NOT FOUND: plnt lady1.jpgThose of you wondering “What kind of tree that is with the beautiful reddish-pink flowers all over town, it is a red bud tree. The one with the white flowers all over it is known as the Flowering Pear Tree. The Kwanzan Flowering Cherry has the light pink flowers.
We now have a super garden center in our parking lot, featuring outdoor palms and indoor tropicals from Jaswind Nurseries. This has been a long time coming and proof of the power of prayer. Look forward to meeting many new friends and shrubs this upcoming season. Once you’ve decided to seed or to plant, come see me and we can have a mini personal clinic! For right now I urge everyone to keep an eye, or ear out on all of the specials we will be running.
As I’ve said before, the ideal time to plant a tomato is almost here. The first of May is when I will be setting my ‘maters out. I say when you can pull your britches down and sit in the dirt, and its not too cold is when the ‘maters will like it too. They cannot tolerate the cold!
I am so fortunate to have the customer/reader family base that I do. I learn so much from y’all.
NOT FOUND: plant lady2.jpgIf your citrus fruits are sour or pethy, try sprinkling baking soda at the base of the tree and put water on it. This will invigorate the roots. Follow up with steer manure and water again. And remember, if your little citrus tree is not producing and is at least 2 years old, take a small screw and screw it into the trunk of the tree so that the tip of the screw reaches the center, or heart, of the wood and leave it there. Do this a couple of inches above the dirt. This tricks the tree into producing.
Mosquitos. Now is the time that standing water is so easily overlooked, due to the sporatic rains. As even a tuna can of water can produce hundreds of mosquitos, I suggest a hose-end applied insect spray. There are also mosquito dunks for troughs and ponds, and they are safe for livestock and fish.
Spring is so full of life as nature slowly stirs out of it’s dormancy. The rate of photosynthesis increases, and before we know it we are once again in full bloom. As the turgor pressure increases (that’s what pulls the food energy through the plant), you may want to give your unruly roses one last whack, before they fully flush out. This is also the perfect time for Systemics to be applied at the roots. As the plants and trees awaken, they will do so, fully inoculated and immunized against disease and insects.
The soil will continue to warm up after this month, and unless we are prepared, weeds can sneak up and wreak havoc, so fertilize accordingly.
Make sure to sharpen or replace mower blades and give the mower a tune-up. The common kit is around $10, for the plugs, oil and filter, etc. A damaged or dull blade can wound and shred the grass leaving the top of the blade white, split, and jagged. It literally pulls on the grass and compromises the roots, bringing stress to the lawn and leaving it vulnerable to disease and insects.
Ya know God is good. I’ve been so blessed in my life. Not only have I met you, God has given me an amazing husband. Unfortunately, Tommy was just yesterday diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. But that’s okay. Through the power of prayer, as I’ve mentioned, I have not smoked in almost 40 days as of this writing. So I want to say thank you, as I ask for your continued prayer for my husband, Tommy!
God bless you all, and may you be most blessed this Easter!
Love always,
Your Plant Lady
Reader Question: Can you tell me how far apart two almond trees need to be for pollination. Maximum distance.
Reply: As one almond tree has the ability to pollenate an across an entire neighborhood, you need only concern yourself with the minimum distance apart for tree growth and spread. For that you would look at the expected height and spread at full maturation of the tree.
Correction from last month:
The ratio for the B-1 mix is actually 2 tablespoons per gallon of water - not 2 pounds! Oops! The Tbsp got lost in translation.