It’s after Memorial Day and this signals the start of summer. Traditionally it’s time to plant warm crops, like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, squash, melons, beans and cucumbers. You’ll want to work up the ground and add organic material and check the soil for pH and adjust accordingly. If you are sowing seed directly in the garden, be sure to plant the seed at the depth recommended on the package. Instead of covering the seed with garden soil, use potting soil or vermiculite.
This light material doesn’t crust over after watering which lets seedlings germinate with less effort. This is a particularly good idea for small seeds, like carrots, onion and lettuce greens.
Yews
Yews are the perfect evergreen for shady places in the landscape. Even though there are many varieties
available, few can withstand the rigors of our Minnesota
winters. Bachman’s carries six yew varieties that we feel perform well in our climate. ‘Japanese Upright’ grows to 12’ high and 5’ wide. Like all yews, the Japanese Upright
tolerates pruning very well. A new upright yew called ‘Nova’ is a slow growing columnar yew that retains its dark green color year round. It reaches a height of about 6’.
The Taunton yew is a popular spreading variety. It’s a low growing plant that only gets 3’ tall and about 4’ wide. Its bright green needles are a good way to add light to dark shady places. There are gold-needle 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. Prune yews when new growth
appears in late May or early June.
Asparagus
Asparagus is a great
perennial vegetable crop that you can grow in the backyard. It likes full sun and sandy soil. If your soil is clay, consider making a raised bed and adding sandy loam. Don’t harvest asparagus during the first growing season. The second season,
harvest a few spears in the spring. In the third season, harvest twice. After that, harvest until the first of July. If asparagus shoots have a shepherd’s hook to them, suspect asparagus beetle, a major pest. To control this, use Bonide Eight, following label directions carefully.
Nature’s Herbicide
Are weeds sprouting from the cracks in your sidewalks or driveway? Does your paver patio have grass growing in it? There’s no need to use harsh chemicals to kill these weeds—all you need is white vinegar. On a hot sunny day when no rain is expected, spray the weeds with white vinegar. The sun and the vinegar will kill your unwanted
visitors in a few days, right down to the root. All natural white vinegar works on weeds in the garden as well. Just be very careful not to get vinegar on any desirable plants because they will
be killed as well.
Tips
Always use both liquid and granular fertilizer on your plants. Liquid feeds fast and granular feeds over a longer period on time. Alternating the two provides plants with the best care.
When the weather turns warm and dry, put down a layer of good organic mulch to keep the soil cool and conserve moisture.
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 floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral 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 floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
