Gardening This Weekend: December 27, 2018

You have a dozen things on your mind right now, but there are also some critical issues that need your attention in your landscape and garden, if not now, then at least very soon.

PLANT
Those tulip and hyacinth bulbs you’ve been pre-chilling in the refrigerator for 6 weeks or longer. They must go in the ground now. This will be your final reminder.
Fruit trees, grapes and blackberry plants as they come into local retail nurseries. Shop while supplies are at their best.

PRUNE
Mistletoe from small tree branches. Allowing it to stay will let it begin to root into the limbs until it becomes a serious problem.
Grapes, peaches and plums. Granted, this can wait, so more on it in upcoming weeks.

FERTILIZE
No need to fertilize flowering Christmas plants such as poinsettias, amaryllis and Christmas cacti. They have enough nutrients in their potting soil already.
High-phosphate, liquid root-stimulator fertilizer at time of planting bare-rooted and balled-and-burlapped fruit trees and landscape trees and shrubs.

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ON THE LOOKOUT
Weakened tree branches, trunks that might split during a winter ice or snow storm. This might be a good time to have a certified arborist inspect your trees carefully.
Overgrown shrubs can be pruned anytime in the next 5 or 6 weeks, but more on that another time. Just remember: don’t top your crape myrtles, and don’t prune spring-flowering shrubs and vines until immediately after they bloom.

Posted by Neil Sperry
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