Q&A with Chris Reed from Sycamore Landscaping Regarding Spring Planting in Montgomery County.

When should you plant your Bulbs for the year?

 - All of your bulbs (Daffodils, Tulips, etc) should be planted in the Fall. These are Perennials so they will come back every year. Just make sure when it dies to cut the dead plant off of the bulb. 

When should you plant your Annuals for the year?

 - All Annuals (Impatiens, Petunias, etc.) should be planted around mid-May. This is due to their sensitivity to frost. As the days get warmer and longer, most people want to plant ASAP but, that is a mistake. This could lead to an early ending for your annuals.

Are there any sensitive plants that I need to wait longer to plant?

 - Tomato plants should be planted mid-June. They are hyper sensitive to cold weather and it’s always better to plant during a warmer month.

 - There are plants that you can plant almost anytime of the year. For instance, rhododendrons can with-stand very cool temperatures. It will thrive more in the late spring – early summer months but is very resilient.

What can I do to prevent weeds?

 - Preventative care works. We use mulch as a preventative. We also tend to use Preen (which can be purchased at your local lawn and garden center) before mulching.

 - Weeds are very resilient and hard to get rid of after they’ve become invasive. The best solution is to manually pull the weeds and dispose of them. Lastly, you can speak with your landscaper to create a preventative care solution for next year once you are aware of the particular weeds that inhabit your flower beds and lawn.

 How long should I wait to put mulch down after planting?

 - Mulch can be put down before or right after you plant. The best time to use mulch is after you’ve planted your flowers. You want to make sure that the mulch stays moist to keep its appearance. Don’t use the Preen if there are flowers around where you are mulching. You don’t want to mix plants and Preen as Preen is a pre-emergent. 

What is your best advice to have a beautiful garden this year?

 - Water the plants based on their watering needs and the location (how much sun it gets in a day).

 - Apply mulch to keep weeds away and pull weeds as soon as you see them.      

 - Pull any dead flowers or leaves about once every two weeks.

 - Make sure to cut all dead flowers to ensure proper blooming the following year.