Horticulture Hotline 03/15/21
By Bill Lamson-Scribner
Wow, what a year it has been! Last year about this time, I was listening to the ACC Tournament while driving through the Lowcountry doing my Possum job, and the announcers kept saying Florida State was on the floor warming up and Clemson was not coming out of the locker room. Next thing I know they cancelled the game. Chickens across the nation let out a sigh of relief, knowing that their wings would be spared a year with no March Basketball Tournament and other sports cancelled. At Possum’s we began selling hand sanitizer and masks – crazy! When did you know the Pandemic hit? Where were you?
Daffodils for the most part bloomed very early. Remember to leave their foliage, so it can collect sunlight and replenish the bulb for next year. A tablespoon of 04-04-04 will help you have bigger blooms next year. If all you had was a big group of green foliage this year, consider dividing the bulbs this fall after the bulb has been replenished by the green foliage. Mark where the bulbs are now so you know where to dig
Her is a basic hybrid mix of some things you should be doing in the rose garden (and some other beds).
- Pruning the roses should be complete by now.
- Sanitation (mainly after black spot) on the ground can be achieved through a Lime / Sulfur mix sprayed on the ground (be careful of new young foliage – a lot easier) or replacing of all the mulch (lots of work and removing some good organic matter).
- Top dress bed with Nature’s Blend (contains composted cotton burrs and cattle manure, humate and alfalfa meal) at 1 inch (a one cubic foot bag should cover 12 square feet). Keep 3 inches away from main rose stem and spread it out beyond drip line.
- These are general fertilizer recommendations – for best results bring us a soil test.
17-00-0 half a cup per bush
ProMag slow and fast release magnesium at ¼ cup per bush
SeaHume granular applied at a cup per bush
- Begin spraying new foliage for black spot. Propiconazole (systemic) and Mancozeb (contact) are two good products to start with.
- Spray Fish / Seaweed blend and SeaHume every 3 weeks.
If you have not had time to get your preemergent weed control out for summer annual weeds, do not delay any longer. With all the rain we had this winter, using Intice Perimeter around the foundation of your yard to keep roaches out is a good idea. Fertilize those shrubs and trees now with 17-00-09 unless you have a soil test that tells you to spread something else.
Always read, understand and follow product label. The product label is a Federal Law. Measure your yard!
