Maintenance
We can not stress enough the importance of spring maintenance for your garden. The plants need to amended with manure . The trees and shrubs need the salon-like pruning that our team of professionals provides to assure their health, beauty, and bloom. The planting beds need to be edged, amended with organic weed pre-emergent, and mulched with a nice double ground brown (never red!) mulch. Please fill in the comment box to arrange your Spring Maintenance.
A garden that has been given the attention it needs.
- Japanese Threadleaf after a haircut
{ 45 comments… read them below or add one }
When is the best time to transplant a large hydrangea It has outgrown the area it is in.
Thank You
Dear Carol, Transplant the hydrangea to a sunny area at the end of May. Add aged manure to the planting mix and do not fertilize with an organic fertilizer until the end of June. Keep the plant watered well (its a wetland plant). Maureen
i just planted two hardi azaleas and they seem to be dying. there are some green leaves coming up but the flowering buds are getting brown. what can i do or is this normal. thx
dear english lady love your show on am radio, also love your website, it is a true blessing full of knowledge. my question is in regards to a aprox. 10 year old grapevine, 10 years and no grapes as of yet, i`m not sure if i`m prunning it back at it`s right points or if i`m not prunning at the correct time. i would greatly appreciate any info you could provide. thank you in advance. paul
Dear Paul,
spring through July position grape shoots so that light penetrates through the foliage. Prune off the tips if they get too long. This is important as it promotes ripening and discourages pests. You may want to remove or thin clusters to increase berry size. Good luck and any more questions get in touch. Maureen
Debbie, no this is not normal. Azaleas require partial shade, good drainage, even moisture and humus rich soil made so with manure and peat, with a fine bark mulch to protect the shallow roots. It sounds also like you have Azalea lace bugs which can be controlled with repeated use of soap sprays - a gallon of water in a sprayer with two teaspoons of dish soap. Good luck Maureen
MY HYDRANGEA DOES NOT FLOWER
Lou, on my website in the search box - type in Hydrangea article and you will find the article I wrote that will give you all the info on hydrangeas. Good luck Maureen
Maureen,
How do I properly prune a weeping Cherry Tree? It is growing quite tall with limbs that are shooting straight to the sky (versus weeping) - should I cut those back in order to keep the size of the tree manageable or will they eventually bend toward the ground?
Thank you for all that you do - I caught one of your morning radio shows and was absolutely captivated!
Harvey, Are you sure your tree is a weeping cherry and not one that grows upright? Another reason the tree may have limbs that are shooting to the sky is that the tree may be in too shady a spot and is reaching for the sun. The tree needs full sun and well draining soil. Pruning should be done immediately after blooming in the spring. Prune from the bottom up and from the inside out. Prune out any dead wood and take out any crossed or rubbing branches. Prune to open out the center of the tree by admitting light and air circulation. Good luck Maureen
Can you tell me how to remove mildrew (white powder on foliage) on garden phox and lilacs. Love you radio show….
Brenda, go to the WRCH website and in the search box type in The English Lady blog - and you will find the answer to your mildew question on the blog I posted there last week. Good luck Maureen
How do you overwinter a Mandevilla Vine ? waiting until
Sue, Bring the Mandevilla indoors in a sunny warm room (with a temperature that does not goes below 50 degrees). Keep it well watered (water when the top four inches are dry) and feed with a liquid organic fertilizer when in growth and bloom. Provide support and mist frequently in the home. When the light level and temperature drops in the fall reduce the amount of water and in winter, keep just moist. Prune in late winter/early spring to thin old and crowded growth and cut back remaining branches to short spurs.
I spoke to you on WRCH during the summer about my beautiful potted hibiscus trees. They flowered plentifully all summer and I took good care to mist away the white flying aphids. They brought me so much joy. Today, one of the two trees looked droopy. Upon close inspection, I noticed many center leaves had turned black and the tree looks like it is dying. The other tree, only a few feet away is still strong & healthy. What could this be? I am devastated.
How does one prune a Pee Gee Hydrangea?
Marie, to restrict the size or to encourage larger but fewer flowers the Peegee hydrangea can be pruned in late winter (end of March) or in spring as growth begins. Use a sharp tool cut all of last year’s shoots back to two or three buds or shoots from the base. Unless you want to thin out or reduce the size of the permanent framework, do not cut back into the older wood. After pruning, apply a cupful of complete organic fertilizer per square yard. Mulch with a two inch layer of compost or aged manure. Good luck Maureen
Carol, remove all of the diseased leaves, and wash the soil through with a Safer solution (its an organic sulphur solution you can purchase from the garden center) as it seems that you may have a soil born fungus. Keep checking it weekly and repeat the procedure if necessary. Good luck and let me know how it goes. Maureen
Hi, Enjoy you on the radio, as I found you a couple of weeks ago on 92.5 as i was on my daily walk. Your info is super, thanks
Dear Linda, thank you for your lovely comment, its always great to have feedback from my listening, reading and lecture audiences. Thanks again Maureen
We need to transplant a peonia, it can’t wait, what is the best way to do iit now? Also have 2 nice rose bushes in the same area that I need to do now, again what is the best way to do it now? Love your suggestions we hear on the radio.
Mary, Peonies resent being disturbed but if it must be transplanted do so this week. Dig up the clump and remove the soil without breaking the tubers (roots). If necessary wash the tubers in a bucket of water so that the growth buds are visible. Do not plant it or any plant any deeper in the new place than it is now, or they will not bloom. Make sure the new spot for both the roses and the peony is in sun and well-drained soil and mix some manure in the top soil. Cover the growth buds or eyes of the peony with one and a half inches of soil and cut back the leaves after the first hard frost in November. Dig up the roses keeping the roots covered with soil so that air does not get to them and in the new planting hole mix in manure with the soil, do not plant it deeper than it is now, fill the hole part way with soil and water, then wait for the water to drain, then fill up the hole and mulch around the base. As you are transplanting the roses late in the season; following the transplant prune the roses down by about three feet and cover with a rose cone or burlap for the winter. Keep the transplants watered for the next two weeks and then stop for the winter. Good luck Maureen
How do we transplant a fresh Cutting from a fig tree?
Lisa, use a rooting medium from the garden center and when the roots appear in about a month transplant into a small pot and transplant in future to a little larger pot as the plant grows. Use a general purpose soil mix, feed monthly with a liquid organic fertilizer, from spring to fall and give average to high humidity by placing the pot on a saucer or tray with pebbles that are kept moist. Let the soil surface dry between waterings, keeping the soil moist but not soggy. Good luck Maureen
Dear Maureen:
What do I need to do to prepare a perennial garden for winter?
Thank you,
Edyie
Edyie, Apply a light covering of manure from the garden center and the same amount of mulch. Do not cut down the perennials, leave them up for the winter the seed heads are food for the birds and the muted browns, yellow and pale greens are enjoyable winter arrangements,cut them down in early April at the same time you cut down the butterfly bush to six inches from the ground. Have a good winter Maureen
Where can one get organic fertilizer or where on your website do you give names of places??? Thanks
Sandy, on the front page of the website, click on ‘what to use in the garden’ and click on that site. Maureen
Hi Maureen,
I would like to know if I could replant my dahlia bulbs now or should I wait until the end of April? Also, I have the Miracle Grow plant food, can I use that in my flower beds in place of manure? I have mulch all around the plants now.
I do love your radio show in the mornings.
Ann
Ann, dahlias have tubers and need to be planted in warmer soil in full sun, with good drainage, after any danger of frost is passed, so I suggest when the soil has warmed at the end of May. They are also surface feeders in the top foot of soil, so plant them six to eight inches down with a good amount of manure as they need organic matter to thrive. Maureen
Ann, also do not use miracle grow on the garden. It is a chemical and we need to heal the planet and get rid of all the poisonous products. Use manure only and an organic fertilizer. Check ‘what to use in the garden’ on the website for all organic products. Maureen
I love to hear you on the radio, Maureen. Always enjoy the show on my way to work. At least ten years ago we planted hundreds of daffodils off the lawn in the tree line. Our yard looks like Hubbard Park in Meriden when they bloom. However, a few years ago, many of the clumps of green foliage have failed to produce blooms ( on the North side). Is there a solution? This is the area I see from my kitchen window. thanks, Cheryl
Cheryl, clumps of bulbs that have ceased flowering usually means they are overcrowded. The solution is dig and divide when the foliage is half yellowed. By then the bulbs will have ripened but will still be easy to find. Separate the bulbs and replant immediately in well drained soil and top dress with compost and or manure. Be sure you set them at the proper depth which for the daffodil is 3 to 4 times the height of the bulb to protect from frost and animals. Deeper planting also helps bulbs naturalize. Transplant any bulbs you would like to move to another site in the same manner. Good luck Maureen
Dear Maureen, Hi…….I have planted three years ago a few lilac bushes in my garden with compost, manure, and peat. These bushes have never bloom…..could they be deficient in potassium?????????
Help!! Moss is overtaking my lawn everywhere. First it was just in a couple of places, and now this year as things are greeening up it is showing up everywhere. What causes this and how can i get rid of this and get the grass growing again?
Valerie, do not use peat around the lilacs - peat is acid. Lilacs like sweet soil which means sprinkle lime around them and make sure they are in full sun. Test the soil with a kit from the garden center to see if they are deficient in potassium, but I dont believe so. Good luck Maureen
Hi Maureen,
I purchased several VAN EIJK tulip plants after Easter. Can I just put them in the ground now or do I have to wait until the fall? Should I leave them in the pots until then or should I do something else? Also, how far down do the bulbs have to be planted? I have other tulip plants that do not bloom. I’m wondering if I planted the bulb too deep?
Hello English Lady,
Just found your website and I love the information provided. thank you. I have a wysteria that I trained into a tree - it has been 10 years an just bloomed for the first time! I am thrilled. My question is when do I prune and how often do I prune.
thanks,
Miriam
Miriam, Wisterias take a long time before they bloom and I’m so glad you were patient as they are well worth waiting for. The reason that many Wisterias do not bloom is due to an abundance of nitrogen in the soil which produces much foliage rather than bloom). However, to avoid this situation with your Wisteria amend the soil in fall with half a pound of bone meal per one inch of trunk diameter. Prune wisteria severely after blooming to encourage bloom and control over zealous growth; cut all new growth back to three buds.
Toni, the tulip plants that you bought in bloom after Easter, will not bloom again in the garden, as these tulips have been forced to bloom. If you want tulips for spring, buy parrot tulip bulbs (which give the best bloom for a few years) in fall and plant them in October in a sunny spot with well drained soil. Plant the bulbs two to three times their width, measuring the depth from the top of the bulb. To prevent rodents eating the bulbs (tulips are like caviar to the rodent family) line the planting hole with fine mesh chicken wire and put gravel in the bottom of the hole.
I listen to you on WRCH w/ Allan Mike & Allison. My question is……I have a rose bush ( don’t know what kind ) that is flowering beautifully. My problem is all the leaves have little holes. What can I do to stop this from happening. Thanks Judy
Judy, on the home page of our website click on ‘what to use in the garden’ and order organic Pyola, I have found it great in treating rose problems. Maureen
Judy, on the home page of our website click on ‘what to use in the garden’ and order organic Pyola, I have found it great in treating rose problems. Maureen
Slugs are eating Marigolds. Whats my defense?
Judy, bury a container of yogurt up to rim in the area where the slugs congregate and they will be attracted, fall in and that’s the end of them. Maureen
None of my blueberry bushes have buds on them this year. This is the first for me.
Any suggestions on what to do or what might have happened?
Candy, low bush blueberries do much better in New England and I don’t know which you have. A lot of the high bush blueberries suffered from severe wind damage last winter. Blueberries in general need a very high acid ph in the soil, with manure and mulch for constant moisture. You might try adding an organic mycorrhizal fungi to the top four inches of soil to encourage root growth or if you bushes have only been in the ground for the last year or so, take off the flowers for this year and next, which will delay the harvest but encourage strong root growth which results in high yields and healthy plants. This may just be an off year for them, so be patient. Good luck Maureen