Tony Fulmer, Chief Horticulture Officer
Chalet Landscape, Nursery and Garden Center
3132 Lake Avenue
Wilmette
www.chaletnursery.com
Event:
Free Class
Pocket Prairies in 6 Easy Steps
June 15, 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
June 16, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Tony’s Tips:
Do not wait too long to prune the spring flowering shrubs. The general rule is anything blooming before July 1 (spring) is blooming on the growth it makes in July, August, September. For example, plants like lilac, forsythia and viburnum (to name just a few) should ideally be pruned within 4 to 6 weeks after they finish spring bloom. Pruning within that timeframe should ensure bloom next spring.
We don’t think enough about fertilizing plants in containers. Surprisingly, potting soils are either peatmoss or bark-based, and therefore have little innate nutrient value. Here I would underline that even the soils that say “fertilizer added”, it’s not much. Container plants are growing in limited soil masses and are necessarily watered frequently, often daily. What little nutrient content is there initially is quickly flushed out the drainage hole. If you want beautiful container plants you need to fertilize- either with a timed release or the water solubles that are used more frequently, ideally every 2-3 weeks on plants growing in full sun. Always remember, plants in part…
