March

Newsletter

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GARDEN CENTER

Things are getting busy this month at the garden center! Brand new furniture, pottery, and statuary are coming in this month.  A huge house plant restock arrives mid-month, and we are well into 'potting up' our annuals!  Check out Facebook for daily updates or stop in - there is something new to see every day!

Sam arranged and rearranged our premium-quality, weather proof chairs so they would make a rainbow of color for anyone who drives by!  Need something loaded into your car here at Lord's? Sam is your man!

AJ and Dina are tirelessly at work, potting thousands of annuals now so they will be ready for sale in mid to late April. We work hard and we have fun!

Dina and Lindsey model our brand new iron furniture!  We have dinettes, benches, and gliders with beautiful designs.  Ornate and durable, this heavy duty furniture won't blow over in any storm!

MAINTENANCE

 

Pat and his crew are hard at work this month. In March, the maintenance crew applies lime and pre-emergent to lawns and edges garden beds.  They spread Plant-tone and Holly-tone to trees and shrubs. The crew will complete winter pruning and clean ups and be ready for a busy mulching season in a few weeks.  Need a spring yard clean up? Interested in a comprehensive maintenance plan? Call the garden center at (302-) 529-6119 and leave a message for Pat. 

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

 

Cody and his crew continue to install irrigation, complete gravel projects, and construct raised 6x6 beds.  Cody remains hard at work designing landscapes that his crew will install later this month and throughout the season. If you need guidance for your landscape or a detailed landscape plan, call the garden center or come in! You can get great ideas for your property by wandering through our extensive beds and greenhouses.

Employee Spotlight

 

Rick Betlejewski is one unstoppable yard man.  He loads mulch, organizes pallets, prunes greenery, restores gravel - you name it; he'll get the job done here at Lords.  Is an area of the property unusually tidy?  You know Rick has been there.  Is a bed of shrubs pruned to perfection? That's Rick.  Does he ever stop to eat lunch? No one really knows!  Perhaps its his past as a postal worker where he delivered mail house to house around Baltimore. Perhaps its his experience running marathons. Whatever the reason, his Energizer Bunny-like ability to complete strenuous tasks regardless of the weather makes him a remarkable addition to the Lord's crew.  Maybe the secret is, as Rick often says, to "Just keep movin'!" 

Growing with Lords

March Maintenance for a Beautiful Start to Summer

I have mixed feelings about March.  Expecting spring, I long for warm, sunny days and cool nights with low humidity.  But this month is too-often just a dreary extension of winter.  There is one silver lining, though: March is the perfect time to get back out in the yard and start preparing for growing season.  Even though I have to bundle up, at least there is plenty to do! Read on to find out what you can do right now to get ready for spring and summer gardening - a little March maintenance will reward you when the weather warms up!

 

Pruning

Now is a great time to prune most of your deciduous trees and shrubs, before they begin to ‘leaf out.’  For deciduous trees, remove dead branches and branches that are rubbing against each other - both of these can create sites for insect or disease activity later in the season if not removed.  Prune branches that are crossing or growing toward the interior of the tree to prevent them from rubbing in the future.

 

A little more consideration is required for deciduous shrubs.  Some shrubs flower on growth that it generates in the same year, called ‘new growth’.  Some shrubs will only flower on the previous year’s growth, called ‘old growth’. If your shrub flowers on old growth, prune it only after it flowers, or you will likely remove the coming season’s flower buds.  Some examples include forsythia, lilac, weigela, and certain types of hydrangea. If your shrub flowers on new growth, go ahead and cut it back or shape it as desired - pruning it now will not remove the coming season’s flower buds.  A few examples include Knock Out Rose, butterfly bush, and Rose of Sharon. For a great article that further explains old growth vs. new growth flowering, check out https://www.thespruce.com/shrubs-that-bloom-on-new-wood-2132698.

 

Many small-leaved evergreen shrubs can be pruned virtually any time of the year; these include Japanese Hollies and Boxwood.  If you need to - if your evergreen tree or shrub has become too large for its designated area - you can prune evergreen shrubs and trees now.  Just be prepared to prune them again in late spring or early summer after they have finished their flush of new growth.

 

For more information on when to prune and proper pruning technique, follow the links below for excellent publications from the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension.

http://extension.udel.edu/factsheets/pruning-evergreens/

http://extension.udel.edu/factsheets/pruning-woody-plants/

 

Soil Amending and Fertilizing

in Garden Beds

Early spring is an ideal time to fertilize trees, shrubs, and perennials - fertilizing now will promote healthy, vigorous growth in the coming weeks.  We recommend using Plant-tone for most ornamental plants or Holly-tone for plants that grow best in acidic soil. These organic fertilizers improve soil quality while providing plants the nutrients they need.   If you’ve noticed a yellow tinge to your broadleaf evergreens (like hollies or camellias) this winter, Holly-tone will likely restore a deep green lustre to the leaves.

 

For plants that flower or fruit (like edible and ornamental fruit trees or crape myrtle), a fertilizer high in phosphorus (like Triple Phosphate or Root N Grow) may improve the quantity and quality of fruit and flower production.  Root N Grow is also a great fertilizer for any tree or shrub you may have planted in the fall or recently transplanted. Please note that if you intend to move any of your existing trees or shrubs, try to complete the job before April 15 - plants are best transplanted while dormant (that is, before they start to actively grow).

 

Now is a great time to improve the soil in your garden.  Use compost (like Leaf Gro or Bet R Compost) as a top-dressing in existing gardens or till compost into newly opened beds.  Compost isn’t smelly or gross! Our compost has the consistency (and smell!) of dark, rich soil. Adding compost helps sandy soil retain moisture and improves drainage in compacted soil.  

 

Lawn Care

If you missed the fall window for seeding and fertilizing your lawn, you will find spring a trickier time to get started.  As the weather warms up, grass seed will have to compete with weed seed, hungry wildlife, and strong sunlight. Still, there are a few things you can do to give your lawn its best chance to perform, even if you did little or no maintenance in the fall.  

 

If you need to seed or overseed your lawn, do it between March 1st and April 15th.  This gives grass seed a chance to establish a little before many weed seeds germinate and insures that grass seed does not dry out in hotter spring and summer weather.  Remember that if you plant grass seed, you cannot use a pre-emergent weed control product for a few weeks - the chemicals in the pre-emergent will keep grass seed (as well as annual weed seeds) from germinating.  Give your new lawn its best chance at establishing by applying lime and a starter lawn fertilizer when you seed.

 

Whether or not you broadcast new seed on your lawn this spring, it is always a good idea to apply lime to your lawn - broadcast lime now to help existing lawns rebound healthy and green as the weather warms up and days get longer.  According to the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, you do not need to apply fertilizer to existing lawns in spring. Spring lawn fertilization means fertilizing grass as well as weeds - why give your weeds any advantage?  Stick to applying lime, and the raised soil pH will benefit healthy grass growth and discourage the growth of many weeds.

 

If you are not seeding your lawn, mid-March is the time to apply a pre-emergent weed control product.  Pre-emergents keep annual summer weed seeds (like crabgrass) from germinating. Pre-emergents will not keep perennial lawn weeds from rebounding from dormancy in the spring and summer.  To control perennial weeds, be prepared to use a post-emergent weed killer. Whether a granular post-emergent that you broadcast in a spreader, or a ready to use liquid weed killer that you spray in isolated trouble-spots, we have several options at the garden center and can help you choose the most appropriate product for your lawn.  

 

For more detailed information on lawn maintenance, check out these excellent articles:

 

http://extension.udel.edu/factsheets/weed-control-in-turf/

http://extension.udel.edu/factsheets/delaware-gardeners-guide-to-lawn-and-landscape-fertilizers

https://extension.umd.edu/hgic/topics/lawn-weed-id-and-management


March. Sometimes its cold and miserable, but at least I’m no longer looking out the window, impatient to get started in the yard.  I know the work I put in now will mean healthy, beautiful plants when my garden begins to leaf-out and bloom. And that is all the motivation I need!

 

If you have any questions about spring yard care in particular, or landscape topics in general, please email me at lindsey.lordslandscaping@yahoo.com.  You can also post a comment or message us on Facebook!  Thanks so much for reading!

 

Lindsey

35577 Atlantic Avenue, Millville, DE, United States

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