Time to cut back the grasses. For monkey grass or liriope, use a string trimmer or weed eater for larger areas.
For pampas grass, take out a chainsaw. Other grasses like Miscanthus, muhly grass, Pennisetium, and switch grass can be cut with pruning shears 3 to 6 inches above the ground.
Time to fertilize all trees, shrubs, perennials and lawn. Remember it is not necessary to fertilize well-established trees or shrubs. If you are trying to encourage faster growth on new plantings, a balanced granular (10-10-10) fertilizer scattered on the soil surface is effective. Be careful not to overdo it. Tree spikes or drilling fertilizer into the root zone are a waste of money.
***Lawn Care:
Zoysia: Enjoy dormancy.
Burmuda or Hybrid Burmuda- Enjoy dormancy
Tall Fescue or Kentucky Bluegrass:
- Fertilize with Scotts Weed if not over sowing with seed to fill in bare spots.
Over seeding or sowing any lawn by seed is best when done in the fall. If starting an area from scratch, use scotts lawn fertilizer. When buying grass seed, do not buy Scotts. It contains weed seed. Read the labels to find out which seed is the best quality. Amounts are required to be posted on the products by law. Pennington is the best available at home improvement stores.
- Fertilize with Scotts lawn fertilizer (not weed and feed) if over sowing lawn with grass seed. Apply in the morning when dew is still on the grass for best results.
- Weed and Feed contains a pre emergent chemical that kills all seed including grass.
Pruning Rule of thumb:
Prune flowering shrubs AFTER they bloom, Spring blooming plants are pruned after they bloom in the spring- Fall blooming plants are pruned after they bloom in the fall. Same goes for most summer blooming plants.
Prune forsythia, winter jasamine, and redbud after they bloom.
Apply dormant oil such as Ultra-Fine to fruit and nut trees, euonymus and crepe myrtles to control scale and other pests. It must be applied before spring growth appears.
These oils control scale insects on hollies, euonymus and camellias. For best results, completely spray the entire plant including the underside of the leaves.
Plant of interest this month: lenten rose,forsythia, magnolia, camellia, dogwood, redbud, red maple lungwort, quince, witch hazels, loropetalum, cherries.
Now is the time to prune roses. Cut back the plant 1 to 2 feet from the ground. Use a wood glue to cove the wounds and prevent sweat bees from boring down into the stems. The roses will cry or bleed. Remember, pruning is plant torture! Search for bagworms! Pick off any bagworms from your plants to help eliminate the eggs that will hatch next year. Dispose of them in the garbage – not the compost – or they may survive and hatch in the spring.
