DIGGIN鈥� IN
It鈥檚 not too late to prune lilac and forsythia
Q: My wife and I were out of town for most of March and three-fourths of April on family business. We missed all of our lilac and forsythia blooms and haven鈥檛, as of yet, done any after-bloom pruning. Our neighbors watered for us but weren鈥檛 up to the task of pruning. Is it too late, or do we wait until next year to tackle this seasonal chore? 鈥� M.B., sa国际传媒官网网页入口
A: I recommend you do the pruning as soon as you can.
Both of these early spring bloomers bloom on new wood, so they鈥檒l have all summer to grow the branching they鈥檒l need for next year. But do get cracking.
Be sure your pruning shears and loppers are clean and sharp so there isn鈥檛 any chance of spreading diseases that might be on the blades. A good wiping of the blades with rubbing alcohol would be great before snipping away.
Once you鈥檝e gotten the pruning done, reward your shrubs with a good, deep watering and fertilization. Reading up in my 鈥淕ardener鈥檚 Guide to the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Area,鈥� it suggests a sprinkling of alfalfa pellets and a 10-20-10 fertilizer worked lightly into the ground, followed by a deep, good watering. Then, your flowering shrubs will be well on their way to receiving all the nutrition they鈥檒l want to grow healthy this year.
No, you鈥檙e not too late, just don鈥檛 hesitate much longer.
Q: My mom used to sprinkle Epsom salts around her rose bushes as a fertilizer. Yea, the same stuff you put in a tub to soak your feet. I never knew why or asked her how much to apply, but her roses were the prettiest on the block. Do you have a recommendation? 鈥� W.C., sa国际传媒官网网页入口
A: I鈥檝e mentioned a book I have that seems like a lot of wives鈥� tales. It鈥檚 called 鈥�1001 Gardening Secrets鈥� and yes, in it, the book recommends sprinkling one teaspoon of Epsom salts for each foot of height of said rose bush and watering it in.
You don鈥檛 say whether or not your mom also applied a balanced fertilizer, although I鈥檒l bet she did. I want you to think of the Epsom salts as more of a multivitamin that you鈥檒l offer the roses. Epsom salts contain magnesium and sulfur, which aren鈥檛 abundant minerals in our soils, so your roses would appreciate a dose of the Epsom salts for sure.
Don鈥檛 go overboard and don鈥檛 offer monthly, OK? Once a season should be sufficient.
Dear readers: I want to remind you of the city鈥檚 annual green waste event. Here鈥檚 a guide of how to get ready.
From May 4-15, on your regular trash day, have your green waste collections out by 7 a.m. The collections need to be in trash bags set five feet away from your trash and recycle bins. The green waste bags you鈥檝e collected should not weigh more than 40 pounds each.
If you have branches and sticks, they need to be cut into four-foot lengths and bundled securely.
It鈥檚 a nifty service the city offers, so get tidying if you haven鈥檛 already, and the winter leftovers will be whisked away for you.
Also coming up, I鈥檝e been asked to announce the New Mexico Orchid Guild鈥檚 upcoming show. From 1-5 p.m. Friday, May 22, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 23, at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Garden Center, 10120 Lomas Blvd. NE, the guild is hosting a show and sale. Want to know more about these exotic growers but were afraid to ask? Well, here鈥檚 your chance, and admission is free.
Pencil in the date and have fun Diggin鈥� In!
Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nurseryman. Send garden-related questions to Diggin鈥� In, sa国际传媒官网网页入口, 7777 Jefferson NE, sa国际传媒官网网页入口, N.M. 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.
