JOHN CRETTI SPRING TIPS, Part II

May 16, 2020

John Cretti’s Gardening with an ALTITUDE

Fertilize Daffodils and Tulips

After your daffodils and tulips have finished flowering, deadhead the spent blooms. Leave the foliage intact and scatter a slow-release flower fertilizer around the root zone. Water in thoroughly.

Prune Forsythia

Once the forsythia has finished blooming, it's time to prune them back. This will make them grow newer canes that will flower next spring. Older shrubs may need a hard pruning to remove the thick, dead wood.

Dig Annual Grassy Weeds

Now is the time to hand pull or dig annual grassy weeds like downy brome grass (also known as cheat grass) before it goes to seed. When the soil is moist, yank the young plants by the crown and pull out roots and all.

Remove Tree Wrap

If you haven't removed the tree wrap from the trunks of young trees that you wrapped last fall, now is the time. Leaving wrap on the trunk over the summer is an invitation for insect pests to set up house and the moist, warm environment creates an environment for disease to take hold. Bark needs exposure to sunlight and air circulation to develop and acclimate naturally.

Plant Tall Tomatoes Deep

If your tomato transplants have grown into tall beanstalks, plant them deeply. Dig the holes deep enough to set the stems down in prepared soil. Strip the lower leaves, and new roots will originate at those nodes, resulting in stronger tomato plants.

For more timely garden tips please refer to my book: MONTH-BY-MONTH ROCKY MOUNTAIN Garden Guide (Cool Springs Press). This book highlights what to do each month to have a healthy and beautiful garden all year.