Johnsons's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2007
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/newsletter/gardentips.html

Garden Tips
April / May 2007
Marty Johnson, President & Kansas Certified Nursery Professional

Ready for Spring
    As gardeners, our outdoor activities are somewhat controlled by the
weather that Mother Nature throws at us. Last year, we had almost 1.5"
of snow on the 22nd of March. This year, the high for the day was 72
degrees and our last freeze so far this year was on March 16th when the
low was 28 degrees.

    We may have had a light frost since then, but I can tell by the
store traffic and the amount of inventory we have at our stores, people
are gardening earlier than they were a year ago. After our long, cold,
snowy, icy winter, Kansans are ready for any outdoor activity.

Who Let the Dogs Out?
    Last fall I wrote about a new product called Guard Dog. This unique
product will both prevent and correct dog urine damage to lawns. For
information, go to http://www.getmicrosolutions.com/guarddog.html and
read all about it.

    One thing I noticed this late winter and early spring was the damage
to our back yard caused by Bailey, our golden retriever. I believe part
of the damage was due to the lack of winter moisture. Even though we had
some snow cover on our yard, for the most part our lawn was dry for
weeks. Guard Dog is very easy to apply, either with a trigger sprayer
for a few spots or with a ready-to-spray quart bottle which will cover
up to 5,000 sq. ft. Once Guard Dog has been watered in, the dead spots
will start to recover.

Who Let the Cats In?
    Also available is a new item called UR-IN Trouble, a cat urine
remover to eliminate odors caused by not only cats but also other
confined pets including mice, gerbils, hamsters, ferrets, rabbits and
more. Our cat went to cat heaven years ago, and I have not had animals
confined in cages since the 6th grade.  I know I would have loved this
item if it was available then. Ferrets? Well, don't even go there.

Spring Bulbs
    This year's tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs are about as
nice as I have seen. Starting in mid March with daffodils and crocus, we
were treated with a show of color that was hard to beat. One question
we're always asked in the spring is "What do I do with my bulbs after
they bloom?" To help the bulbs bloom in the future:

    1. Remove spent flowers, including the seed heads.
    2. Feed the plants with a balanced fertilizer such as ferti-lome 
        Gardener's Special. This will provide nitrogen to promote top growth;
        and phosphorus to help develop next year's flower buds.
    3. Let the plants grow foliage to build a food reserve for the next
        year.
    4. As the foliage starts to die back, cut it off at ground level.
    5. Plant summer-flowering annuals over the top of the bulbs to enjoy
        another season of color.

"Final" To-Do List for Spring:
    - Apply Hi-Yield Weed Stopper to flower and vegetable beds to
        prevent weeds.
    - Apply Natural Guard Soil Activator to lawns and beds for healthy
        soil.
    - Spray evergreens with ferti-lome Bagworm Spray (with Spinosad) in
        May.
    - Finally -- go out and enjoy the garden!