TORRINGTON Seasons of Growth owner Jenn Plasky was the guest speaker at the Torrington-Winsted Rotary meeting Tuesday.
Plasky spoke about the areas one should focus on in getting their yard or garden ready for spring.
Plasky said the four areas to focus on are pruning, dividing, fertilizing, and mulching.
“There are four reasons to prune – to remove damaged areas, improve air flow, prevent crossing branches and create a fuller hedge,” said Plasky.
One of the most common mistakes seen in pruning is shaping the bush so it’s wider on the top and smaller on the bottom. Plasky said that the bush should be narrower on the top and taper out towards the bottom, as this shape gives more sunlight to the bottom of the bush. She cited a house on Route 202 coming from Litchfield as having “perfectly shaped bushes.”
Plasky talked about the importance of picking a bush that’s going to fit the space you want. One of the reasons you should not prune is to radically change the natural shape of the plant, for example to keep a larger bush smaller to make it fit in the space you want.
“When pruning a bush remove the branches at the base, which opens the bush and promotes good air flow,” said Plasky.
Good air flow allows the leaves to dry out more thereby preventing fungal disease from developing.
Plasky went over proper pruning methods for flowering bushes so one doesn’t inadvertently cut off the buds of the bush. “Spring is the best time to prune because you can see the buds,” Plasky said.
According to Plasky, Spring is also the best time to relocate plants. She said the best way to do this is to take as many roots as possible, use transplant fertilizer and water and mulch well.
Plasky explained the importance of mulch and it’s not just for weed control. Mulch holds in water, regulates the soil temperature, and certain kinds of mulch, like Sweet Peet, can fertilize the plant. She recommends first removing the old mulch, using a 3 to 4 inch layer and to keep the mulch a half inch away from stems of plants. For bushes and trees the mulch should extend to where the leaf canopy ends. What’s not recommended is black landscape fabric under the mulch.
“It’s not recommended because it just creates an extra layer for the rainwater to get through,” said Plasky.
The presentation concluded with landscaping questions from Rotary members.
One question involved how to kill off pesky weeds, the solution for which is tilling or using landscaping fabric to choke them out before planting. Another question comes from Rotary member Kevin Purcell – what do you when deer have eaten all the leaves off your holly bushes? Plasky suggests liquid fertilizer, which is more readily used. Waiting for regrowth and then pruning away the dead areas.
To find out more about Seasons of Growth visit www.seasonsofgrowthllc.com. The company does horticultural design and wedding flowers. The company also has a radio show in partnership with Region 6 Gardens on WAPJ 89.9 and 105.1 Fridays at 4:30 p.m. throughout April and May.
Jenny Golfin can be reached at 860-489-3121, ext. 357.
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