Garden Care and Maintenance

Planning and planting a garden is only half the challenge. Now you need to keep it growing and looking good. Performing some basic garden care and maintenance will help keep your garden healthy and beautiful.

Lawn Care

Lawns are big part of many gardens and landscapes and they require some maintenance besides the obvious mowing and watering. The type of grass you have and your climate do play a role in lawn maintenance but here are some basic lawn care tips to keep any lawn healthy and green season after season.

Watering
When to water and how much is a common question when it comes to lawn care. How much water your lawn needs depends on the health of your lawn, your soil condition, the amount of rainfall your lawn gets, and your climate. Watering too much or too little can harm your lawn.

The best way to water is to water deeply and only when needed. Deep watering allows water to reach the roots. Infrequent and shallow watering can do more harm than good.

Don’t water at night –this invites mildew and fungus. An exception to this is if you live in the dry southwest where it is better to water at night because less water will evaporate. Otherwise, the best time to water is in the early morning when there is less wind allowing the water to land on your grass rather than float off into the atmosphere. In the early mornings, there is also less heat to evaporate the water and there is more time for your grass blades to dry which prevents mold growth.

Fertilizing
Fertilizing your lawn is an important part of lawn maintenance. There are many different types of lawn fertilizer on the market so how do you choose which one is right for you? Grass needs phosphorous, potassium and nitrogen to grow so the best way is to test your soil to see which nutrients your soil lacks.

When you fertilize is also important. A good fertilizing schedule takes into account climate, length of growing season, and soil condition. Consulting with your local nursery or garden center can help you determine the best fertilizer and schedule for your lawn.

Aeration
Lawn aeration plays a key role in the health of your lawn. With time and foot traffic, the soil under your lawn gets compacted, reducing the spaces that normally carry oxygen to the roots and other soil organisms.

Aeration removes small plugs of soil allowing water, oxygen and other nutrients to penetrate your lawn. The best times to aerate are spring and fall.

De-Thatching Thatch is a tightly-woven patchwork of leaves and roots that sits below your grass and just above the soil line. It's a natural part of your lawn but when it becomes too thick, it can steal the nutrients and water that new growth grass needs. Lawn de-thatching can be done by hand or by a machine. Doing it manually takes a lot of patience and a lot of hard work, and mechanical de-thatchers can be wieldy, so hiring a professional may be a wise choice.

Mowing
Especially in the hot summer months, it's important not to cut your lawn too close. If the blades are cut too close or short the grass stems can burn from the hot sun. Set your lawn mower blades at the highest setting and cut your lawn more frequently. Also make sure the mower blades are sharp which helps prevent the introduction of disease to your grass.

Pruning and Deadheading

Pruning
Pruning your trees and shrubs can enhance any garden or landscape by maintaining plant health, restricting growth, creating shape, and improving the quality of flowers, fruits, foliage and stems. But pruning must be done at the right time. The best time depends on what plant you want to prune and the region you live in.

Pruning also must be done with the right tools. Here are some general guidelines for when to prune what when, with what, and how.

• A good start for most plants is to remove dead, diseased and damaged stems as soon as you see them.
• In general the best time to prune most plants is during late winter or early spring before new growth begins.
• The least desirable time to prune is after new growth has started.
• It’s best not to do too much pruning in late summer and fall because this encourages new growth which can be damaged by the first frost.
• Pruning tools should be sharp and clean. Always disinfect shears and blades after pruning diseased plants.
• Use the right tool for the right size stem or branch. Hand shears or pruners are meant to cut up to a half inch diameter. Using them to cut larger branches risks making a poor cut that could not heal properly and become an entry for pests and disease.
• Good cuts should be clean and smooth. This encourages rapid wound healing.

Deadheading
Deadheading, which is the removal of spent flowers, encourages repeat flowering and improves the overall appearance of annuals and perennials. Removing dead flowers allows the plant to put more energy towards creating new blooms rather than seeds. When the spent flowers start to wither and discolor it’s time to deadhead. The spent flowers can be removed by pinch them off with your fingers or using scissors or pruners.

Weed, Pest and Disease Control

In every garden, eventually unwanted guests turn up. Whether it is dandelions taking over your lawn, black spot plaguing your roses, or slugs and snails devouring your plants, there are ways to help control these pesky visitors.

Weed Control
Weeds can be a problem in the garden because they compete with your garden plants for water and nutrients. They can also harbor insects and disease. Where ever there is bare soil weeds are likely to germinate and take over. Here are some tips to help you gain back control of your garden.

• As soon as weeds appear it’s time to attack.
• Spreading organic mulches or compost material around your plants will help to prevent weeds from germinating. Be sure not to put weed materials in your compost.
• Use a hoe or hand pull weeds as soon as you see them pop up. If you let them mature they will suck more water and nutrients from the soil. This also prevents them for going to seed and spreading.
• Use garden edging between lawns and flower beds to prevent weeds from spreading.
• As a last resort, use an organic herbicide, but beware – some herbicides can damage flowers as well as weeds so be sure to read the package instructions.

Pest and Disease Control
There are a number of insects, bacteria, fungi and viruses that can affect your plants, fortunately there are ways to control these garden blights. The first line of defense is to identify which pest or disease is affecting your plants so you can determine a treatment plan.

Colorado State University’s Master's Gardener Program has created a thorough list of garden insects, pests and diseases. The list contains photos, descriptions and treatment methods that can help you identify and treat most garden pests and disease.

• Insect and Pest Information and Treatments
• Plant Disease Information and Treatments

Watering and Irrigation

It’s no surprise that water is critical to plants and its presence or absence governs a plant's life. Some plants can survive with very little water while others need plentiful water to survive.

A garden gets water from many natural resources such as water, snow, morning dew, and fog. But the heat of the sun causes water to evaporate, drying out the soil and causing plants to wilt. Most gardeners plant a variety of plants, each with their own water requirements which may not be satisfied by water in the natural environment – that’s when watering and irrigation systems come in handy.

Garden irrigation systems come in several different types ranging from basic hoses and portable sprinklers to sophisticated underground sprinkler and irrigation systems. Determining which system is best for your garden depends on several factors such as the size and layout of your garden, the soil type, and the type of plants and what their water requirements are. Each system delivers water to your garden in different ways so the best irrigation plan will use a combination of methods.

Drainage is another important factor to consider when selecting your watering system. Poor drainage can result in soil getting bogged down which leads to root rot.

Sprinklers
Sprinklers come in a wide variety of choices. They can be simple oscillating or rotary sprinklers that attach to the end of a garden hose or they can be more sophisticated systems with underground pipes, retractable sprinkler heads and automatic programmers. Sprinklers are great for lawns, groundcovers and large shrub borders.

Drip Systems
Drip irrigation delivers water through tubes and bubblers right to the base of your plants rather than to the weeds and onto walkways. They are relatively inexpensive, easy to install and are highly efficient. Drip systems are great for flower beds, borders, and container gardens.

There are a few basics when it comes to when and how to properly water your lawn and garden:

• For most plants and grasses in most climates, water deeply and infrequently. Watering deeply means watering the top 3 to 4 inches of soil approximately once to twice a week depending on climate. This creates a stronger root system.
• The best time to water is early in the morning when the weather is cooler. Watering during mid day results in water loss through evaporation, and watering at night leaves plants and grasses vulnerable to mildew and other diseases.
• Don’t water when it’s windy – especially with sprinklers because the wind will blow the spray away from where you want it to go resulting in less water being delivered to the plants and more evaporation.
• Using mulch around the base of your plants helps to retain moisture in the soil.

Fertilizing Your Plants

Fertilizers are to plants what vitamins are to people. Just like us, plants have basic nutritional requirements to thrive and grow. Fertilizers supplement the nutrients that your soil lacks, and they can be man-made or organic. Man made fertilizers are made from chemical compounds and tend to be absorbed faster while organic fertilizers are made by composting already decaying matter and take longer to breakdown.

The three essential nutrients needed for healthy growth are nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium. Without these nutrients, called macronutrients, and of course without oxygen, water and sunlight, plants can’t grow. To determine the nutrients in your soil you can do a soil test, and your plants can also give you signs as to what nutrients they may be lacking.

Reading the label on most fertilizer packages is easy once you know what you’re looking at. On the label you will see three numbers which represent the percentage of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the fertilizer. The first number is always for nitrogen, the second is always for phosphorous and the third is always for potassium. So when you see 10-20-10 on the package, you are getting 10% nitrogen, 20% phosphorous, and 10% potassium.

Nitrogen
Nitrogen promotes growth of stems and leaves and is vital to photosynthesis. It gives leaves their bright green color and can increase the yields of leafy green vegetables such as cabbage and lettuce.

Plants hungry for nitrogen include lawns, cabbages, leeks, lettuces, and decorative grasses. Plants with a nitrogen deficiency tend to show yellowing along the central veins of the leaves and will benefit from adding a nitrate based fertilizer. But too much nitrate can burn plants and create soft sappy growth that’s vulnerable to pests and disease.

Phosphorous
Phosphorous aids in flower development and helps fruits set earlier and ripen better. It is also critical to strong root development, makes stems stronger and more rigid and gives plants a natural resistance to disease. All flowering plants, especially roses, fruit trees, strawberries and tomatoes, thrive with phosphorous.

Phosphorous deficiencies are typically found in agricultural settings rather than in home gardens so be careful when applying phosphorous based fertilizers such as bone meal or super-phosphate. Too much phosphorous can be harmful so it’s wise to do a soil test to see if this nutrient is lacking in your soil.

Potassium
Potassium helps plants absorb nitrogen, strengthens their tissue, and aids a plant’s disease, drought and frost resistance. It also helps regulate water absorption in plants. Potassium tends to get locked into the soil, so usually it needs to be added to the soil regularly.

Of course there are other nutrients that aid in plant growth such as sulfur, calcium, magnesium, and in trace amounts iron, boron, copper and zinc but they are required in much lower quantities and they are usually available in most soils.

Types of Fertilizer

• Granular fertilizer is the most common. These are usually time release fertilizers that can last in the soil up to 6-9 months.
• Water soluble fertilizer is designed to dissolve in water and is more easily absorbed by your flowers and plants. It only lasts in the soil for 1-2 weeks and then it needs to be reapplied.
• Natural or organic fertilizers come from natural plant and animal sources such as manures, fish, bone meal, and other organic material that release nutrients into the soil as it breaks down.

When to Fertilize?
When to fertilize partly depends on where you live, what you are fertilizing and the type of fertilizer. The best time to fertilize in colder regions where winters bring a hard frost is in the fall, generally after the first hard freeze in October and before the ground freezes in December. The next best time is in early spring between February and April. When in doubt, check with your local garden center and be sure to read the labels on your fertilizer.

Here are some fertilizing tips:

• Plants will let you know when they are lacking nutrients by displaying stunted growth, pale or yellowing leaves and low flower or fruit yield.
• Applying too much fertilizer can burn plants and stimulate leaf growth at the expense of fruit and flower production. Over fertilized plants can be stressed more easily by lack of water, excess water, pests, and disease. So it’s important to read the label and follow directions.
• Water plants the day before you plan to fertilize. If you apply a dry fertilizer, water again after application.
• When planting new annuals or perennials mix fertilizer into the top 4 to 6 inches of soil before planting. Make a second application about 6 to 8 weeks later.
• For established plants spread the fertilizer evenly around the base of the plant, scratch it into the soil and then water thoroughly.

Web Resources

• How To Prune a Tree from This Old House
  Want to prune a tree but not sure you know how? This how-to-guide gives you all the information you will need, including photos on how and where to make your cuts as well a list of tools you will need to get the job done.
• Rose Care Advice from Jackson & Perkins
  Here's an easy to follow guide on rose care. You'll find information on how to deadhead you roses for a longer blooming season, the importance of fertilizing, watering tips as well as pest and disease control.
• Fertilizer Basics from Gardener's Supply Company
  Learn the basics of plant nutrients, organic vs. synthetic fertilizers, the importance of soil pH and how to choose the right fertilizer for your garden.
• Pest Control Library from the National Gardening Association
  Find "mug shots" to identify garden pests and diseases in the "Pest Control Library." Pest and disease control advice is also included.
• Natural Pest and Disease Control from the Grinning Planet
  Not all garden insects are pests! There are many insects that are beneficial to the garden and actually prey on harmful insects. Learn which insects are beneficial and how to attract them to your garden. Also learn about other non-toxic home remedies you can make to ward off pests and disease.