Spring in the Garden

Watch for dazzling violet trumpet vine (Clytostoma callistegiodes) in bloom.

Over the next few months our gardens will come alive again. The days are getting longer, plants are waking up and the itch to get our hands in the dirt is real. Weeds will be out in force, so weeding should be a priority over these next few months to make sure good stuff doesn’t get choked out.

We’re getting ready for Home Front Judging (April 5, 6, and 7) and the Coronado Flower Show (April 18 and 19). Garden tours will be happening all over San Diego County, which always inspires and provides great ideas for your garden.

Succulents are tough but many varieties can have beautiful, subtle coloring. MARCH ✿ Fertilizing is a big focus this month. The rain we’ve had is a good thing, but a lot of nutrients get washed down into the depths of the soil. Nitrogen, especially, has been depleted. Consult with your favorite nursery about which fertilizers you should be using for your different plants. It’s important to feed plants, because they are getting ready for some major growth. Leafy greens need water and fertilizer, otherwise, lettuces will be tough and bitter. ✿ We are probably at the end of any significant rain. Make sure your irrigation is turned on, and make any repairs if needed if you haven’t already.

✿ Houseplants need some TLC after being inside with windows closed and heaters on. Dusty leaves and accumulated minerals in the soil can leave plants vulnerable to disease and pests. An easy way to refresh them is to put them in the shower and wash them down liberally to clean the leaves and flush the soil. Then add some fresh soil as a top dressing. ✿ It’s time to plant sunflower seeds. Start seedlings mid-March for blooms around the Fourth of July. Since snails and slugs love to munch on the seedlings and will take them to the ground overnight, start them in a flat with seed starter soil and let them grow until they are about 5 to 6 inches tall before planting them in the ground. There are so many great varieties of sunflowers, so stagger your starts

with different colors and sizes through April and May to have a summer’s worth of blooming beauties. ✿ Don’t forget to spruce up your yard for Coronado Floral Association’s yearly Home Front Judging.

APRIL

April is National Gardening Month and the height of flower shows and garden tours in Southern California. Every year is different, depending on weather and rainfall, so flower shows never get boring. Remember, if you are entering growing plants in a show, clean detritus around the plant and clean off the outside of the pot, too. The judges pay attention to that kind of thing. ✿ Warmer weather means that garden pests are waking up, stretching and getting ready to feast on all the fresh growth in your garden. Aphids are already starting to appear in my yard, so I’m blasting with water first, but if I see the problem getting out of hand, I will be a bit more aggressive with an insecticidal soap. I keep a spray bottle of Safer handy to spot treat when needed. ✿ If you have plants with frost damage, it’s time to prune the dead foliage once you start seeing new growth. ✿ Prune spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas, camellias, forsythia and lilac when they finish blooming, because they bloom on year-old growth. ✿ Roses need about 1½ inches of water twice a week this month. They are working hard with all the blooming that’s going on. ✿ Mulch a two-inch layer of organic matter around your annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs

to suppress weeds and hold in moisture. When the weather warms up it will also keep the roots cool. Mulching around roses is a great way to keep them evenly moist and help prevent fungus growth by reducing water splashing and spreading spores. Note: Don’t mulch around warm season vegetables right now, because they really need the heat around their roots.

MAY ✿ The weather has warmed up enough to plant melons, squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans and eggplant. ✿ Epiphyllums are still blooming, so continue to cut off faded blossoms and mist frequently in hot weather, but don't overwater. A good rule of thumb is to water when the soil is dry down 1½ inches. ✿ Now that cymbidium orchids are done blooming, it is time to divide and repot if they are overcrowded. ✿ Prune and feed your camellias and azaleas with an acid fertilizer formulated for these plants. A good rule of thumb is to apply at half strength, feeding every six to eight weeks until the end of September. ✿ Caterpillars can be destructive, but keep in mind a lot of them will turn into butterflies. I keep a bottle of BT (bacillus thuringiensis) handy to keep them under control. I watch my climbing roses for signs of an invasion, because this is where I usually see them first. ✿ Who doesn’t need more ladybugs in their garden? Ladybugs are aphid munchers. They are a bit pricey, but buy a little bucket of these beauties and invite your neighborhood kids over for the release. Priceless. Happy spring!