Watering in the mornings rather than the evenings can reduce slug damage to plant leaves such as hostas.
Substitute marjoram for oregano when preparing pizza, lasagna, and eggplant parmesan.
Look for a natural product such as fish emulsion or seaweed extract and begin applying fertilizer to your seedlings. It is best applied in a liquid form.
When planting blueberries, it is best to amend sandy and heavy soils with sphagnum peat moss. Peat moss will help acidify the soil as well as lighten up compaction. Ideally, mix 40% of the native soil with 50% sphagnum peat moss and 10% compost. Adding water to the peat moss a day or two in advance of planting so that the moisture has a chance to be fully absorbed aids in planting.
When mowing the lawn, do not use a string trimmer near specimen plants. If the trimmer comes in contact with the bark, it will cause a wound by removing the bark or girdling the tree. This type of wound can be life-threatening to a plant.
To help keep the roots of clematis cool and prevent excessive loss of moisture, plant a low-growing perennial or shrub close to the newly planted clematis. Avoid the use of slates or slabs to shade the clematis’ roots. These are perfect hiding place for slugs, snails and other garden pests.
If you missed the opportunity to prune raspberries last fall, now is a great time to catch up. Cut out weak canes, thin remaining canes and cut to the ground level all canes that bore fruit the previous year.
An herb adored by bees is lemon balm. A member of the mint family, lemon balm is easy to grow. Its yellow-green leaves contrast beautifully with surrounding herbs in the garden. Unlike other varieties of mint, lemon balm stays in place and can be cut back when it gets too tall.
Plant Something Massachusetts is a project of Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association, and was originally established in partnership with Massachusetts Flower Growers’ Association.
