James Gill had his annual Get Ready for Spring garden talk here at Gill’s last weekend. As always, it was a big hit – standing room only! In case you missed it, we decided to do a recap:
Pre-Spring Lawn Tips
- Prevent and treat Take All Root Rot using Peat Moss: Rake out dead grass, spread Peat Moss, and water it in. Wait until dry to water again.
- Know when to water your lawn – if a screwdriver is hard to push into the soil, its’ time to water. If it pushes into the soil easily, you’ve got enough moisture.
- Wait to fertilize your lawn until it’s growing, and you need to mow it once a week – usually March
- If you get Bermuda grass in your landscape beds, use Grass B Gone
- There’s not a practical way to remove Bermuda grass in your St. Augustine lawn – the best way is to keep your St. Augustine healthy (watered and fed) and it will choke out the Bermuda
To Prune or Not to Prune?
Prune Now
- Lantana
- Esperanza
- Plumbago
- Hibiscus
- Firebush
- Jatropha
- Grasses
- Shrub Roses
Do Not Prune
- Crape Myrtles
- Citrus Trees
- Bougainvillea
- Fig Trees
Prune AFTER Spring Bloom
- Azaleas
- Mountain Laurel
- Indian Hawthorn
- Climbing Roses
Fertilize Citrus Trees Now
- Use organic Citrus Tone
- Spread inside and just outside the drip line (where water drips off the tree branches and leaves when you water it)
-James
Fae says
How far back do you prune lantana?
james gill says
prune to 12″ tall or less
Steve says
When should orchid trees be cut back? It’s already starting to procduce blooms.
You can certainly run now. You will lose a few blooms in the process.james says
You can certainly run now. You will lose a few blooms in the process.
Cathy Bridges says
What about oleanders?
james gill says
First examine an oleander hedge to be sure it does not have oleander scorch.
https://www.azplantlady.com/2015/03/plant-disease-oleander-leaf-scorch.html
If you prune an infected plant and then healthy plants, you will be tranferring the disease.
If your plants are all healthy, you may prune now thru first week of February.