February and March, 2010 Gardening Tips

Salting Alternative

(Submitted by Kythera Ann)

I used this method this year and it worked!

When salting icy sidewalks, pathways or sidewalks make a solution of Dawn dish washing liquid and water (I made it a 3 parts water to one part Dawn) and put in a spray bottle. Spray your steps, porch, flagstone, etc (not ground or dormant plants) with a light mist of this solution, you don’t need to soak them.

Do this before the freezing rains or snow and ice will not form! Even snow will not stick! Pretty cool:)

Prolonging Cut Roses

(Submitted by Diane)

Start by choosing blossoms that are still fairly tight because you want them to open indoors.

~ Count back on the stem to the first five-leaflet leaf, and cut the stem just above it.

~ Cut on a severe slant to give the stem maximum surface area.

~ Fill a tall conditioning can such as florists use (or any tall container) with water, and plunge the cut roses into the can so that the water reaches the top of the stem.

~ Let the roses soak for 24 hours, then arrange them in a vase of water.

~ Drop a couple of pennies into the vase. The copper inhibits the growth of bacteria. Without an inhibitor, bacteria growth at the base of the stems can prevent adequate water intake and make the roses wilt.

Reference: Jeff Cox, host of HGTV’s Grow It! Show.

Pruning Climbing Roses

(Submitted by Diane)

Climbing roses are a great way to accent your garden. To keep them in tip-top shape prune climbing roses once a year. This helps stimulate lots of new growth, which makes them produce larger flowers and a lot more of them. Plus, a good pruning with good sharp pruners helps them to keep their shape.

In most regions of the country mid to late February is the ideal time to shape up your plants, even if you live in a mild area where roses never go dormant. If you live in a cold climate, pruning should be done when you remove winter protection and the danger of a hard freeze has passed, which may be as late as April in very cold zones. Once blooming roses should not be pruned until after they flower.

When pruning always remove all dead and diseased wood, then take out any stems that are smaller than the diameter of a pencil. When making each cut, try to make them as clean as possible and about a quarter of an inch above a bud. It's important to know that the position of the bud on the stem is the direction the new growth will head once it starts growing, so always try to cut just above a bud that's going to grow up and over the arbor.

         

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