Spring Newsletter - May/ June
Mothers day is the day historically we can put out our annuals. Hopefully the threat of frost is gone the soil has warmed sufficiently to plant flower seeds. You can put out your fuchsia baskets and not worry they will be frozen by morning.
Plant snobs have issues with annuals; personally I love the new vibrant colors of Geraniums, impatients. The challenge of trying to grow seeds. There are so many new vibrant colors in annuals and seeds that are so simple and so satisfying to grow. Have you noticed all the sweet pea seeds next time your in your garden center take a look try one of the new white ”ruffles” with it’s sweet scent. Or climbing moonbeam yellow Nastursium. Tuck seeds into your containers, which speaking of take a look at your containers. Does it need new soil? It is a good idea to replace the top 6” every year. If it has been a few years and you’re after a new looks on your patio or front porch this year. Empty the whole thing out and start all over again. Try Cedar Grove Potting Soil-free draining with organic fertilizers and worm casting and just enough compost this makes a rich mix for your containers. Try some of the new patio clematis in your containers. The showy flowers can make quite a statement!
Now is the time to start treating those roses with Cedar Grove Tea. Spray full strength foliar. Tea has been shown to control disease. Black spot, powdery mildew you know those pretty diseases our roses have to deal with. Topdressing around your roses with booster Blend can insure healthy vibrant roses.
Aerate and top dress your lawn with a ½” to and 1” of compost to green up your lawn and feed those roots.
Continue to add top soil to areas that have eroded or need to be bermed up.
NW Garden Mulch is a great new alternative to bark. Nutrients from compost with bark to hold back weeds. Great for the final finish for your landscape, oh unless you find a new perennial to plant.
Is it a good bug or a bad bug?
Can bugs actually be good for the garden? Is it better to find out first what they are before you blast the whole yard with an insecticide which kills not only the bad bugs but the good ones. Including lady beetles, butterflies and honeybees which throw off the natural balance. Pesticides can also kill of birds that eat the poisoned insects. Many insecticides persist in the environment and may prove harmful to children and pets. So before you blast the landscape with a pesticide consider trying a less harmful approach. Insecticidal soaps or Horticultural oil sprays.
Here are a couple bugs that are beneficial to the garden:
Lady bug larvae- scary looking black & orange are actually the larvae of the lady bugs. Usually eggs can be found close by. Bright yellow ovals clustered under leaves. Often found on plants with thriving aphid populations soon to be devoured.
Ground Beetles-Big shiny black energetic bugs that pop out of rocks or logs. Ground beetles eat slugs, slug eggs,cutworms,root maggots and other soil insects.
Earwigs- Prefer to scavenge but enjoy live prey like cutworms and snails.
Spittlebugs-A curious sight in gardens spittlebugs whip up a fine froth of the sap they are sucking out of the hot plant. A sharp blast of water will wash them away.
Thatching ants-Red and black mounding ants aren’t aggressive or dangerous to humans. They are beneficial predators you should be glad to see. They have quite a sweet tooth when it comes to aphids.
These are just a few of the common pest in our NW Gardens. Because compost is filled with billions of microbes and encourages plant growth you can be sure to find it teeming with many beneficial insects. Some insects are a sign that the compost is actually mature and ready for sale.
You may also call Cedar Grove Composting toll free at:
(877) SOILS-4-U or at (877) 764-5748.
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