Denny McKeown's Tip of the Week

4/21/11
Newsletter Topics

#2 - Protecting Plants

#4 - Blue Spruce Blues

#6 - Tick Update

#3 - Planting Soil

#5 - Insecticides

#7 - Honey Bees

Denny's Tips of the Week

Pruning Clematis

An article recently appeared that stated certain types of Clematis can be pruned in early to late winter as they bloom on new vine wood that will grow this season. Two other types should be pruned right after they bloom as they produce flowers on last years older growth. If you are not sure, the safest thing you can do is nothing till your blooms appear and then check to see if the flowers are on the older wood or the thin, new growth that grew this season.

Jackmanii Clematis
Blooms on New Vine Wood

Snow Queen Clematis
Blooms on Old Wood

Planting Clematis

Speaking of Clematis, they need support to vine on as in a trellis or lattice work. If growing in a location that gets the plant growing in full sun, be sure to plant in front of the first 12 inches of the vine to keep that area from sun scald. A low shrub like Dwarf Spirea or annuals that grow 12 inches tall will do. Geraniums love it hot and dry

Planting Trees next to the House If the front of your home is disappearing due to a Pink Japanese Weeping Cherry planted too close to the home, there isn’t anything you can do but remove it. This very popular variety should be planted a minimum of 50 ft from the home, driveway, or street. A great variety that you can plant within 6 feet of your home is the Light Pink Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry which stays very narrow by comparison and only grows 12 to 15 feet high.

Snow Fountain Weeping Cherry

Dandelions

Granular weed and feed is a very poor way to treat for weeds, especially dandelions. Even wetting the lawn first leaves a lot of weeds not fully treated and you have to do the entire lawn area and not just where the weeds are. Liquid concentrates applied directly to the weed work a lot more effectively, especially if you use Weed Free Zone by Fertilome.