General Landscaping
- Get your soil tested. It is a good idea to have your soil tested before fertilizing plants in your home landscape. Testing for Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium and pH is all that is necessary for the average homeowner. Home test kits are available at you local garden center. But if your plants are unhealthy and you can’t pinpoint the cause you may want to consider sending your soil out to be tested. Test for the primary nutrients (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium) as well as the secondary nutrients (Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur) and micronutrients (Boron, Copper, Chlorine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, and Zinc).
- Add appropriate fertilizers. Base your fertilizer selections on your soil tests and needs of your plants. I prefer organic or a combination of small amounts of fast acting inorganic fertilizer in the spring as well as slow acting long lasting organic fertilizers that will continue to feed into the fall as they slowly decompose. Organic fertilizers feed your soil first and then your soil feeds your plants.
- Set out natural slug bait. I prefer safe slug bait made from iron phosphate because it is nontoxic to non-target animals including pets. You will start to see more slug activity this month as they become more active.
- Get a jump start on weeds. You may not have been working out in the garden but the cool weather weeds have already been busy. Pull weeds like Shot weed before they finish seeding to reduce next years weeding chores.
Pest Alert | General Landscaping | Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit
Flower Garden | Indoor Garden