GARDEN AND PLANT CARE
A plant care walk-through is provided upon completion of each job for every client of Gardening Graces.
Watering
is probably the most essential key to the successful
establishment and
health of your newly planted flowers, trees and
shrubs. As plants begin adapting to a new site, watering must be
carefully maintained. The first year is especially critical. Property owners
should
be careful to monitor plants to make sure they have sufficient
moisture
especially when rain is scare and temperatures soar. Avoid
wetting
leaves as much as possible and aim for the roots with a slower,
gentler
watering. Containers usually need daily watering and must be
checked
regularly. Click here for more watering tips.
Our practice is to give plants the best possible
start through proper
horticultural practice.When fertilization is done by Gardening Graces, it
will be "as natural as possible" through the use of mostly slow-release,
organic foliar or
granular products. Feeding and pruning are done
according to
individual plant needs and requirements .We will test soil
ph and
nutrient content upon request and make adjustments based on
test
results as necessary. We
practice soil amending with compost, peat,
etc., as necessary,
believing that excellent preparation increases the
likelihood that the
plantings will be healthy and robust both at planting
and for years to
come. The up-front costs pay dividends now and into the
future.
When planting pots and containers, we may add special
polymers to
provide better water retention and keep them from drying
out as quickly.
And slow-release fertilizer will be added to soil
mixes so as to provide
nutrients during the entire growing season.
More Garden Tips
Milk as a fungicide
Turns out that milk is an effective treatment for the common fungal problem of
powdery mildew, which can kill zucchini, squash, melons and other
fruits and vegetables.The telltale sign is white powder on the leaves.
This remedy will also work for black spot on roses. Just mix one part
milk to two parts water and pour into a spray bottle.
Spray plants once
a week. This is cheaper than products you can by in the garden center
so you save $.
Always weed diligently
Weeds
steal water and nutrients from your plants so pull them when you see
them. Also, pull them before they make seeds so you don't have to pull
a billion more of them later. To prevent weeds from returning put down
at least a 3 inch layer of mulch. See article below on the importance
of mulch.
Mulch is Vital for Growing Healthy Plants
After
reading this you will feel so good about the fact that you have mulched
your beds this year or you will realize you better get to it now.
Ever
heard of the soil food web? Jeff Ball recently wrote about it in his
column in the Detroit News. This web consists of the earthworms,
millipedes, centipedes (ahhhhh!!!!), soil mites, microscopic bacteria
and fungi that make their home in our soil. Their food - the mulch.
Soil with a well populated food soil web will grow your plants healthy
and trouble free. Bare soil has no food for the soil food web whereas
soil covered with the proper kind of mulch has food readily available
for the soil food web.
We
think that our mulch disappears because it decomposes but most of it is
pulled down into the soil by the earthworms, millipedes and centipedes making it into a deli of sorts for the soil food web which in turn is what feeds your plants.
Spring and fall mulching is best. Once a year is a minimum.
