Garden Maintenance

Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-709 -- More Projects »
There's always something to be done in the garden, from plant maintenance to new landscape additions. Master gardener Paul James shares some gardening tips:
PHOTO

Figure A
Plants such as these hostas (figure A) that are just emerging from the ground need a nutrient boost to encourage new growth. But with so many fertilizing options on the market today, it's tough to decide the right product for the right plant. James recommends using an organic fertilizer that can be used on just about everything that grows--chicken manure! This overlooked fertilizer has been around forever, and it's the only fertilizer your plants will need for the entire year.

"This is great stuff because it's all-natural and it slowly releases an abundance of nutrients--both macro and micro--over a long period of time," says James. "And your plants won't undergo the feast or famine swings caused by synthetic fertilizers."

PHOTO

Figure B
To apply chicken manure, sprinkle the fertilizer around the base of your plants (figure B). Water the fertilized areas well to allow the soil to absorb the manure. There is one downside to this seemingly perfect fertilizer--it stinks! But once it's been watered well, the odor will dissipate in a day or two.
PHOTO

Figure C
PHOTO

Figure D
PHOTO

Figure E
The latest addition to James' garden is a 'Howell's Dwarf' spruce (Picea bicolor). This show-stopping evergreen (figure C) features striking blue and green foliage and deserves a prominent, full-sun spot in the garden. To plant the tree, pull back any existing mulch from the planting area. Use a shovel to dig a saucer-shaped hole not quite as deep as the root ball (figure D). As you remove soil from the hole, transfer the excavated soil to a garden cart. Stab the sides of the planting hole with a spading fork to loosen the soil.

Carefully remove the tree from its container, holding the tree by the main trunk. Tease the roots a bit to encourage lateral growth (figure E). Place the tree in the hole, making sure the top of the root ball is an inch or two above the existing grade. Fill in any spaces surrounding the tree base with the original soil, and tamp the soil down with the shovel to remove air bubbles. Water the soil around the tree base well, and mulch well.

PHOTO

Figure F
Container plants that you intend on keeping in their pots, such as this sedum 'Autumn Joy' (figure F), also need routine maintenance. As a result of alternating freezing and thawing temperatures of winter, the soil inside the container pulls away from edges. This condition, also seen in houseplants, requires corrective repairs that are easy to do. Just add fresh potting soil, tamping it down as you go. Water the soil well, and continue to add soil and tamp down until the gaps are completely filled.
PHOTO

Figure G
After 10 years, a dwarf Ginkgo biloba, 'Jade Butterfly', will still be only 5 feet tall. While it may look sparse during the winter, this dynamite container tree will soon be filled with lush foliage (figure G).
Also in this Episode
Gardening by the Yard : Episode GBY-709
•Garden Maintenance
•All-Natural Pesticides
•Orchids
•Synthetic Mulches