Horticulture Hotline 02/20/17
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
When I see those buds on my bald cypress swelling, I think
of one thing – ORGANICS!
Cotton Burr Compost, Flower Bed Amendment, Nature’s Blend,
composted chicken manure, composted cow manure, 08-02-04 Sustane, 05-02-00 and
/ or SeaHume are great products to use now on your ornamental plants and turf.
If you plan to use just one product, I would go with SeaHume now. After the
oaks lose their leaves, use Cotton Burr Compost, Flower Bed Amendment or
Nature’s Blend as a mulch instead of pine straw (low nutrition) or bark (nutrition
not available). If you use Cotton Burr Compost, Flower Bed Amendment or
Nature’s Blend as a mulch, every time it rains your plants will get a drink of
compost tea, and you know how we like our tea around here!
For best results spread over the whole bed; however, you can
spread the products around individual plants. If you plan to do individual
plants, be sure to cover where the roots are and out a little past where you
think they are. Remember to keep compost or mulch off the trunk of trees and
shrubs.
As microorganisms break the organics down into a usable form
to the plants, organic products feed the soil. When the soil is cold, these
microorganisms are inactive. As the temperatures warm up, the microorganisms
begin to break down the organic material and make the nutrients available to
the plant. The plant is beginning to grow and put on new leaves as the
temperature warms up, so like magic there is food available to the plant right
when it needs it most. The forest with its leaves, twigs, limbs, and
microorganism population is fertilized in this manner.
Cotton Burr Compost, Flower Bed Amendment, Nature’s Blend,
composted chicken manure, and composted cow manure are all composted to the
point that they do not tie up nitrogen. Some organics can actually steal
nutrients away from the plants while they decompose fully. Wood chips, fresh
raked leaves, or grass clippings are best put into a compost pile until you are
unable to tell what they were originally, and they are fully composted.
SeaHume is a combination of cold water kelp (Ascophyllum
nodosum) and humates.
The seaweed is full of sixty major and minor nutrients,
amino acids, carbohydrates and natural occurring plant growth promoting
substances (bio stimulants, gibberellins) that increase plant vigor, quality
and yield. Humates increase the availability of nutrients in the soil, increase
root growth, keeps nutrients in area that roots can reach (increase CEC), make
the soil more friable and many other benefits.
Control summer annual weeds before they emerge with
preemergent herbicides. Crabgrass will be germinating soon, so get your
preemerge of choice out now! Kill winter weeds that are up now before they
produce viable seed for next year. Try not to prune azaleas now or you will be
removing their flower buds and their spring flowers.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The
product label is a Federal Law.
Bill Lamson-Scribner
can be reached during the week at Possum’s Landscape and Pest Control Supply.
Possum’s has three locations 481
Long Point Rd in Mt. Pleasant
(971-9601), 3325 Business Circle
in North Charleston
(760-2600), or 606 Dupont Rd,
in Charleston
(766-1511). Bring your questions to a Possum’s location, or visit us at
http://www.possumsupply.com. You can also call in your questions to “ The
Garden Clinic”, Saturdays from noon to 1:00, on 1250 WTMA (The Big Talker).
