Flower Bed Maintenance

You’ve just purchased hundreds of dollars’ worth of plants, sweated and toiled to plant everything and now you get to sit back and relax and enjoy the fruits of your labor, right? Well yes, but to get the most out of your plants, some maintenance is key.
There is more to bed maintenance than just weeding:
Pre-Emergent:
Pre-Emergent herbicides prevent seeds from germinating. Applied early summer, pre-emergents can save you a lot of time weeding. Organic and synthetic pre-emergents are available. It’s important to note that they don’t kill existing weeds.
Always read the label and apply the product as directed!
Fertilizer:
Fertilizing your plants will boost the health and appearance of your plants. Granular fertilizers can be applied once or twice a season. Liquid fertilizers can be applied throughout the growing season and are quickly absorbed to provide and immediate boost to your plants. We carry a wide variety of natural and synthetic fertilizers.
Always read the label and apply the product as directed!
Mulch:
Mulch helps retain soil moisture, keeps weeds from germinating and helps regulate soil temperature. Most mulches we stock are forestry by-products like shredded and chipped bark. Rock or gravel can also be used as mulch, depending on the look you are trying to achieve.
Landscape Fabric:
Landscape Fabric is not a guarantee to keep weeds under control, but will help. Fabric must be completely covered with mulch for best results. Fabric around flowers, small plantings, and in small spaces can be more trouble than it’s worth. In this case, it’s better to use a thick layer of mulch without fabric. Come stop by our Nursery to see which type of landscape fabric would work best for you.
Pruning & Shaping:
Pruning and shaping trees and shrubs within your beds can be a great way to promote health in your plants. This practice also defines spaces between plants making your beds more attractive. As a general rule, prune anything dead, diseased or broken at any time. For blooming plants such as lilacs, prune after they bloom. Taking no more than one third off any plant at one time is the best practice. Always use clean, sharp tools and disinfect blades with a bleach solution or Lysol between cuts to prevent the spread of disease.