In the Garden This Week: Spring is Here

And now, finally, we have had some very useful rain. Annuals, perennials, and vegetables are now perking up after a couple of weeks of near-drought conditions.

Lawns: While the amount and intensity of the rain has been much welcome, there are a few cautions to be aware of. Because the grass has been growing voraciously, there is a serious problem with mowing it when it is wet. The grass tends to clump up in your mower and in the residue left on your lawn. It is strongly recommended that you cut your lawn at a height of 3 inches normally. I saw the mowers in my neighborhood mowing in the rain the other day. After all, it was Thursday and they always mow on Thursday. Mowing when wet, can leave some large clumps of grass on your lawn. While it is not generally recommended that you pick up the grass clippings-there is very good nitrogen in those clippings-it might be a good idea to rake and pick up the clippings for one or two times this year. But not every time you mow. This is common sense once you get your lawn in good shape.

Insects: 

Lily Leaf Beetle: For the past three or four years our Asiatic Lilies have been significantly damaged by this pest. The beetle stage is easy to spot: it is bright red/orange and it can easily be picked off and destroyed. The larvae stage is a little harder to see. More obvious is the black excrement that you will find on the underside of the leaves. If you wish to control these insects before they destroy your flower heads, you can use a combination of pyrethrin (soft body control) and rotenone (hard shell control) available at many nurseries. That should take care of this insect. Pyrethrin is organic and rotenone is nearly so. You can also use neem or a product containing spinosad on the larvae stage.

Winter Moths: We are now seeing the results of the winter moth infestation. Shot-holes in leaves of maples, oaks, apples and other trees are an indication of winter moth damage. Although it is generally late to treat the trees for this insect, it might help to spray the trees with a product containing spinosad.

Hollies: We have received a few questions at our gardening information kiosk about how, and when, to prune hollies. First of all, hollies can be pruned at any tme of the year. If you have red berries (females) you may want to wait till the late fall or winter to prune. They can be cut back, preferably with hand-pruners, not electric shears, by about 1/3 of their growth. Hollies can often suffer a serious case of sootly mold when a black substance covers many of the leaves. This is caused by the actions of various sucking insects such as aphids, mealybugs or whiteflies. They excrete a watery, but sticky substance which is called honeydew. The fungi grow on this excrement and the leaf turns black. The sooty mold does no damage to the plant; it is usually a problem of aesthetics. It can be controlled by a good heavy dose of water from a hose or by using insecticidal soap. Also hollies need to be thinned out periodically to allow better air circulation in the plant. Many other plants suffer from sooty mold as well.

Rhododendrons: One of the most beautiful perennials this time of the year are the rhoddies. They brighten up many, many landscapes. This very popular plant is in full flower in this area at this time. But soon the flowers will fade and that is the best time to prune them to shape them in the way you want them. That also can be a good time to keep them from taking over the windows of your living room. You can trim rhododendron back by about 1/3 but be very careful not to trim off the new shoots which will provide the flowers for next year. A severe pruning of rhoddies will result in no flowers in the next year. But they will recover after that.

Hydrangeas: While talking about pruning ornamenals, now is a good time to take a close look at your hydrangeas. Doesn't everyone have hydrangeas? You should have leaves by now and many varieties have flower buds as well. But what about the rest of the plant? You can now (and you should have waited until now) recognize that the plant looked like it was all dead sticks. There are clearly now some branches that have no leaves, 'though they might have what look like dried flower buds. These can be cut back to the ground; many of them will simply pull out with a light tug. Severely cutting back hydrangeas at any time of the year will result in no flowers for the next year. Hydrangeas, by the way, function best if they are planted with some protection from the wind, especially the winter wind. They can be protected by another plant or a tree, or in winter by staking the plant with a screen of burlap.

Azaleas: The azaleas have been gorgeous this spring. But now they are beginning to fade and the flowers are dying off. Therefore this is the very best time to prune them to the shape and size that you want-again cut them by no more than 1/3 . They are very colorful and they are a wonderful addition to any garden. It is just unfortunate that the flowers don't last a little longer.

A reminder: Come visit us at our gardening information and soil testing kiosk at Paadise Valey Park (Paradise and Prospect Avenues) in Middletown every Saturday from 11-1, rain or shine until the end of September. The soil test and the gardening information are a free service by URI Master Gardener volunteers. Bring samples for plant or insect id or any gardening questions. Or you can contact us directly at gardeninginformationri@gmail.com.

Questions? Comments?