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Dan West Garden Center March 2007 Newsletter Welcome back gardeners. Spring is almost here and there is much to do in the garden, so here's a list to help you get started. Dormant sprays can be applied when the temperature is not expected to drop below freezing for a couple of days. Dormant oil should be sprayed on broadleaf evergreens to kill over-wintering insects and insect eggs. Dormant oil and lime sulfur combination sprays should be applied to disease prone deciduous plants such as roses, crape myrtles, fruit trees, blackberries and raspberries before they sprout. Prune crape myrtles, monkey grass, butterfly bush, roses, ornamental grasses now and spring flowering shrubs after they bloom. Apply pre-emerge herbicides to your lawn and flower beds now to prevent crabgrass and other spring germinating weeds. Use Hi Yield Crabgrass Control, ferti-lome Lawn Food w/Barricade or try Hi Yield Turf and Ornamental Weed & Grass Stopper which can be applied to lawns or ornamental flower beds. Water in thoroughly. Use ferti-lome Weed Free Zone to kill broadleaf weeds in the turf. Remember to spot spray ONLY, under trees. This product is very effective between 40 degrees and 90 degrees and on very difficult to control weeds such as violets, clover and Virginia buttonweed. It's time to fertilize most shrubs and perennials. Use a good quality slow release fertilizer like ferti-lome Start-n-Grow. It's an 18-6-12, 3-4 month granular fertilizer and we also have it in combination with Dimension pre-emerge herbicide. Or, if you prefer an organic fertilizer, use Plant-tone. Fertilize azaleas after they bloom and again about the 1st of June. If you are growing azaleas in some sun, start spraying for lacebug now with dormant oil and then switch to a systemic insecticide in mid April. It's time to re-seed fescue in the thin spots you may have missed in the fall or just to thicken up an existing stand. Use Five Star Fescue (five of the top rated turf-type fescues) or Five Star Plus (five top rated fescues and two heat tolerant bluegrasses) at about 5 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft., 7-10 lbs on properly prepared bare areas. Fertilize fescue in March or early April with ferti-lome Classic Slow Release Lawn Food. Now is a good time to apply fresh mulch. Rake out all the old mulch before applying more. Pull mulch away from the trunks of trees and shrubs and away from the crown on perennials. New and cool stuff...Blushing Bride hydrangea, a pale pink version of the Endless Summer rebloomers. Rainbow Knockout, a disease free rose, pale pink with a yellow center. Crystal Falls mondo grass, 30" dark green, thick, strap like foliage, excellent addition to the hosta garden. Carolina Moonlight baptisia, a bright yellow blooming baptisia. Origami yellow columbine, a stunning dwarf variety that's great for the edge of the woodland garden. Ivory Prince hellebores, a unique white flowered cultivar that holds flowers upright and Silver Lace hellebores, a lanceleaf winter flowering cultivar with striking blue green foliage. DAN WEST GARDEN CENTERS 4763 POPLAR 12061 HWY 64 MEMPHIS, TN 38117 EADS, TN 38028 901-767-6743 901-867-2283 KENNETH MABRY - MANAGER JIM CROWDER - MANAGER |