Tips

Winter in the Garden

January and February offer lots of opportunities to improve your garden for the year.

It is still a great time for planting trees and shrubs. Don’t overlook the chance to add fragrance and winter interest. Edgeworthia has certainly become one of our favorite plants for semi- shade. The silvery buds are quite showy and when they start to bloom the fragrance carries really well.  If you have the space for it, you will certainly enjoy its multi-season interest. We have many other fragrant plants as well.

It’s Lime Time

Now is the time to start putting lime out on your lawn and flowerbeds. In our area, most plants can benefit from an application of dolomitic lime. Although they don’t require it every year, azaleas can really benefit from calcium and magnesium found in dolomitic lime.  If you aren’t sure if you need to apply lime, you might want to get a soil sample from your yard. We carry the forms and bags you will need. Clemson University charges $6.00 per sample.

Pruning

February is an excellent month for pruning many trees and shrubs. However, be careful not prune your spring flowering shrubs such as azaleas and spiraeas. They are best pruned after blooming. Before you prune Hydrangeas you need to know which kind you have so that you don’t prune off all your blooms.  Hydrangea paniculatas (white blooms in mid summer) bloom on new growth so it is fine to prune them in February. Most other Hydrangeas bloom on old growth so wait until the blooms start to fade and then prune them back.

Here is the best pruning tip I know. Plant the right size plant for your spot. If you want a Crapemyrtle to only reach 10-12 feet, don’t plant a larger grower such as Natchez or Dynamite.  Picking  the right plant for the right spot, greatly reduces the need for pruning. Feel free to come by and ask us about pruning techniques for different plants. Clemson also offers an excellent resource on all matters Crapemyrtle.

Perennials

February is a great time to start cleaning up the beds and apply lime. You can also divide many perennials such as Shasta Daisies, Lysicmachia, Daylilies and many more. A fresh application of mulch gives a nice clean look while waiting for plants to put in their spring appearance

Got Weeds?

Bring your samples by the store and we will help you find the best product for your lawn. If you are not sure what kind of grass you have please bring a sample of it too

Shuford Says:

Plant it Low, It Won't Grow

Plant it High, It Won't Die

The most important consideration in planting trees and shrubs is the planting depth.

Don't plant too deep!

Plant all trees and shrubs about one inch above the surface of the existing soil.

No dirt should be placed on top of the existing roots and nursery soil so as to not smother the root system.

Mulch well, leaving a two inch gap around the caliper(s) of the plant.

For the most efficient use of water, construct an earthen berm two to three inches high around the drip zone area of the plant after planting.

Water in well after planting!

Of course, all plants are different so please come visit us and we would be happy to discuss plant specific pruning techniques.