Plant diets. Yep, we’re talking fertilizer. Just like our food, it comes in many forms. And there isn’t a “one fertilizer fits all” solution. It’s label reading time. There are 3 numbers on all labels. The first one tells you the amount of Nitrogen in the product. Nitrogen feeds foliage. So with a high nitrogen number, you can expect faster leaf/plant growth. Think lettuce. The second number is for Potassium. This element promotes healthy flowers and fruit. Think veggies. The last number is for Phosphorus that keeps plants healthy and strong.  By looking at these numbers, you have a better idea of what your plants need. But know your plant needs as well. Some plants actually prefer lean, infertile soil (ex. Feeding tall sedums makes the stems weak and floppy and lavender along with some herbs just plain aren’t happy with rich, well fertilized soil). Get your glasses out – it’s time to read labels! Time release fertilizers like Osmocote are great for several months worth of fertilizing, but they also have specific blends for specific plant needs.

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Let’s talk about one of my most hated pests: Squash Vine Borers. Hateful little suckers. Vines will look great one day and collapse the next – have they visited your garden? Adult moths lay eggs on the lower part of the leaves and tiny larvae bore holes into the vine. Eventually, they will kill the plant as they eat their way through the inside of the stem. If you had them last year, there’s a darn good chance they will be back this year as the larvae burrow into the ground and overwinter in the pupae stage to emerge as an adult in the spring.

Your best defense? Remove all garden debris. LOTS of bugs and disease overwinter in that. Second, till the soil to expose the cocoons to freezing temperatures. In late spring when you plant, spray every 7 days with insecticidal soap or neem oil (Bt also works). Make sure you get the undersides of the leaves as that’s where the adults are laying the eggs. Two plantings a couple of weeks apart also helps. Good luck! 

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You know you’re in trouble with a plant right off the bat when you don’t know what to call it! Do you pronounce it Clem-a-tis or Clem-a-tis? Whatever…we all know which plant we’re talking about. Here’s one time tested piece of advice: Keep their heads in the sun and their feet in the shade.

The truth is that clematis like their roots cool and moist, but they grow best in a sunny location. You can accomplish that a number of ways. Place mulch at the base of the plant or plant other perennials that don’t compete (ex. iris aren’t deep rooted). Decorative rocks also help shade the soil.

There are lots of cool varieties in many different colors these days. Heck ,they are even bush cultivars now! No old-fashioned garden is complete without them.

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