Crabapples are beautiful trees in the spring, but they can also be
a messy problem if the fruit falls to the ground later in the season.
If you love crabapple trees and want to plant a new one there are varieties just for you. Try fruitless varieties like Spring Snow or
Prairie Rose. Or choose varieties with persistent fruit, like Prairiefire and Royal Raindrop, the apples will stay on the tree until the birds get them - these two are very disease-resistant as well. If you have an older variety with messy fruit, use Florel® brand growth regulator. If Florel® is sprayed on the crabapple tree
according to the label it will prevent nuisance fruit (works on many other listed trees and shrubs as well). If the problem is leaf drop, use a fungicide called Infuse® to help reduce the problem. Spray Infuse® every 14 days starting after the petals fall in the spring. Do not use Infuse® on apples you intend to eat.
Salvia
Salvias are a big family of plants, some woody shrubs and others
annual plants. It wouldn’t be a Thanksgiving turkey without salvia, we call it sage. There are still other salvias that are perennial and make great garden plants for Minnesota. Bachman’s carries five great varieties of perennial salvia ranging in height from 8” to 24”. Their spiky blooms come in blue, purple and pink and they put on a show from June to August and even longer if the spent bloom spikes are removed. Give this group of plants full sun and keep them a little on the dry side over the growing season. Salvia are a plant that doesn’t like a lot of fertilizer. Look for one of my favorite varieties, May Night. This plant produces dense spikes of violet-blue flowers from May to August. It has a mounding shape that grows
to 24”. Truly a must for any perennial garden. New in 2007 was
Sensation Rose, a dwarf salvia that has brilliant rose-pink flowers. It has a mound shape growing 12” tall and wide. Sensation Rose blooms in May and June and may re-bloom if it’s not
allowed to go to seed.
Weeds in the Garden
Dealing with weeds can be one of the most frustrating aspects of gardening. But keeping a garden weed free is very doable with a few tips. First, nature doesn’t like open ground, bare ground needs to have something green growing on it. If it’s not a desirable plant then it’s considered a weed. Fill up that open ground with plants that will be enjoyed. Once the ground is planted, mulch is the next key to having fewer weeds and more flowers. In perennial gardens,
fine organic mulch like Great Northern® Bark Fines is a great product to keep weeds down and moisture in the soil. Bark fines are ground fir bark that when applied to the soil look very much like rich top soil. The material is designed to break down over the course of a season allowing gardeners to move plants without heavy mulches getting in the way. Appling bark fines now will cover small seedling weeds, killing then in the process. Larger weeds need to be pulled before they set seed. Grassy weeds need to be dug out of the garden or an Ortho product called Grass B Gone® can be applied following labeled direction. Remember to
do a little weeding each day; take a half hour early in the
morning for a relaxing way to start your day.
Shade-Loving Yews
Yews are the perfect evergreen for those shady places. There are many varieties of yew available but few will withstand the riggers of our Minnesota
winters. Bachman’s carries seven varieties that we feel will perform in our climate.
There is one that grows upright, it is called Japanese upright and it can grow to 12’ h x 5’ w. Like all yews the Japanese upright tolerates pruning very
well. Prune yews when the new growth appears in late May/early June. A popular spreading variety is the Taunton yew. It’s a
low-growing spreading plant that only gets 3’ h x 4’ w. The
bright green needles add light to dark, shady places. There
are gold-needled varieties as well. All yews like moist, acid
soils that are well drained. When planting use peat moss and
cottonseed meal to help get the plants off to the right start..
Tips
Outdoor containers need fresh potting soil each spring for best results. The old soil can be incorporated into the garden.
When night temperatures stay in the mid 50’s it’s time to plant warm-loving flowers and vegetables like Impatiens, begonias, squash and peppers.
If deer are a problem try this, deer are deterred by things that may get tangled in their feet. Roll out chicken wire on the edge of the property and loosely hold down the chicken wire with wire pins. Deer will not want to cross a simple barrier like that to get into the garden.
Did you know?
Eighty percent of the world’s rose species come from Asia..
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh flower arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding flower design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh flower arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
