Prepare final beds for planting flowers and vegetables

AG Extension Agent

Final Beds

Prepare final beds for planting flowers and vegetables if you had not already done so. You may want to consider renting or buying a garden tiller if you had not already done so.

You may want to consider renting or buying a garden tiller to speed up the process; however, a strong back and a garden fork will still do an excellent job. For every 100 square feet of bed area, work in a several-inch layer of either compost, pine bark or spagnum peat moss, plus 5 pounds of a 3-12 fertilizer like 15-5-10.

In North Texas there is still time to plant seeds of your favorite annuals in flats to be transplanted outdoors when danger of frost is past.

Beware of closeout sales on bareroot trees and shrubs. The chance of survival is rather low on bareroot plants this late in the season. Your best bet at this time of year is to depend on containergrown or balled and burlapped plants for landscape use.

Start hanging baskets of petunias and other annuals.

Pruning of evergreens and summer flowering trees and shrubs is typically completed I early March; however it is best to take a wait and see approach this year. Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs as soon as they finish blooming.

Select and order caladium tubers as well as geranium and coleus plants for late April and early May planting. Do not plant caladiums until soil temperature reaches 70 degrees Farenheit.

As camellia and azalea plants finish blooming, fertilize them with three pounds of azalea-camellia fertilizer. Check mulch on azalea and camellia beds and add where needed.

Dig and divide summer and fall flowering perennials just before they initiate their spring growth. One attractive begonia plant can yield a numbere of others through careful rooting of stem cuttings.

Fertilize roses every 4 to 6 weeks from now until September.

Now is a time to thin larkspur and other wildflower seedlings. Plants will bloom much better if thinned to about 4 inches apart.

Transplant or share the extras with gardening friends.

Blue Plumbago (Plumbago capensis) can be planted now for season long low maintenance color. It is usually cold hardy to Zone 8 and sheltered places elsewhere.

Although tolerant of sunny conditions, blue plumbago prefers a little protection from the hot afternoon sun.

It is quite drought tolerant and blooms form spring till frost.

Report oveergrown container plants as well as plant containers of tropical plants for a stunning display of summer color.

Enjoy spring blooming wildflowers and make a note to now mow until they have set and relized their seed. Remember, wildflowers, will respond to fertilizer just as other plants.

Chad Coburn is the Howard County Extension Agent. For more information email chad.coburn@ ag.tamu.edu