Polly's April 2006 Spring Clean-up tips:

Spring Gardeners!

The weather seems to have turned for the better (though we need some April showers) and we know you have been out working in your gardens.  For you busy people & procrastinators who haven't made the time for your garden, we have a few spring garden practices we follow and would like to share with you (these mostly apply to your perennial garden areas):

1.  Cut down any of last year's perennials left for winter interest, i.e. Ornamental Grasses, Sedums, Coneflowers.
2.  Rake out any leaves or other detritus that may harbor unwanted pests, molds, diseases & the like.
3.  Apply any and all fertilizers you may require (see below for special circumstances): a.  General balanced fertilizer for most perennials - Polly's carries Plant-tone 5-3-3 b.  Rose specific fertilizer - Polly's carries Rose-tone 6-6-4 c.  Hydrangeas & Ferns - Polly's carries Holly-tone 4-6-4 d.  Your Spring & Summer Bulbs need a boost too - Polly's carries Bulb Booster 9-9-6
4.  Next, you need to work that fertilizer into your soil and to improve your soil structure from winter compaction & foot traffic.  Get your garden fork and turn over the top 4-6" of soil.  This helps to aerate the soil and allow water to percolate more effectively.
5.  Use a garden cultivator (or "Hooker" as we affectionately call them) or garden rake to break up any soil clumps & to smooth out the soil.
6.  If you prefer to top-dress your garden beds, Polly's likes to use, and carries, Biocomp-5S which is a coarse composted growing mix that covers nicely and adds beneficial organic matter as it breaks down.

***IMPORTANT NOTE*** Be aware when buying wood or bark mulch this year.  Following last year's hurricanes, many trees in the New Orleans area were blown over and have been turned into cheap mulch which will most likely be carried at the "Big Box" stores.  The main problem is that the mulch may carry Formosan Termites which are voracious and there is no known control.  See this link for more info on this matter: http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/environment/insects/Termites/formosan_termites/

7.  If you have pest problems, i.e. deer, rabbits, slugs, moles, etc., now is the time to apply deterrents & Polly's carries a variety of products to suit your needs.
8. Now is a great time to plant a few cold hardy annuals to add some instant color to your beds.  Polly's has a great selection of spring blooming annuals and perennials.
9.  Most importantly, be sure to journal your spring activities so you are sure to remember what you did in your garden last week/month/year and keep it handy for all of your garden aspirations & inspirations.