Horriculture Info | Bristol Garden Club

Horticulture

Each month, Horticulture Chair Carol Glanville, reports on matters of interest including plant cultivation and propagation, gardening, and agriculture. Additionally, members often share information and links that they have found useful in caring for their own plants and gardens. Below is an archive of recent reports, as well as informative links.

March 2024

Check here to find out when spring really arrives.

*Prune! Prune and trees now while you can see bare branches. I even prune flowering trees and shrubs now because I can see what needs to go. Don’t prune your mophead hydrangeas though, or you’ll cut off this year’s flowers! I only prune hydrangea branches that are too near the house. Google “How to prune____” for whatever you need to prune. If you have the ground cover vinca/periwinkle, cut back all those trailing tendrils to 6 or 7 inches and it will become a beautiful blue carpet of flowers that blooms for over a month!

Prune roses now. It is amazing how well rose bushes thrive with a good pruning.

Only clean off leaves that are hindering plants trying to bloom. Wait until a spell of warm weather before cleaning up the garden so pollinators sleeping in leaf litter can wake up and get on with their work.

Cut grasses down to a couple of inches or you will have mice condos in them. If they are getting out of control, dig out half and pot for Garden Club plant sale.

Cut perennials way back now and dig and split them if needed.

If you want to know when to plant your seeds in the garden, take the soil’s temperature. Seeds germinate faster at the correct temperature for them. See this temperature chart.

If the ground isn’t soggy, use an edger to edge your beds and keep grass from invading them.

I begin to fertilize my house plants now. But I only use half the recommended amount for the first few weeks.

Archived Horticulture Reports

Winter 2024 - January, February, and March