Dear diary, today I fertilized my azaleas. For many of you reading this, the phrase dear diary has not been heard in years. Many famous quotes start with “timing is everything in ….” Timing may not be everything in gardening, but it is more than a passing occurrence. A diary or garden journal is an excellent way to keep track of your lawn and garden activities. Activities such as planting, fertilizing, pruning, days between pesticide application and days to harvest are just a few examples.
Garden journals can be a simple spiral notebook where you keep notes and dates. Journals can also be purchased at book stores or online and come in numerous formats. Digital garden journals are also available which allow you to upload pictures. Apps for your smart phone are also available and most of them are free.
Journals are another tool to help you from making one of the more common mistakes in gardening – guessing. One example for maintaining a journal is to record fall fertilization for cool season grass lawns (fescue, rye grass, Kentucky blue grass). Applications are typically made three times with thirty days between applications. Fertilize with a 16-0-8 blend of granular, slow release fertilizer. The staff at any full service garden center can assist you with selecting the right product. Another example is pesticides. The label indicates two teaspoons per application, seven to 10 days between applications and no more than seven applications per year. Both situations do exist and may not be easy to remember if dates are not recorded.
Another thought on garden organization. Keep the tag that came with the plant and identify where you placed the plant. You may discover that the plant does well in the soil and light conditions on your property and you may want to purchase additional plants at a later date. Trying to explain the size and color to the employee at the garden center is more difficult than asking “where are your Matrix Red Wing Pansies?”
Larry’s timely tip: Apply one half of the typical fertilizer application now for early spring blooming annuals such as azaleas. Apply the second half after the bloom fades. Are you writing this down?
