Newtown Yardley, PA House and Garden Announcements

Winter Gardening - What to do NOW

What to do in the garden? Here's the latest from Horticultural Management . . .

• Late February opens up your late Winter pruning on your Maples, Oaks, Cherry's and any branches that are crossed, diseased or a water shoot.
• Summer flowering shrubs will be pruned in March, April, weather pending. Electric shears are a no-no. If you have a lot of top growth on your Spirea or similar, then the hand shears will be needed to open up the plant. If you need help, I'll come by and show you how to train your contractor, Otherwise, over time, it will be leggy and then the words " You'll have to replace it"
• It's too soon to even think about a cleanup. April, May' is fine to let all the critters wake up, and get going with their jobs of pollinating. Certainly, use common sense, let the spring flowers bloom without cleaning.
• If you notice some of your perennials heaved out of the ground, gently push them back in without crushing out the oxygen
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• House plants: Move your Hibiscus to a sunny room, prune, keep soil lightly moist. Fertilize (if you want) with Fish emulsion.
• Citrus can be watered again, start to fertilize and check ph for 4-5
• Christmas cactus. Keep them dry indoors, every 10-14 days, no matter what time of the year. Then in a shady place for the summer.
• Take the snow away form the trunks of plants , if you have Voles. Tree guards will help.
• Pruning in March: Rose of Sharon, Roses, Spirea, Roses. Perennials, let the stems stay for structure of new growth, and let the overwintering native bees take refuge . NO lower that 15" . You will never see the stems in 2-3 weeks and they will be stronger plants.