Frequently Asked Questions

What is "Spring Clean Up"?

Spring clean up prepares the landscape for the coming growing season. 

Tasks may include:

Removal of debris, raking up dead leaves, branches, etc

Pruning dead limbs on trees and shrubs

Weeding (the weeds are always the first to grow as the weather warms)

Removing overgrown plants:  divide or replace

Fertilizing:  Winter and spring moisture leach nutrients from the soil.  Fertilizing early stimulates growth and improves health of all plants.

Aerating:  Lawns often become compacted, especially with our clay soils.  Grass (and other plants) need oxygen for healthy root and top growth.  By removing plugs of compacted soil, air, water and fertilizer can easily penetrate into the roots.

The flowers I buy every spring always look so good until I plant them in my garden. 

Why do they seem to go downhill as soon as I bring them home?

Greenhouse grown plants are protected from direct sun, wind and other weather.  They are coddled:   most growers talk to and baby their plants.  They are watered and  fertilized every day.  The best thing you can do is buy plants already hardened off (outside at the nursery) or harden them off before planting them in the ground. 

There are two ways to harden off greenhouse plants.  Provide immediate protection for them at home with ReMay, which is a lightweight cloth.  ReMay will allow water to penetrate, while providing some shade and protection from insects and wind.  The other option is to place the plants in a protected area, gradually exposing them to direct sun and weather.  The second option requires moving the plants for a week or two,  while they harden off.

It is also essential that plants continue to be fertilized throughout the growing season.  Annuals, especially, are heavy feeders.  Fertilizers can be organic or conventional, as long as they are applied consistently during the season. 

How do I grow organically?  What does that mean anyway? 

There are many definitions of organic growing.  Several years ago the Federal Government began a certification program for organic growers.  There are many who grow organically, but have not been willing to undergo the paperwork and expense to become certified.

Growing organically means not using chemical fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides or herbicides.  Many organic growers use compost or manures for fertilizer.  Pests are controlled with beneficial insects, biological controls (such as bacteria), oils, soaps and cultural means.  Cultural controls include sanitation or keeping all growing areas clean and sterilizing pots for re-use, pulling or burning weeds, providing protection with cloth from pests, etc.  Scouting frequently for pest and other problems is critical for successful organic growers.

How do I take care of my container gardens?

Watering will depend upon the size of the container, where the container is located and the time of year.  Patio pots in full sun may need water every day during hot summer days, whereas those in shade may only need to be watered once a week.

All container gardens should be fertilized at least once a week.  Old, spent flowers should be removed and debris (such as old, yellow leaves or trash) should be kept out of the pots. 

What are the little black flies that seem to be coming out of the pots?

These are probably fungus gnats.  They lay their eggs on top of the soil and larvae hatch from the eggs, which eventually grow into the flies.  Letting the soil dry out on the top inch of the pot will often eliminate these pests.  Slices of potato may be laid across the surface of the soil.  The larvae will crawl into the potato...it should be replaced after a couple of days.  Yellow sticky tape or cards placed in the pot will trap the flies.

My  plants have sticky leaves and little white specks on them.  They are not looking well.  What is the problem?   

If you examine the plant closely, you will probably see small green or black soft-bodied aphids.  The stickiness is a honeydew they secrete and the white specks are their skin shedding as they grow.  Aphids may be "farmed" by ants so if you have an ant issue, address it as well. 

A good natural ant control is boric acid, or Borateem.  Some of the best controls for aphids include insecticidal soaps and oils.  These should only be applied during cloudy weather as they may burn the plants.  They also must be applied every 4-5 days to get the hatchlings.  It is important to actually smother the insect..spraying the air around the plant will do them no harm.

Stop using pesticides which harm beneficial insects and birds.   Plants to help attract beneficials to your garden include dill, carrots, parsley

What about my the fine webs on my plants?  They look a little like spider webs, but the plants are blotchy and wilting. 

You probably have spider mites. A closer look might show a tiny reddish insect in the web.  These mites suck the sap from the plants, causing the mottled looks.  First defense:  if the plant is small enough, give it a good, warm shower to knock off the webs and mites.  Oils and soaps will also work but they need to be applied directly onto the pest and every 4-5 days.

  When is the best time to prune?

This depends on what is being pruned.  For trees, late winter or very early spring is the best time.  Lilacs and viburnum should be pruned right after flowering.  By late summer, they have already grown the flower buds for the next spring.  In western Colorado, roses should be pruned in early spring, after they bud and winter die off is apparent.  The most vigorous (and most native) shrubs may be pruned at any time throughout the year.   Rampant growers (like red twig) improve with frequent trimming.

How much should be pruned?

 The general rule of thumb is to take off no more than 30% from the tree or shrub.  There may be exceptions and it may not be appropriate to remove this much.   There should always be a reason for pruning, e.g. to increase fruit or flower production, to improve the health of the plant or to direct growth.