The First Day of Spring - Can Roundup Be Far Behind?

Sigh. The birds are singing, the mosquitos are buzzing, and the dandilions have taken over the rose beds. It must be the first day of spring! ACHOO! My car is covered with yellow pollen, and just when the weather gets gorgeous, I have to go inside, change the air filter, and close my doors and windows. Shucks!

If you can tolerate the pollen count, this is the time to plant small trees and shrubs. Putting them in the ground now, while the nights are still cool, gives them a little bit of time to settle in and get their roots growing. This will allow them to up-take enough water to survive the hot, still nights of summer, when the temperature seldom dips down below 85 degrees.

I have put in some Lil' Gem magnolias this last year, and they are doing very well. They are a dimminuative version of our Southern Magnolia (magnolia grandiflora) and grows slowly, and stays small, growing only to about 20' tall, 10' wide over 20 years (according to Dirr). It is a great hedging plant, and the Monrovia introduction roots easily from cuttings taken in the spring.

This is the time of year to plant these broadleaf evergreens, and others, such as hollies and azaleas. It's also the time to divide and replant (don't forget to share!) ferns, perennials, and ground covers. Bulbs like lilies can go in the ground, though it's a little early to put out caladiums. They won't come up until the ground warms up in May, and they rot during cold, wet springs. This is a great time to lay sod!

Stop fertilizing the acid-loving plants like camellias and azaleas (you should have done that by now), and instead, fertilize everything else. If you live far enough north to be able to grow peonies, now is the time to top dress them with a little lime. Clematis and boxwood like this treatment as well.

If you live the coastal zone, you will need to begin spraying roses for blackspot this week. Just put it on your calendar, and don't forget - or plant one of the new, disease-resistant varities like Knockout Roses and Flower Carpet Roses. I have grown the Knockout in the bright, hot pink, the first of the introductions, and I fell in love with everything about it except the color. I have also grown the light pink "apple blossom" variety, and it has most of the charm and charisma of it's parent. It is just a "little less" across the board in my Louisiana garden (less mildew-resistant, less hardy, less tolerant of drought, etc.) The bright pink Knockout is appearing in commercial landscapes wherever I look, and for good reason. The Flower Carpets I have grown include the white and the apple blossom. Both were outstanding, low-growing plants for the front of bed. I don't remember ever spraying for black spot on any of them, and they were very dependable, blooming late into the fall, and starting up in early spring. (See my blog: Plant Food: It's Not What You Think!)

Have fun out there, and don't forget to take your Benedryl! ACHOO!