Week 7:

SPRING FLOWER TIPS

The best thing that can be said of this past April is that the gardens are going into May with an abundance of moisture! Warm sunny days now and evening temperatures above 40 degrees will make plants jump to life.

Peonies this time of year seem to grow inches a day. It is important to get those peony hoops into place now so that the plants can can grow supported. Larger irregular shaped clumps can be supported with bamboo stakes and garden twine.

The abundance of moisture also guarantees a high population of snails and slugs. For those who use snail and slug bait, it is important to get it onto the plants early before populations explode. Using it early means you can use it minimally and maintain a degree of control. You can often find these critters out and about at sunrise and sunset and simply pick them off by hand and drop them into some soapy water.

It is hard to believe that daffodil flowers are passing by. It is a good idea to remove the spent flowers before they go into seed production and rob the bulb of energy. Daffodil foliage should be left to feed the bulb for next years flower production and should only be removed when they turn from green to yellow.