April 2022 I recently had a friend call me and ask why some of his azaleas bloomed and some didn’t. After a little investigating, we discovered that his father pruned some of them back in January. By pruning in January, which is too early, he removed all the buds that would have developed into flowers. Let his misfortune serve as a reminder to prune azaleas right after they finish blooming and finish no later than mid-summer. Have you seen fire ants on your vegetable and/or ornamental plants? If you have, look closely at the plants for insects such as aphids, scales, and mites. Ants like to feed on the honeydew that those insects produce. Honeydew is the sugar-rich excrement of aphids, scales, and mites. It is also a free and easy source of high-energy food. Honeydew is the same substance that sooty mold (blackening) grows on. Fire ants will even “farm” aphids by taking aphis to their mound for safety during harsh weather events like storms and freezes. This is a great time to apply the baits. Remember to apply when the ground is dry, no rain is forecast for a couple of hours, and the ants must be actively foraging. Here is a link for more information about managing fire ants with baits: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop- production/managing-fire-ants-with-baits/ If you have not had your mower and other power landscape equipment serviced, make sure you check the oil level before you start them. Local repair shops are getting busy with last-minute drop-offs, so be patient. With the rising cost of fertilizers and other gardening/landscape products, some gardeners are reducing inputs. Reductions can be made wisely and still maintain a productive garden and attractive landscape. Here are a few examples: • If you have fertilized your lawn regularly for years and left your clippings, you can reduce or even not fertilize the lawn this year. • If you must choose between lime or fertilization, always choose lime. • If you have mainly annual weeds, apply pre- emergent products as discussed in previous articles and reduce the post-emergent products. • Any application of pesticides should be based on the proper identification and presence of the target pest and not a set date or possibility of a problem. Several of the local schools with horticulture programs have begun marketing and selling plants of all kinds. I urge you to support them and even cooperate with them to get things that you can’t find easily. Some of them will also work with you on germinating your seed for a fee or donation. These programs help kids learn the cultural part of the horticulture industry and the business side as well as customer service. The programs depend on plant sales to expand and stay current with the industry. Enjoy the outdoors! March 2022 Peaches, plums, and nectarines are blooming or very near blooming. Bud swell through fruit development is a risky time. The risk of freeze damage is high once the bud breaks dormancy. During this time, if temperatures are forecast to drop to 32 degrees or below, you may want to have a plan to protect your blooms/fruit. You can cover with fabric, freeze cloths, arrange lighting strategically placed as to not damage the plant(s) or cause a fire, etc. Keep an eye on the weather and take action if need be. As I mentioned in a couple of articles last year, I started raising chickens back in July of 2021. I built a portable coop, chicken tractor, that I have been moving around for the past few months. As a result, they have really cleaned up an area of the garden that was covered with some tough to control weeds, aerated the compacted soil, and added valuable nutrients and organic matter to the soil. I have placed them in a new area giving the old site plenty of time to make sure I won’t be harvesting any crops within 90 days of their presence to reduce any food safety concerns/risks. I recall when I raised rabbits, I used the manure in all areas of my landscape and the plants looked great and performed better than expected. I also planted cover crops (clover and ryegrass) in the area the chickens worked over. The cover crops really grew well and added even more organic matter to the soil. WINNING!!! It appears that I will have to mow my winter weeds one more time in the next couple of weeks before my warm-season grass greens up. Again, this is a result of missing the fall application of a pre-emergent. Stay on top of those pre-emergent applications. It is easy to miss a seasonal treatment if you have done it enough times to keep them out of sight, but as soon as you miss a treatment, they germinate with a vengeance. On the vegetable front, most gardeners plant by a calendar. Well, seasons and temperatures don’t always match dates on the calendar. I use a combination of soil temperature, dates, and weather trends. Here is a publication that lists soil temperatures for various vegetables: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/lawn-garden/soil- temperature-conditions-for-vegetable-seed- germination/ Even with optimal soil temperatures, freezing air temps can still damage/kill seedlings. I love this warming trend and the days getting longer. Get out there and enjoy the outdoors! Even the rainy days! February 2022 If you missed the fall application of pre-emergent herbicide like I did, winter weeds are starting to mature and flower. Most of them are annual weeds. One thing that can be done now is kill them with an herbicide or cut them down to prevent them from producing more seeds. Last month, I pulled out the lawnmower and mowed my yard that was mainly grown in winter weeds in an effort to prevent flowering and to give it a manicured look. Mid- February is the time to apply the pre-emergent herbicides for your warm-season weeds. As for chill hour accumulation, January weather wasn’t pleasant for the most part, but it was really good to the Gulf Coast chill hour numbers. Chill hour numbers as of February 1st Brewton, AL – 636 hours Old Model; 513 hour Modified Model Fairhope, AL – 411 hours Old Model; 370 hour Modified Model Moss Point, MS – 477 hours Old Model; 409 hours Modified Model You can start pruning most of your landscape plants after Valentine’s Day but watch the weather trends. If there is a major cold front predicted right before or a few days after the day you plan to prune, wait until the front has passed. I have been getting emails and catalogs from seed companies and garden centers. It has got me building my wish list of plants I want to try, and areas I want to expand. Last year, I wrote about my new interest in Monarch butterflies. I also stated that it took 2 years of planting Milkweed before they found my landscape. Well, my excitement about attracting Monarchs is still strong and expanding to other butterflies and their needs. Here are a few tips for you if you have an interest in plantings for Monarchs or butterflies in general. • Plant more than one of the same plant. A general landscape rule is to plant odd numbers. • Plant more than one species, some insects have specific preferences and variety helps cover all bases. • Plant species for the larva and the adult stages of the life cycle. • Plant them in groups to enhance the chances of attracting your desired insect. • Plant your butterfly garden in full sun. • Plant a progression of flowing plants for extended feeding periods. Now, here is some homework for you. Below is a list of common plants that attract Monarchs and other butterflies that you can research. Milkweed – attracts Monarchs Buddleia – attracts a variety of butterflies Passionflower – vining plant that attracts Gulf Fritillary and Zebra longwing Bottle brush – shrub to small tree, attracts a variety of butterflies Blazing Star – herbaceous perennial, attracts a variety of butterflies Queen Anne’s Lace – herbaceous, attracts Black Swallowtail Here is a link for more information: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/landscaping/butterfl y-gardens/ Enjoy the outdoors! January 2022 Happy New Year! Though our temperatures are not consistently reflective of winter we can still perform some of our winter gardening activities. Continue to plant fruit trees and other hardy woody ornamental shrubs and trees. If you performed a soil test last month, add the lime according to the recommendation now. If you didn’t soil test last month, you can still do it. Start checking your favorite websites and catalogs for new varieties of plants you are generally interested in. You should check the shipping availability of them, some plants that you order now may not ship until April or May. That’s not a bad thing, just make a note on your calendar and plan ahead. The only pruning that should be done at this point is removing damaged limbs. The bulk of our regular pruning will be done mid to late February. So don’t get in too big of a hurry. Pruning too early can result in reduced cold tolerance, possible winter injury, and the plant may attempt to come out of dormancy too early. If you are like me, you still have satsumas on your trees. They are still in good shape and will keep for weeks to come on the tree better and longer than in the house or refrigerator. Once we get into February, you will need to remove all the fruit to give the plant a little time to recuperate and prepare for the next bloom crop. For those interested in vegetables the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has an app for that, “SOW”. It is free and available at the app store. It gives you planting dates and details about any vegetable you are interested in. It will give you a list of vegetables you can plant today or any date you select. Here is a link for more information: https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/products-programs- lawn-garden/sow-planting-companion/ Chill hour numbers as of January 1st Brewton, AL – 262 hours Old Model; 139 hour Modified Model Fairhope, AL – 112 hours Old Model; 71 hour Modified Model Moss Point, MS – 173 hours Old Model; 173 hours Modified Model