Spring Letter – 2017
Although we are not yet finished with winter, it is time to think about spring yard care. We may have worked with you in the past on some phase of landscaping, or we may have never worked with you, either way we want to help you maintain or further enhance the health and appearance of your yard. The following is the latest and best information available. We hope you will find this letter helpful. If it generates additional questions specific to your situation, please call and we will do our best to answer your questions or to find answers from the best available sources.
SPRING FERTILIZATION
TREES Trees need feeding, especially those in the first few years after transplanting and those that are getting older. They are not particular as to the analysis of the fertilizer, although we recommend a 12-12-12 analysis. The rate for each tree is based on the trunk diameter as measured one foot above the ground. You should apply one to two pounds of fertilizer per inch of trunk diameter. The ideal time for fertilizing is between April 15 and May 15. Proper placement of the fertilizer is most helpful. The most active area of root development is at the drip ring - that imaginary circle where water would drip off the ends of the branches. Punch or drill holes 6 to 8 inches deep in the ground around the drip ring, and divide the fertilizer among these holes. This makes the fertilizer available to the tree, and prevents it being "stolen" by the grass under the tree.
SHRUBS Individual shrubs out in the yard are treated like trees. Total the diameter of all the stems and apply fertilizer at the same one to two pounds per inch diameter. For shrubs, which are in beds, the easiest way to apply the fertilizer is to broadcast 12-12-12 at the rate of three to four pounds per 100 square feet of bed area. Rainfall will take the nutrients down to the root system. If you are planning to re-mulch the shrub bed this year, apply the fertilizer before re-mulching.
PERENNIAL BEDS Apply 12-12-12 fertilizer around April 15. Some plants will be breaking ground by that time, while others will not. Applying nutrients too early can promote early growth which may create problems with the more temperature-sensitive perennials. Apply at a rate of four pounds per 100 square feet of bed, and apply after spring cleaning the bed, but before applying new mulch. There are slow-release fertilizers on the market whose use makes sense in the case of perennials. Nutricote .14-14-14 is a good choice. This brand comes in a variety of release times; 100-140 day release will work well for perennials.
*EXCEPTIONS* Azaleas, rhododendrons, mountain laurel. These shrubs should not receive any fertilizer until after they have finished blooming in the spring. They then need a fertilizer which has a high acid base. Products are generally labeled ''for azaleas and rhododendrons". Miracid is great for fertilizing during the season. There are also products which acidify the soil around these shrubs. Since our local soils are alkaline, these shrubs definitely need special care to provide a more acidic soil.
PRUNING
TREES Trees need to be pruned while still dormant. Identify the dead limbs, and cut off leaving as little stub as possible. It is not necessary to paint the wound, but if you must, use a latex paint - it lets the area breath.
SHRUBS There are generally many questions about when and how to prune shrubs. The following are offered as guidelines. If the shrubs bloom in early spring (May or before), prune after it blooms. The blooms for the following year will develop on the new wood. Therefore, do not prune further during the summer or fall. If the shrub blooms from June on to fall, prune it between April 1 and May 1. The flowers on these shrubs are borne on the wood which grown after pruning in the spring. Dwarf spirea shrubs (ex. Anthony Waterer, Little Princess, Gold Flame, Gold Mound) need to be cut back to within six inches above the ground during the first week of April, or earlier. Once they start to grow, you must wait until the next year to prune. Evergreen shrubs generally should be trimmed the first part of May.
LAWNS
Probably no other aspect of yard care causes as much divergence of opinion as lawn care, so here are our recommendations. First, grass can only utilize so much fertilizer and chemical application. Most step programs are good, they just over-do the chemical aspects and, thus, damage trees and shrubs. We suggest limiting herbicide application to once a year. This may mean applying annual grass herbicide one year and broadleaf weed control the next year. Annual grass control must be applied before the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees F. Here in Northwest Ohio this generally happens around April 15. Remember, once the annual grass seed germinates, the preemergence chemicals do not work. Broadleaf weed control is different. The weeds need to be actively growing for the chemicals to do their best. Application around May 15 appears to do the best job. This applies whether you apply the material as a fertilizer additive or spray it on the foliage.
Choose fertilizer that has 20-50% slow release forms of Nitrogen. Grass needs little phosphorus and only moderate amounts of Potash. An example of a good lawn fertilizer should have the approximate proportions of 20-5-16. For lawns with an irrigation system, fertilize May 1, June 1, August, and November. The rate per 1000 square feet of lawn area will vary with the analysis of the fertilizer, so read the directions. If you are in a step program, and you skip a step, you will need to increase the rate of the next fertilization to compensate for the step missed. Please call with any questions. We do carry all the common fertilizers, and can help you design a program that fits the needs of your lawn and your budget.
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We invite your phone calls, e-mails, messages and questions. We do stay as current as possible so we can be as helpful as possible. If you have samples of plant material you would like us to look at, feel free to bring it down to the greenhouse. Please keep in mind that we would like to keep any potential contamination out of the greenhouse, so if you bring a sample, we will gladly come out of the greenhouse to look at it.
From all of us at Bostdorff’s, we hope to see you soon. Have a GREAT year!
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Bostdorff’s
Greenhouse, Landscaping & More!
(Bostdorff Greenhouse Acres Ltd.)
Ph: 419-353-7858
Fx: 419-806-4362
contact@bostdorffs.com
www.bostdorffs.com
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