Garden Coach 4/22/21

April 22, 2021

TOPICS:

1. The Nursery is OPEN and has more and more everyday – new views
2. Today is Earth Day! April 22 – the 51^st Anniversary
3. Plant cool season plants in the vegetable garden starting now
4. Spring Lawn Care – 1^st treatment of the year 4-15 (traditionally)

• Pre-emergent weed control – April 15 - Scotts Triple Action for SeedStarting
• May 31 to June 15 – Summer fertilizer – Espoma (20# BAG, 15-0-5)

1. Treat early to prevent lawn diseases that appear later

• Early Diseases – Dollar Spot; photo of classic sample showing hour-glass shape lesion
• Prevent later season lawn diseases NOW – Summer Patch and Brown Patch – Spectracide Immunox Fungus Plus Insect Control for Lawns or Bonide Infuse Systemic Disease Control for Lawn & Landscape

1. Rabbit (enemy #1) – repel adults before “babies”

• More damage this past winter than many have seen in many years.
• Start with Liquid Fence Dual Action Rabbit Repellent
• Rotate PlantSkydd liquid spray and PlantSkydd granular
• Also add in rotation – Bonide Repels-All liquid and granular

1. Prevent and protect from insects – Boxwood Leaf Miners (new research from Dr. Joe Boggs) & Viburnum Leaf Beetle

• Boxwood Leaf Miner sample – Alien insect that moved to the Midwest 7 years ago – no predator, so best control is BioAdvanced Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed Concentrate 32 ounce – or Bonide Annual Tree & Shrub Insect Control 32 fl oz
• Viburnum Leaf Beetle – CAUTION, CAUTION – another alien with no predators. Use same products as for Boxwood Leaf Miner.

8. Spring clean-up – Plan to use mulch & Preen when garden beds are cleaned up
   • Chalet leaf mulch
   • Chalet Compost
   • Cotton Burr Mulch / Compost
   • Bark mulches – Shredded Pine Bark, Cedar Bark Mulch, Chunk Bark, Small, Medium & Large

1. Fungal disease protection NOW - Plan to protect plants that are susceptible to fungal diseases – Immunox from Spectracide –16 oz
• Immunox RTU spray bottle – not available from supplier - Covid
• Bio-Advanced 3-in-1 Insect, Disease & Mite Control RTU spray

10. Weed Control – Ficaria nevus (formerly Ranunculus ficaria) Now in “50% flowering” stage
    • Samples at the Chalet Diagnostic Desk
    • Ficaria nevis – SPRAY IT NOW!
    • Use Bonide Chickweed, Clover & Oxalis Killer concentrate OR Bonide Sedge Ender

11. What the horticulturist is doing in her garden:
    • Getting my vegetable garden back in shape – my husband re-built my raised bed gardens!
    • Watering since we did not get the snow and rain here on the north side of Chicago – to keep the grass seed that I applied consistently moist
    • Starting tomato seeds
    • Repotting my strawberry plants in my hanging baskets