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Spring Cleaning
By Mark Peterson
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| Perennials quickly respond to pruning with vigorous growth and new flowers. | |
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Shortly, our flowering perennials such as salvia, esperanza and lantana will awaken from their winter dormancy. Much like overgrown hair in need of a haircut, perennials need a good sharp pruning.
We do this for three reasons: appearance, growth, and flowers. Some homeowners prefer a well manicured landscape, while others prefer an informal style. Both are acceptable and no one style is better than the other.
In either case, pruning dead and live branches encourages new vigorous growth. The amount removed depends on the style desired. Experts vary on their recommendations. Some recommend pruning to the ground. Others use a fraction method, for example, prune by ½ or ¾ of its total height.
Yet, the main reason we prune at this time of the year is to encourage ample foliage. With increasing warm weather these perennials quickly respond to pruning with vigorous growth and new flowers.
When they're appropriately matched to the landscape, perennials can provide color right into the winter. Exceptions to this rule include spring blooming perennials and shrubs such as mountain laurel. Wait until after the bloom to prune.
Mark Peterson is a conservation project coordinator for San Antonio Water System.
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Monday, Feb. 23, 2009 |
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0 in.
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Bermuda (Full Sun)
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0 in.
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Buffalo (Full Sun)
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0.5 in.
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St. Augustine (Full Sun)
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0.5 in.
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St. Augustine (Shade)
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0.5 in.
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Zoysia (Full Sun)
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0.5 in.
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Zoysia (Shade)
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Use these amounts to water this evening after
8 p.m. or tomorrow morning before 10 a.m.
For a healthy lawn, water no more than twice a month, or less if you have drought tolerant grass.
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Remarks:
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Begin to look for your WaterSaver eNewsletter to be delivered to your email box during the week beginning the week of March 2, 2009. You’ll get same great gardening info, just on a different day. Any questions, just ask the Garden Geek. Donna Fossum, SAWS Conservation Planner.
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Do I cut back the branches of my fire brush after the leaves are gone?
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Great question! During mild winters, new leaves may appear on the lower branches, but during most winters, leaves do not come back on last year's stems. We recommend waiting to prune until late February or early March to provide shelter for our feathered friends.
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How can I get my plants to grow bigger and faster?
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It's all a matter of roots and oxygen. The more roots you have, the faster the plants grow. The more oxygen in the root, the faster the roots grow. The best way to encourage root growth is to add organic matter to the soil. Physically loosening the soil with an aerator or air spade isn't a bad way either!
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E-mail your question to GardenGeek@saws.org
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Impede Weeds
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Nature loathes a monoculture, or growing a single species, so the "weeds" in our grass are actually natural. Plus, weeds – really called forbs – are usually very drought tolerant. If you still wish to prevent them organically, use corn gluten now.
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Welcome,
Purple Martins
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Scouts will soon be showing up. Prepare the bird housing by opening up one of the holes so when the scouts arrive they'll see you have made an inviting home. Once they've found it, open up the remaining holes. Be aware that once all the holes have been opened, sparrows will take up residence very quickly. Make sure to keep the sparrow nests cleaned out.
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Watersaver Landscape Contest
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Calling all gardeners, the 2009 contest is here and open to all Bexar County neighborhoods. Winning landscapes will be featured in a public tour Saturday, May 9. For judging criteria and details on how to enter, call the Gardening Volunteers of South Texas at 210-251-8101. Entries due by April 10.
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