May “to-do” list

For those of you who enjoy doing some work on your landscape, below are the things you can be thinking about right now. (Remember, if this isn’t your cup of tea, we offer maintenance services and we’re happy to do the “dirty” work for you.)This is not meant to be a comprehensive list. I tried to address some of the most common plants in this area, and some of the most pressing things to do during this month. If you have specific questions about your specific plantings, feel free to email me or do an online search.

Shrubs and Trees

Mulch

Fertilizing

Deciduous (lose their leaves in winter)

Rhododendrons and Azaleas

Roses

Early flowering deciduous shrubs (Forsythias, Weigela, Spiraea,

Lilacs

Hydrangea

Fruit trees

Evergreens

Pruning

Junipers

Pines and other conifers

Perennials, Annuals, Bulbs

Perennials & Annuals

Fertilize

Stake

Deadhead

Asters and other tall, floppy, late-summer bloomers

Bulbs

Summer Flowering Bulbs (Dahlias, Gladiolas, tuberous Begonias, Lilies and Cannas

Tulips and Daffodils

Daffodils

Fruits and Veggies

Carrots, lettuce, potatoes, corn, beans, peas

Tomatoes, squash, cucumber, pumpkins and peppers

Strawberries

Gourds

Weeds

Weeds

are growing vigorously now. Save yourself a lot of work later in the season by eliminating them (roots and all) now, before they go to seed. Try weeding after a good rain– They are easier to pull out, and you’re likely to get more of the root.– may be planted late in the month.– If you planted them in April, you may begin to see the first fruit by late this month. To keep the birds from eating them, place netting over them. Newly planted strawberries should have the blossoms picked off until they become well established.– wait until mid to late May before planting. can be seeded or planted– may be divided and moved when they have finished blooming, but be careful not to damage the foliage or roots. Water them thoroughly after transplanting. It is best not to dig or move other spring flowering bulbs until their foliage has died back.– Break off wilting flowers but wait to remove foliage until it has died back naturally (yellowed and pulls out easily). Tying or folding the foliage will prevent the bulb from getting the nutrients it needs to flower next year., etc.)– can be planted this month. Planting Gladiolas bulbs every 2 weeks in May and June will provide you with cut flowers until the first frost.– cut back by about one-third once they’re a foot or so high. They’ll be sturdier and flower better.– Promptly remove wilted flowers from any plant, unless you want to harvest the seeds. This will help save the plant’s energy for blooming and growth, and in many species (especially annuals), removing the dead flowers promotes further blooms.– Stake your taller flowers early in the season (when they are about a foot high) to support the plant as it grows.– Lightly work an all-purpose 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 fertilizer around the sides of the plant. Avoid spilling the fertilizer on the plant, and don’t dig deep enough to damage the shallow roots when you cultivate it into the soil.– To encourage compact growth, pinch the ‘candles’ (new growth) to remove half of the new growth.– Use an ‘evergreen’ type of plant food.– Prune evergreens any time from now until late summer. (Don’t prune later than that or you’ll prompt new, tender growth that will get zapped during winter.)– Remove any sucker growths from fruit trees as soon as they appear.– To produce pink flowers, work lime into the soil around your plant. To produce blue flowers, work in Aluminum Sulphate.– Prune lightly after they finish blooming, removing sucker growths and dead blooms. Feed with an all-purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer after they have finished blooming (again, check out organic fertilizer options). If your soil has an acidic pH, work a little lime into the soil as well. etc.)– prune when they have finished blooming. Use the “1/3 rule”: cut back a third of the oldest canes to ground level. Then cut back one third of remaining branches by one third of their height.– Use an all-purpose garden fertilizer (10-10-10). You can also try fish emulsion, an organic fertilizer. Keep an eye out for aphids, black spot, and other pests and diseases. Treat if necessary.– If you haven’t already, use a ‘Rhododendron’ or an ‘Evergreen’ type of plant food. Pinch off the old flower heads by hand to focus the plant’s energy on growing foliage and next year’s flowers. Do this carefully because the tips of new growth are developing right behind the old flowers.– If you haven’t already, you can fertilize your plants. Check out your local garden center’s organic selection. Improper fertilization can do more harm than good, so be sure to follow the fertilizer instructions.– If needed, mulch under trees and shrubs to keep weeds down and retain moisture.

 

so I married a tree-hugger

I will never claim to be an environmental expert. In fact, it’s my wife who has had the most influence on me in this area. She grew up in a household where NOTHING was ever wasted. The things that couldn’t be recycled (like the styrofoam trays that meat comes on) were thoroughly washed and sent to the local preschool so they could have one more life as paint trays. So from the moment my wife and I got a place of our own, a recycling bin has held a prominent place in our home. (And somehow, over the years, it became my “job” to take it to the recycling center.)

After we had our children, I became more aware of how the small things we do have the potential to impact not only the environment, but my children as well. So my wife gave away all of our chemical cleaners and started using a vinegar/dishsoap mixture for everyday cleaning. And I began pulling our dandelions by hand (damp soil aids in getting the entire root) instead of spraying them because I knew our children would be playing outside and picking the “flowers.”

This year, I’ve decided that it’s time to extend my environmentally responsible/family-friendly efforts into my landscaping business. I do not think chemicals are all bad, because I know that used in a responsible way, these chemicals are supposed to be safe. And I also know that there are many “natural” remedies that are just as toxic as some man-made solutions.

But as far as I can tell, there are many unanswered questions in this area and much of the research being done does not give definitive answers. So until I see unchallenged proof that one way is better than another, I am choosing natural products and environmentally friendly practices for my family. And this year, I am offering that same conscientious care to my clients’ families as well.

Selective organic-ness

(from Joanna)
When my daughter began to eat baby food, I worried about what I was feeding her. Should I make her baby food at home? Should I be buying organic?

But as a first-time mom, the sheer number of “important, life-shaping” decisions overwhelmed me, so I eventually succumbed to what was easiest & most familiar.

Shortly after my second child started eating regular food, I came across an article online that listed “The 12 fruits and vegetables that contain the most pesticide residue.” The article said that by buying the organic versions of these 12 foods, you can eliminate up to 90% of your pesticide intake. For some reason, a lightbulb went on in my head (or maybe I was just coming out of my sleep-deprived new-parent fog)– I don’t have to buy EVERYTHING organic!

That article gave me some place to start where I felt like I could make a real difference in my children’s health, without going entirely organic. So after pleading my case to my husband, I gave him a list of the organic foods that we should buy.

It took us both a while to get used to it (the lists that we kept in our wallets became well-worn), but I really feel like we’re not only helping give our kids a healthy start, we’re also helping to support the farmers who go the extra mile to produce these foods. And as an added bonus, even my husband has gotten into the habit of reading labels and trying to make healthier choices when he goes to the grocery store.

Here is the list (according to the Environmental Working Group) of the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residue:

Peaches
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Imported Grapes
Carrots
Pears

You can find the full list of the 47 fruits and vegetables that they tested at

www.foodnews.org.