Blackwelder column: Garden calendar

Start your garden with healthy vegetable transplants. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

These tomato plants have been started indoors for replanting. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

Locally-grown vegetables at the Salisbury Farmer's Market. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

Strawberries are a welcome sight in the spring. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

A pruned muscadine grape vine. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

Boxwood leafminer can damage plants. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

Broadleaf weeds invade lawns. Photo by Darrell Blackwelder, for the Salisbury Post.

The weather is typical for this time of year: “If it’s cold today just wait, it will be warm tomorrow.”

Inconsistent weather is normal for our region. Many home gardeners are taking time to map out a course of action for their lawn and gardens for 2011. Below are monthly activities to consider for the upcoming spring gardening season.

February

• Cut back pampas grass and other ornamental grasses. Avoid burning as a safety precaution and to prevent damage to plants.

• Avoid the spring onslaught by taking garden tillers, mowers, blowers and other power equipment to be serviced before the busy season begins.

• Mow or prune liriope this month to remove winter-damaged foliage. New growth appears in the spring.

• Spray fruit trees with dormant oils to reduce insect damage in the spring. Wait until temperatures are above 40 degrees before application.

• Prune grapes now. The vines may bleed as daytime temperatures warm, but it will not be detrimental.

• Deadhead and fertilize pansies this month. Use a high phosphorous liquid fertilizer when the temperatures are cool.

• Turn under any cover crops in the vegetable garden and let it stand for at least six weeks before planting in April. The allows any insects to be killed by freezing temperatures and residues to decay before planting.

March

• Butterfly bushes can be pruned heavily this month to increase bloom and vigor.

• Prune roses. Apply a sealer to canes larger than a pencil to discourage shoot borers.

• Over-seed thin fescue lawns now. Fescue can over-seed at 3-4 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Double this rate for bare areas.

• Fertilize cool season lawns (fescue) this month with slow-release fertilizers for slow growth this spring to avoid excessive mowing.

• Summer weeds such as crabgrass can be controlled with a pre-emergence application before soil temperatures reach 55 degrees.

• Plant cool season vegetables — broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, beets, potatoes, onions, etc. Keep an eye on the weather.

April

• Still time to fertilize cool season fescue/bluegrass lawns. Do not fertilize lawns after April 15.

• April 15 is considered the first frost-free day in the Piedmont.

Tender annuals can be set outside. Watch the weather forecast and be prepared to cover if a sudden late frost should occur.

• Post-emergence herbicides can be applied three weeks after fescue germinates. Dandelions, wild garlic (wild onions), clover and other broadleaf weeds can be eliminated now.

• Tomato plants are traditionally planted in mid-April, however, be prepared for a late frost. Use a starter solution of houseplant fertilizer with high phosphorus (the middle number in fertilizer) to get plants off to a good start.

• Boxwood leaf miner is a problem in April. American boxwoods are most often affected by the yellow-orange fly. Spray with approved pesticides to kill adults and larvae.

• Continue to judiciously prune evergreen shrubs as needed.

• Black spot on rose leaves may be a problem depending on the weather. Older tea-type roses need to be on a regular spray schedule to keep the disease in check. Those that are opposed to pesticide usage may want to consider shrub roses, which are somewhat resistant.

• Aphids can be a problem on succulent tomatoes and on rose buds.

• Tent caterpillars are insects with the webs full of caterpillars on cherry and other trees in the Prunus family. Physical removal is the easiest method.

• Voles can be a problem in heavily mulched areas. Use snap traps or baits to control this pest. Rozol is a recommended bait to control the pest. This is available at local hardware and garden outlets.

• Initiate preventative sprays on fruit trees to control insects and diseases. Spray thoroughly every 10-14 days.

• Daffodil leaves and those of other spring flowering bulbs should not be mowed but kept alive and healthy to produce flowers for next season’s flowers.

• Yard work starts at a fast pace this month. Start slow and stretch to avoid excessively sore muscles. A check-up at the family doctor may be in order for those who plan for a major workout.

• Strawberries arrive this month. Local pick-your-own and outlets will have fresh berries.

• The Salisbury Farmer’s Market opens on April l6.

May

• Warm season vegetables should be planted by May 10: These include tomatoes, pepper, squash, melons, okra and beans. Try new varieties. Use high quality transplants from local producers.

• Pansies need to be removed and replaced with summer annuals or perennials.

• Continue to harvest cool season crops such as lettuce, cabbage, onion and broccoli; garden peas should be underway.

• Disbud spent rhododendron blooms and prune back candles to compact the plant and prevent leggy growth.

• Keep a close check for lace bugs on azaleas and rhododendrons.

Turn the leaves over and check for black, tar-like spots. Spray the underside of the leaves to keep lace bugs in check.

• Insects are out and they are hungry. Keep a close eye on tender crops. Aphids are usually the first to arrive.

• Danger of frost is over so houseplants can be moved outdoors to recuperate from their indoor winter home. Don’t put plants in direct sunlight.

• Ticks come out this month. Check yourself thoroughly if you work outdoors or walk in open fields or wooded areas. Mark the calendar when a tick is removed.

• Anthracnose may be a problem on shade trees such as maple, oak and sycamore, especially if the weather is cool and damp. Brown spots may cause the leaves to fall prematurely. The disease will not kill the tree.

• May is the month to add mulch. Mulching helps conserve moisture and reduce weed growth. Apply course bark or needles not to exceed 6 inches deep.

Darrell Blackwelder is the County Extension Director with horticulture responsibilities with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service in Rowan County. Learn more about Cooperative Extension events and activities on Facebook or at www.rowanextension.com.