Summer annuals are in full swing! Plant marigolds, alyssum, petunias, lobelia, mimulus, fibrous begonias, zinnias, bedding dahlias, nictotiana, bachelor buttons, cosmos, and ageratum in full sun. For the shade, try impatiens, New Guinea impatiens, fibrous begonias, and coleus. Some full sun annuals, such as alyssum and lobelia, will also perform decently with only few hours of sun. This year, there are dwarf zinnias only 5 inches tall!

ANNUALS

• To thwart slugs and snails, apply Sluggo, Lilly Miller Slug, Snail & Insect Killer or Cooke Pest Granules after planting.
• In dry weather single ingredient snail and slug baits (Correy's Meta, etc.) which contain only metaldehyde are only 11% efficient. Be sure that snail and slug baits contain both metaldehyde and carbaryl. Our Lilly Miller and Cooke  products contain both of these ingredients. Sluggo, which is pet-safe, contains iron phosphate and is also effective under wet conditions. Be sure to use one or the other after planting! Several animal vets have told us about dogs coming in with convulsions and near death from ingesting snail bait containing metaldehyde.  Please be warned.  Some of the dogs did not survive.
• Sow seeds for cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, and sunflowers directly into the garden. Seeds should sprout in 7 to 10 days.
• If something is eating your seedlings and young plants right down to the ground (or almost) and you don't see snail and slug slime tracks, the culprits are probably white or gold-crowned sparrows. These little fellows hide out in the shrubbery and when you turn your back, they dash out and nibble the tops off the tender young shoots. Cover and peg down Bird Netting over the plants until they are 9 to 12 inches tall when the birds will leave them alone.
• We have a new product:  Sluggo Plus.  Sluggo Plus is a combination of Sluggo and Spinosad both of which we strongly endorse.  It is approved for organic gardening, is harmless to pets and children, but not to snails, slugs and chewing insects.

BULBS

• If you missed planting dahlias, crocosmia, watsonia, calla lilies, or cannas by bulb, you will still have the opportunity to plant these bulbous perennials in the next few months. Watch for assortments of wildly-colored dahlias, from the dwarf to the dinner plate sized varieties, in 1-to 2-gallon sized containers. Cannas from our growers offer unusual foliage and flower colors and shapes, adding instant texture and lushness to the garden. Check out crocosmia as well, an often overlooked but colorful summer bloomer, great for naturalizing and for cutting.
• Continue planting gladiolus bulbs in 2-week intervals through May for continuous bloom. Plant bulbs about 4 times the depth of the bulb. If you plant the bulbs 4 to 6 inches apart, the plants will support one another.
• To help prevent thrips on gladioli, soak bulbs 2 to 3 hours in a weak Lysol solution (2 Tablespoons of Lysol to each 1 gallon of  water). You can also use Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad when gladiolus leaves are about 1 foot or more. Spray every two weeks to control thrips.
• Deadhead and feed daffodils, Dutch iris, and other long-lived perennial bulbs with Master Nursery Bulb Food when they’re done blooming. Fertilizing at this time is crucial, as they soak up the sun and store food in the bulb, all for next year’s blooms. Also, be sure to remove spent blooms so the plant's energies go into the bulb and not useless seeds. Do not cut, braid or tie bulb foliage until it turns brown.
• The key to strong and sturdy dahlias is planting them in 12 inch deep holes and covering them with only 6 inches of soil. Let them grow, then gradually cover them with soil until the hole is filled. Planted this way, dahlias will develop strong and sturdy flower stalks. To get more blooms, pinch tips back when they are 12 inches tall. Dinner plate and Cactus Dahlias should be staked at the time of planting.
• When planting tuberous begonias, remember to leave about one-quarter inch of the "bulb" exposed.
• Apply Master Nursery Bulb Food when bulbs break ground and again when they finish blooming.

FRUITS

• Established fruit trees will not need to be watered until the end of the month because of our high rainfall this year. Build a berm at the dripline of the tree and run the hose for about half an hour to an hour once a month. The ground needs to be wetted down to a depth of 20 to 24 inches.
• We still have a large selection of fruit trees. We are also able to special order many varieties, so if you don't see what you want, we may be able to get it for you. Please ask.
• It is too late for oil, copper or sulfur sprays (i.e. dormant sprays) on your deciduous fruit trees. Some apple trees may show mildew. If so, spray with sulfur.
• To control worms in your apples and pears, spray with Sevin when all flower petals have fallen and again 4 weeks later. Sevin often causes fruit thinning (which is a good thing).
• Some folks are reporting peach leaf curl on their peach trees despite the three necessary dormant spays in November, December and January. Research at UC Davis states that there is no control once symptoms appear. As the infected leaves fall, they should be collected and disposed of -- not composted.  New leaves will replace the fallen ones.
• Brown rot and bacterial canker of apricots, peaches, nectarines, and plums manifests as dieback of or oozing from short fruiting spurs or branch tips and a decrease in or absence of fruit production. Often, there will be a good bloom which turns brown and sticks to the branches. As the disease progresses, whole branches may die. While it is too late to spray for the disease this year, next year apply two additional copper or Daconil sprays at pink bud and full bloom. When pruning this summer or next winter, you should also remove dead or oozing wood or wood with any visible cankers.
• Several of our gardener friends have come in with shriveled apple spurs surrounded by blackened leaves. This is probably caused by bacterial blast. Cut off the infected twigs and spray as you would for brown rot, above.
• Watch for aphids on plums and cherries, which disfigure leaves by causing them to curl. Spray with Master Nursery Nature’s Pest-Fighter or Malathion when the leaves are three-quarter to one inch long. You may also note black and orange beetles one-half inch long once leaves have opened. These are soldier beetles, which are natural predators of aphids. If you note the presence of solider beetles, you may opt to let them take care of your aphids, as the damage to leaves is already done. 
• Fireblight (pear blight) appears as blackened leaves at the twig tips which bend down like a shepherd's crook and usually affects pears, pyracantha and less frequently, apples. A preventive spray of Liqui-Cop (1 Tablespoon per gallon of water) is helpful. For apples, apply when buds are at the silvery tip stage; for pears, apply when in bloom. If the disease shows in the leaves, cut off the branch, 9 to 12 inches below the diseased portion.
• Spray apple and pear trees for woolly apple aphid, which appears as a white cottony substance, usually in crevices, pruning cuts and on the roots next to the trunk. use Malathion or Nature's Pest Fighter.
• Wait to thin fruit, such as pears, apples, peaches, and nectarines after June drop, when trees undergo a natural self-thinning period. 
• Paint deciduous fruit tree trunks with a white, water-based latex paint, cut 50% with water, to prevent sunscald. This is especially important for young trees and trees planted in blazing hot locations. 
• Scab of apple and pear appears as black or brown spots on the leaves and black or brown depressions on fruit. Scab is a fungus and generally begins to show in April and May. If scab is present on apples this season, spray apple trees the following dormant season at 2-week intervals beginning at the “green-tip” stage (when leaf buds begin to break) until flowers open. Use Triforine (Funginex). If scab is present on pears this season, spray next dormant season with Triforine (Funginex) at the "green tip" stage and again at early bloom. Liqui-Cop is also listed as a control for apple scab.  Apply post harvest before fall rains.
• To control powdery mildew on grapes, spray every two weeks with sulfur. Avoid overhead water and be judicious with fertilizer so that excess foliage isn’t generated. Do not spray when temperatures exceed 85 degrees F or within one month of an oil spray.
• If fruit trees seem chlorotic (yellow leaves with green veins), foliar feed with Liquid Gold at two week intervals until symptoms disappear and then treat the soil with iron sulfide now and about Labor Day. 
• Organic, non-toxic control for Codling moth and the Olive Fruit Fly can be achieved by using Monterey Garden Insect Spray with Spinosad . USDA has classified Spinosad as an organic substance with no listed physical hazards. 
• If you haven’t had a chance to prune your fruit trees, it’s still safe to prune. You can also wait to prune after harvest. If you’re unsure of which wood will fruit, trees in flower or just beginning to set fruit are great learning opportunities.
• Select and plant citrus now. Check our recently arrived selections!
• Citrus should be pruned to remove dead wood, crossing branches, long suckers and water sprouts.
• Check for scale, a sucking insect that usually clusters along fruit stems, new growth and the undersides of leaves. If found, U.C. Extension recommends spraying with a mixture of horticultural oil and malathion.  Spray twice at two-week intervals. Never spray oil more than four times during the growing season and never if the temperature exceeds 85 degrees. Ants running up and down the trunk often indicate the presence of scale, so look carefully, as more than one kind of scale may be present. Check also for snail damage in citrus trees.
• Fertilize citrus in March, May, July, and September with Master Nursery Citrus Food.
• Deciduous fruit trees and vines should be fertilized  around Memorial Day and Labor Day with Master Nursery Fruit Tree & Vine Food or a month earlier with Dr. Earth Citrus & Fruit Tree Fertilizer.

GROUNDCOVERS

• Now through the end of May is the best time to plant groundcovers, as they become easily established before continuous hot weather sets in. Erigeron, Ceanothus and Manzanita are excellent groundcovers for hot, dry locations (though they do need water while becoming established).
• Mow low-growing groundcovers such as ivy, periwinkle and Peruvian verbena if you haven't already done so.
• Fertilize groundcovers lightly with Formula 49 three times a year, in February, May and September. 
• To ward off slugs and snails, bait with Sluggo (safe for pets and people) or the Cooke or Lilly Miller product to kill snails and slugs. (See warning on metaldehyde in the section under Annuals.) 

LAWNS

• Apply Bayer Advanced Lawn Season-Long Grub Control or Beneficial Nematodes in May to control lawn grubs. (Note: If you are using herbicides to control weeds in your lawn, allow 2 weeks before and after nematode applications to prevent killing them.) Controlling lawn grubs now will prevent skunks and raccoons from tearing up your lawn in the late summer and fall. Beneficial Nematodes (see our Care Guide) are microscopic organisms which consume various destructive soil-dwelling insects, such as lawn grubs. They do not harm earthworms and are safe around pets and people, but they can be harmed by herbicides and insecticides.
• Lawns should be aerated and dethatched as soon as they lose their excessive sogginess from our rainy season. Aeration can be done manually or by machine, but must remove a core of earth. This core should then be removed from the lawn. Do not use spikes to aerate, as they simply push aside soil and roots. Dethatching can also be done manually or by machine. When completed, the lawn should be mowed and any residue removed. While we generally recommend leaving grass clippings on the lawn, after dethatching, all clippings and thatch should be removed.
• Spread seed or lay sod through May. Sod orders placed with Wegman’s usually take 2-3 days for delivery. Call us for details!  
• Feed lawns with Master Green Lawn Food or Master Green Weed & Feed. For organic products try Dr. Earth Lawn Fertilizer or Concern Weed Prevention Plus. 
• If you have had problems with Bermuda grass in your lawn, apply Turflon Ester, which also controls annual and perennial broadleaf weeds in established lawns. For crabgrass and some other weed grasses, as well as a host of other tenacious broadleaf weeds, use Weed-Hoe. 
• For oxalis and broadleaf weeds, use Turflon Ester, a liquid which can be sprayed over entire lawns. Because oxalis is so tenacious, two applications may be needed. 
• Check our collection of the Monterey line of weed control products. In addition to those above, Grass Getter can be sprayed over ground covers and shrubs to kill grasses growing around them.
• It's time to set mowers to summer levels: 2.5 inches to 3 inches for fescue and bluegrass lawns and 1.5-2 inches for Bermuda grass lawns. Remember: You cannot use pre-emergent products for 3-4 months prior to seeding a lawn or laying sod. You can, however, use Round-Up 3-4 days before seeding or laying sod. Before installing click on this link for a New Sod Care Guide.
• If your lawn shows holes one to one and one half inches in diameter, you probably have been infested with voles. They can be controlled with Wilco brand Gopher Getter number 2. (Don't use WGG number 1.)

PERENNIALS

• Many of the summer bloomers are just coming into bloom. Check out Delphinium, Diascia, geraniums, and nemesia for the sun. Aquiligia, Astilbe, monkshood, Hosta, and helitrope for the shade. Come check out our amazing selection of perennials in 4 inch containers, perfect for pots or for money-wise landscaping.
• A nice handful of sun-loving perennials double as both deer-resistant and drought-tolerant plants: lavender, yarrow, the Salvias, Echinacea, sea lavender, society garlic, Penstemon, and Brachycombe all provide excellent summer color in addition to their other practical attributes. 
• Spittlebugs generally make their homes on perennials and shrubs this time of year, looking literally like a wad of spit nestled in the leaves. Spray off with a hose or spray with Master Nursery Nature’s Pest-Fighter. These are the larva of leafhoppers, a sucking insect. 
• Fertilize perennials in February, May and September with Master Nursery Rose and Flower Food, Formula 49 or Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer. You can skip fertilizing in May if your garden consists of perennials which thrive on neglect. Many of the drought tolerant perennials (see above), for example, prefer not to be pampered with high nitrogen, high phosphorus fertilizers. 
• To control Bermuda grass and crabgrass and other weedy grasses in ornamental beds, use Grass-Getter.
• Bait now with Sluggo, Lilly Miller Slug, Snail & Insect killer or Cooke Pest Granules. Especially vulnerable to snails are perennials such as columbine, hosta and delphinium. Be sure to read our warning on metaldehyde under the Annuals section.
• Camellias should have finished blooming by now so it is time to prune them to size and shape.  Don't be afraid to cut into bare wood because they will leaf out and fill in.  It is also time to fertilize your Camellias with Master Nursery Camellia, Azalea, Gardenia & Rhododendron Food.  Fertilize now and in 30 days and in 60 days and that is it.  Use the same fertilizer every other month on your Gardenias.

ROSES

• Weather this spring has caused the normal infestations of black spot, mildew and rust. Use  Ortho Rose Pride (Funginex) at one week intervals until infestations stop and then once a month as a preventative.
• When plants have been disfigured by fungus diseases, spraying will not remove the disfigurements.  The spraying can only prevent further spread.  If the spots and discolorations are a problem, prune them out before spraying.
• Powdery Mildew appears as whitish splotches on the surface of leaves and on buds and stems. To control, use Safer Garden Fungicide or wettable sulfur once a week until the symptoms are  under control. If these measures aren’t satisfactory,  use Ortho Rose Pride (Funginex). 
• Rust appears as small yellow to black spots on the upper surface of leaves, which, when flipped, show rust-colored pustules. Use Ortho Rose Pride (Funginex) to control.
• Black spot appears in early spring as large, dark irregular spots on the upper surface of leaves. Control with Ortho Rose Pride (Funginex) or Ortho Garden Disease Control (Daconil).  
• Prevent weeds in rose beds by applying Concern Weed Prevention Plus. This corn gluten product prevents seeds from germinating and contains 9% nitrogen, providing slow-release fertilization. Never use Round-Up within 100 feet of roses; it's the surest way to deform new foliage and developing buds. You should hand-dig or use a tool such as a hula-hoe to remove weeds in the rose bed. 
• Rose slugs were a problem last year and seem to be repeating very early this year. If not controlled, the leaves on your rose bushes may end up looking like grandmother's crocheting. The rose slug starts life as a tiny green caterpillar look-alike on the bottom-side of leaves. As they eat and grow, the leaves are full of small holes which eventually merge. Control rose slugs with  Malathion, Monterey Garden Spray or Master Nursery Pest Fighter.
• Aphids can be controlled by blasting off with water, spraying with Master Nursery Pest-Fighter or Malathion,  or do nothing and let the good bugs eat them.
• Rub off leaf buds that are facing the center of the plant. This will redirect growth to outward buds and help keep the center of the plant open to air and sun. Watch also for sucker sprouts originating below the bud union, and remove as needed. 
• Prune climbers such as Cecile Brunner, Lady Banks and Belle of Portugal climbers after bloom because they only bloom once in the spring. 
• Continue monthly feedings with Master Nursery Rose & Flower Food. For an organic alternative, apply Dr. Earth Rose & Flower Fertilizer, which contains alfalfa meal, every other month. Alfalfa meal contains the chemical triacontanol, which spurs the formation of new canes. If you do not use a natural fertilizer, supplement your regime with alfalfa meal every March and July. 
• We have a very positive feeling about Monterey Garden Insect Spray. The active ingredient is Spinosad which has been approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute and controls many harmful insects but not beneficials.

SHRUBS & VINES

• Watch for thrips and Black Vine Weevil damage on rhododendrons. Thrips damage appears as a silvery mottling or bleaching of the upper surfaces of leaves. Undersides show small, glossy black dots. Weevils leave distinctive notches along leaf margins as they feed. Both can be controlled with Malathion or Monterey Garden Insect Spray. Black Vine Weevils can also be controlled with Nematodes.
• If your gardenias show brown buds which drop off before opening, the cause is probably thrips. Use  Monterey Garden Insect Spray. 
• Fuchsia gall mites create gnarled leaves with reddish blisters and are common on hybrid fuchsias. If symptoms appear, U.C. Agricultural Service recommends that you prune out disfigured growth and spray with Sevin once a month. You can also begin a preventative program using Sevin once a month starting in March. Consider species fuchsias, which are mite-resistant. While not as showy as the hybrids, they offer the same bloom time and a surprising diversity of foliar textures. 
• Extend your azaleas’ bloom time by planting azaleas from the different hybrid groups. The last to bloom are the Satsuki and Kurume hybrids, in color now. 
• Camellia golden ring spot virus manifests as yellow rings or circular splotches on 2-year old or older leaves. It may also cause streaking in flowers. There is currently no cure for this virus, but it may be spread by pruning tools. Clean tools after pruning each plant with alcohol or a 10% bleach solution so as not to spread the virus to other Camellias.      
• Deciduous clematis is in or close to full bloom. As the month progresses, a great selection of the large-flowering and the longer-blooming hybrids will be available. Excellent in part to full sun, rampant and colorful, these vines simply require that their roots be kept cool. Mulch freely with bark or cocoa hulls or plant under the edge of a deck or at the foot of a tree or shrub. Mr. Ed has a fence covered with Star Jasmine and has planted deciduous clematis in front to cling to and bloom against the green background. 
• Tropical Hibiscus are available now; both the single and double flowered varieties in white, pink, yellow, orange, red and blends of these colors. They grow best in full sun and do equally well in the ground or in containers.
• Mediterranean climate natives continue their unique displays of bloom through early summer. Check out Sollya, Protea, Leucospermum, Grevillea, and Correa. While you may not be familiar with these plants, they make excellent additions to the landscape with their early bloom, deer-resistance, and tolerance to wet winters and dry summers. 
• Passion vine, bower vine and scarlet trumpet vine bloom now through mid-summer and make nice companions to potato vine, which blooms all summer. Passion vine will also bloom all summer. 
• If you haven’t done so already, fertilize evergreen shrubs and vines now with Master Nursery Formula 49 (8-4-4).  
• Both azaleas and camellias have been troubled by petal blight, which appears as brown splotching on petal margins of open flowers, partly open flowers and flower buds. Camellia petal blight can be controlled somewhat through sanitation: Remove infected flowers and buds and try not to let infected petals hit the ground. If they do, gather and place in trash immediately--do not compost. Azalea petal blight is controlled by spraying weekly with Ortho Garden Disease Control (Daconil) or Ortho Rose Pride (Funginex) starting at early bud stage.  

TREES

• Watch for powdery mildew on crape myrtles. If symptoms appear, spray twice with sulfur a week apart. If you’re thinking of planting crape myrtle, consider planting hybrids with the Native American tribal names, such as Tuscarora, Hopi and Natchez. These varieties were hybridized specifically to resist powdery mildew. 
• In the April 27, 2007 edition of our weekly newsletter, we wrote about caterpillars. (Click here for a link to this article.) We covered Tussock Moths, Oak Moths, Light Brown Apple Moth, Codling Moth and Sphinx Moth. Sure enough, the next day, Mr. Ed visited a yard infected with Tent Caterpillars. Again, spray with Monterey Insect Spray.
• For established trees that are isolated in the landscape or for those trees which seem chlorotic, use the Ross Root Feeder to fertilize and water. Water once a month July through September with bubblers at the dripline and inside a berm for several hours to overnight to ensure a deep soaking. 
• Come check out our selection of Japanese maples, which includes unique varieties in small sizes as well as specimen sizes. We carry Bloodgood, Oregon Sunset, Coonara Pygmy, Kagiri Nashiki, Beni shickihenge, Oshio Beni, Red Dragon, Shaina, Seiryu, Shishigashira, Sango kaku, Crimson Queen, Garnet, Tamukeyama, and Viridis.
• Prune flowering deciduous trees, such as cherry and crabapple after they bloom.
• If your flowering cherry or plum trees have ongoing sap on the branches (see symptoms for Brown Rot under the Fruits section above) spray them next spring on the same schedule as the fruit trees.

VEGETABLES

• Time to plant tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, corn, basil, green beans, cucumbers, and melons from starts. Remember to amend soil liberally, as vegetable crops deplete nutrients from soils rather quickly. We like Gold Rush, which includes chicken manure, plus an application of Master Start all worked into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil.
• Consider planting cantaloupe and pumpkins on mounds covered with black plastic. Increasing soil temperatures by trapping heat in this way may ripen fruit in a more timely fashion and make flavor better. Make mounds at least 3 feet in diameter or create raised rows at least 2 feet wide. Drape black plastic over sides and anchor using soil or heavy objects. Cut two-one foot slits in an 'X' and plant the veggies in the center of the 'X'.
• If you have had problems with verticillium wilt on tomatoes and potatoes, consider covering beds with clear plastic for 8 to 10 weeks during the months of June to September. This process, known as solarization, sterilizes the soil by cooking harmful microbes in the soil. Be sure to anchor plastic with dirt or heavy objects. While these beds will be unusable for a season, the sacrifice will pay off in  healthy plants the following year(s). 
• For whiteflies on tomatoes, use Safer Insect Killing Soap 3 times, 3 days apart. Consider using whitefly traps and a hand-held vacuum cleaner in conjunction with the sprays for more effective control. 
• Tomatoes make great container plants. Use at least a 15-gallon container for most types and try Sweet 100s in a 16 inch hanging basket. Patio and Husky varieties only grow about three feet tall and do not have to be staked. Check our Care Guide on Vegetable Container Gardening. 
• Plant artichokes now from 4 inch pots or 1-gallon pots and give them at least a 4 by 4 space. 
• Cool season greens, such as lettuce, spinach, cilantro, chard, and mustard can be planted through the summer in morning sun locations. Under warmer temperatures, they will go to seed more quickly, so plan on planting more frequently.
• Fertilize vegetables and vines every six weeks with Master Nursery Tomato and Vegetable Food or Dr. Earth Tomato Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer.
• Monterey's Garden Insect Spray will also control leaf miners in chard and other leaf crops. It can be used up to one day before harvest.

OTHER THINGS TO DO

• Spread 2 to 3 inches of mulch over garden beds. Mulch materials can include fir bark, wood chips,  composted leaves, and cocoa hulls, to name a few. In general, mulches are any organic material spread over the surface of the soil that serves to retain moisture, discourage weeds and moderates soil temperatures. By spreading mulch now, you may be able to prolong turning on water systems once summer starts. Be sure to keep mulches 3 to 6 inches away from the crowns of plants and trunks of trees!
• Consider utilizing beneficial insects in lieu of insecticides this summer. Ladybugs and their larva feast on aphids and white flies and are especially useful in rose gardens and vegetable gardens. Release 50-100 at a time, in the evening. Set out shallow dishes of water along with plant parts covered with aphids. These props will encourage ladybugs to stick around. Praying mantis, overall carnivores, are sold in their egg cases. Set out egg cases in a shady location off the ground, such as in a tree or shrub. Eggs will hatch mid- to late summer. Beneficial nematodes are useful for lawns and shade gardens which include rhododendrons. Apply April/May and again in July. Soak in bucket of water for 30 minutes, and then gently remove vermiculite. Put solution in watering can and water lawn or beds, applying as evenly as possible. Rinse out bucket to get all organisms. As ladybugs, mantids and beneficial nematodes are living creatures, remember not to apply insecticides in their midst, as they will be killed. 
• Birds are an asset to your garden for all of the insects they consume. However, they need a drink of water to wash down their food. Do you have a clean water source in your garden?
• To attract humming birds and butterflies plant some alstroemeria, cestrum, cleome, coral bells, lion's tail, penstemon, red salvias, lobelia and zauschneria. For shady places: abutilon and fuchsia are attractive. But humming birds spread fuchsia mites after they come into bloom. (See under Shrubs and Vines above.)
• Squirrels are our third most disliked garden pests. If they are digging in flower boxes, pots or the vegetable garden, sprinkle some Critter Ridder in the affected areas. We have gotten good reports on Critter Ridder. Also good when used against raccoons.
• Container plants must be fertilized with an appropriate granular fertilizer monthly. If you are a fan of liquid fertilizers, apply twice a month at a bit more than half strength.
• Consider watering indoor plants with 2 Tablespoons of vinegar per 1 gallon of water once a month in order to reduce salt build-up and to lower pH.
• Sharp pruning tools make clean cuts that heal quickly. Check out our Pruning Tool Renovation service, which includes cleaning and sharpening and replacing missing parts for pruners. If you’re unsure whether we can service your tool, bring it in for assessment.