorch and burn many new tender | | | | twice during the winter months. Without foliage |
| plants making them look bad and it seems no | | | | you will be able to observe your deciduous trees |
| matter you do they still look burned and dry. So | | | | for borers. Borers' are small worms that will bore |
| what is the solution? Up your watering. Increase | | | | a hole in many trees including evergreens and |
| your watering times if using a water sprinkler. | | | | softer type wood trees. Most holes will be about |
| Usually 5-10 minutes more each time will help. If | | | | the size of BB pellet. Use a good systemic |
| you are watering by hand or paying some to do | | | | insecticide to kill borers'. Any good sized nursery |
| this make sure you apply at least 5-8 gallons of | | | | should have this product in stock year round. |
| water per plant. This should be done almost on a | | | | Spring time gardening. Almost all gardeners' love |
| daily basis for new plants and trees. | | | | this time of the year. Blooms and flowers should |
| Many new gardeners think "More fertilizer will | | | | start appearing and new visual growth on |
| help". This is usually not true because fertilizer will | | | | evergreens and deciduous trees are noticeable. It |
| sometimes burn the foliage of newly planted | | | | is time to increase watering times about 20-30 |
| plants. It is important to fertilize during the | | | | minutes each time on a drip system. This is also a |
| summer months but only once in early summer | | | | good time to check your drip and sprinkler |
| and maybe again towards fall should suffice. Good | | | | systems. Be sure to check all drip lines and see if |
| loamy composted soil will also help with water | | | | they are actually dripping water to your plants. |
| retention. Adding mulch on top of each plant will | | | | Fertilize all plants and trees during this time. Any |
| help keep weeds and also retain water moisture. | | | | good all purpose fertilizer will work. There are |
| And just like people older more established trees | | | | many fertilizers that are specifically designed for |
| and plants can take extra fertilizer. They also | | | | fruit trees, evergreen trees, and or shrubs. |
| require less watering, and this is usually about the | | | | Fertilizers high in zinc should be used for fruit and |
| third year or more after planting. | | | | nut type trees. Fertilizers high in nitrogen are |
| Fall gardening is a bit less challenging. Decrease | | | | designed for evergreen trees and shrubs. Be sure |
| your watering times to about twice per week | | | | to read the label of each and every fertilizer |
| maybe 20-30 minutes each time. The only | | | | product for the correct usage. |
| exception is your new lawn. It should still be | | | | Plants and trees are like people. Take care of |
| watered consistently throughout the fall months. | | | | them consistently feed, water and always check |
| You want a good root system going into the | | | | for disease or insects. |
| winter months. Fall and spring weather are very | | | | |