by knappvalley | Apr 22, 2013 | Informational, This Month in the Garden
Time to get things looking nice again after the long winter. What makes a yard look better than some fresh mulch?! Benefits of Mulching Mulch gives your landscape a well kept manicured appearance. Mulch helps the soil retain moisture. Mulch controls and slows weed growth. Mulch helps insulate the root zone of your plantings by moderating soil temperatures throughout the year. Mulch decomposes improving the soils ability to provide air, moisture, and nutrients. Mulch helps to control erosion by slowing runoff and absorbing rainwater. Mulch helps to reduce soil compaction. Mulch reduces the likelihood of damage from weed whips and lawn mowers. Proper Mulching Techniques If mulch is already present, check the depth. Mulch should only be three to four inches deep. If trees or shrubs have been mulched too heavily, remove or redistribute excess mulch as needed. Rake the old mulch and break up the matted layers that may have formed before applying more. Do not allow mulch to come in contact with the bark of a plant by being piled up against the trunk. Keep mulch three to four inches from the trunk of trees and shrubs. Extend mulch to the drip-line of the plant. The primary benefit of mulching occurs in the root zone of the...
by knappvalley | Oct 18, 2010 | This Month in the Garden |
The gardening season is not over yet! There are still plenty of things to do that will keep your yard looking good, and ready for the long cold winter. Winterizing your garden will lessen the spring workload and will protect your beloved garden from the harsh Michigan winter weather. Garden Clean-up Start your clean-up by raking up leaves and debris from the yard and add them to a compost pile. If you do not have a compost pile, now is a good time to start. By the time next season arrives, your compost pile will have broken down into a nice nutrient-rich treat for your plants. Next you should remove all weeds from your beds. Any weeds you remove now could prevent hundreds of seeds from sprouting in the spring! (Word of caution: Do not add weeds to your compost pile!) In addition, remove all spent annuals from beds and add to the compost pile. If you moved houseplants outside for the summer months, now is the time to move them back indoors to avoid shock. Watering Although plants are beginning to go dormant, they still need water. Make sure to thoroughly water your garden before the ground freezes. Winter can be dry and harsh for many plants, so giving them plenty of water before the winter weather arrives is important. Bulbs Continue planting spring-blooming bulbs. Some bulbs, such as tulips, can be planted up until November. Dig tender bulbs (Gladiolas, Cannas, Caladiums, Dahlias, etc.) up after first killing frost, allow the bulbs to dry out and store them in a cool, dry area for the winter. Planting/Transplanting Now...
by knappvalley | Sep 8, 2010 | This Month in the Garden |
As summer winds down, it’s time to think about getting ready for next spring! That means cleaning up your garden and doing some planning. Here are a few chores and projects that you can do this month to help keep your garden healthy and looking good for the rest of the season. 1. In the fall, when soil temperatures drop below 60 degrees, plant spring flowering bulbs including tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, dwarf irises and crocus. Remember to add bulb fertilizer to the planting hole when you prepare the soil. 2. Fall mums may be planted now for nice late season color. 3. Perennials that have crowded or overgrown their space should be divided or moved to a new spot in the garden. New perennials can also be planted this month. 4. Fall is a good time to plant trees and shrubs—they will have a chance to get established before spring. Provide water until the ground freezes. 5. Stop fertilizing trees and flowering shrubs to allow them to harden off before winter. 6. The best part of growing fruits and vegetables and herbs is harvesting and eating them! If you have been fortunate enough to produce too much, consider sharing your bounty with friends, neighbors or one of many local food pantries. Extend the harvest by canning, freezing or drying your produce. 7. When the fall rains begin, fertilize your lawn with a slow-release fertilizer (3-2-1) ratio. 8. September is one of the best months for seeding or sodding new lawns. 9. It is a good idea to mark your perennials with permanent tags, so that you know where and...
by knappvalley | Aug 2, 2010 | This Month in the Garden
Summer 2010 has gone by quickly at Knapp Valley Gardens—we always stay busy—despite the heat! August is vacation time for many folks, but it is also time to accomplish some important chores in the garden. Here is a list of tasks for your “to do” list. 1. If you are thinking about doing some fall planting, now is the time to plan the project and decide on what plants to use. 2. Consult bulb catalogs and order your favorite varieties that can be planted this fall. 3. Plan any changes in your perennial plantings. Autumn is a good time for moving and dividing them. 4. Make notes on this season’s garden so that you can get an ideas of what you would like to do (or not) next year. 5. You can sow seeds of cool weather crops like radishes, Swiss chard, kale, carrots and lettuce. 6. Plant late blooming perennials like Helianthus, Heliopsis and Rudbeckia, which provide nice color in the fall landscape. 7. Feed summer annuals and container plants with a good all-purpose fertilizer. 8. Give spring-flowering shrubs their last feeding of the season. 9. Keep harvesting those delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs—enjoy their freshness! 10. Remove faded rose flowers and hips. Feed roses for their final fall flowering and keep watering them during the hot weather. 11. In hot weather, water early in the morning. Otherwise, the water will evaporate before the plants can use it. Also, use a sprinkler that produces large drops of water instead of a fine mist. 12. Continue to dead-head (trim off) spent flowers—and keep weeding! 13. Now is a good...
by knappvalley | Jul 19, 2010 | This Month in the Garden
“Just when the caterpillar thought his life was over, he became a butterfly.” -Anonymous We have all heard the verse “butterflies are free to fly.” Why not create a butterfly garden where they can fly free all summer long, and delight everyone who takes time to observe them. You need only a small area that gets plenty of sunshine and is protected from the wind. Get the kids involved– they will love to dig in the dirt, plant flowers and admire the colorful guests that come to visit. Try to identify all the different kinds of butterflies that you see! Butterflies are abundant now and into the fall. The fluttery creatures are attracted to colorful, nectar-rich flowers. They need water, too— include a little “pond” in your butterfly bed. You can simply make little mud puddles, or sink a small, shallow plastic tub into the ground. Butterflies like to sun themselves after a good meal, so find a few flat stones to place in the garden to serve as a warm perch. Don’t forget to place a bench or a chair in your design, and you are ready to sit back and enjoy some wonderful butterfly watching! Plants to feature in your butterfly garden include: Butterfly Bush, Coneflowers, Coreopsis, Shasta Daisies, Daylilies, Monarda, Hydrangea, Joe Pye Weed and fragrant Viburnums. Here at Knapp Valley Gardens, we can help you put together some ideas that will bring butterflies to your garden, or follow the above plan by landscape designer Kim...
by knappvalley | Jul 12, 2010 | This Month in the Garden
Here are a few things that you can do in July to help keep your garden at its best: 1. Keep watering! Try to water early in the day so that leaves can dry off before the hot sun gets to them. You want to make sure that the foliage dries before the temperature drops at night. Wet foliage makes plants more susceptible to fungus and disease. 2. Dead head (remove dead flowers) annuals to encourage continued blooming. You may also get a second bloom by cutting them back by half and feeding them with an all purpose liquid fertilizer. If your annuals have died off, pull them out and put them into the compost. 3. Fertilize roses each month throughout the summer. 4. Water and feed container plants regularly with an all purpose liquid fertilizer. 5. Summer blooming shrubs should be pruned for shape after they have finished flowering. Fertilize Rhododendrons and Azaleas after they have finished flowering with an “Evergreen” type fertilizer. (Holly-tone, Miracid etc.) 6. For you lawn: raise the cutting blade height of your mower to at least 4 inches. Make sure the blade is good and sharp. Taller grass cools the roots and helps keep moisture in the soil longer. Avoid using fertilizers in hot, dry weather. 7. Keep weeds pulled, before they have a chance to flower and go to seed again. 8. Keep an eye out (scout) for insect or disease damage in your garden, and take measures to control the problem. 9. Change the water in your bird bath often, and keep it filled. Standing water becomes a breeding ground for...
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