Looking Forward To
SPRING
Hello Kane County! I am honored to be writing for Kane County Magazine and will try to educate you with a number of tidbits and related green items for you to improve your outdoor areas. The column will have monthly calendar items to prepare your yard and garden for the month ahead along with addressing your landscape questions you may have. So let’s get started:
MARCH LANDSCAPE CALENDAR
• Remove all burlap screens or tree wraps that were put around plants to protect them last fall. • Start any seeds for annuals and vegetables indoors – check individual seed packets for exact timing. • Rake and clean left over debris from fall and winter on your lawn and in your planting beds. • Prune back any perennials and ornamental grasses left for winter interest. • When soil conditions are right neither too soggy or too dry, start tilling the vegetable garden and plant cool season plants like lettuce, snap peas, spinach, and radishes. • Trim back raspberry canes and grapevines. • Trim autumn flowering clematis vines to 12 inches. • Mulch and add compost to your plant beds. Used coffee grounds can be spread them around your plants near sidewalks. The coffee grounds will combat the salt exposure to your plants over winter • Fertilize the plant material in your landscape beds.
FERTILIZING FOR FOLIAGE AND FLOWERS
Fertilizing your garden is essential to maintaining healthy plants. Plants require about a dozen different nutrients for growth. The three main nutrients needed in the largest quantities are Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium. Nitrogen promotes healthy leaf growth by stimulating the production of chlorophyll. Phosphorous aids in the development of roots, stems, blossoms and fruit. Potassium aids plants digest and manufacture food. Nitrogen, Phosphorous and Potassium, or N-P-K are the prominent three that all plants need. On the fertilizer package a 20-20-20 mix means that each of the chemical elements contribute 20% by weight to the total formula. The remaining 40% is composed of inert materials and trace elements. The fertilizer percentages vary to suit different needs. Such as a 15-30-15 fertilizer will promote and support flower development because of the higher phosphorous content. When purchasing fertilizer, make sure you are selecting the nutrients that your garden needs. My regards, and have a great spring!
Nature News With Gene Grant,
CEO of Grant & Power Landscaping Inc. Gene Grant, is a registered landscape architect with more than 35 years of experience in the industry. Follow this new column in the Kane County Magazine, or reach out to Gene directly with any landscape related questions.
630 231-0069 genegrant@grantandpower.com www.grantandpower.com kanecountymagazine.com
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KANE COUNTY MAGAZINE | MARCH 2014 | 11