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Listen to April rose care tips

Sac Digs Gardening's Arrington is guest on Farmer Fred's podcast

Dark red rose bloom with yellow stamens
Night Owl is one of Debbie Arrington's many roses.The master rosarian talks
April rose care with Fred Hoffman on his Green Acres podcast. (Photo: Debbie
Arrington)





So much growth! So many bugs!

April is among the most active months in the rose garden. Thankfully, the bushes are doing most of the work, pushing out leaves and their first buds of spring. They just need some fertilizer, proper irrigation and a watchful eye.

Along with that big burst of bloom comes problem pests and disease. Rapid spring growth is a magnet for aphids. Hot, dry, dusty conditions can lead to spider mite infestations. And current temperatures are just right for outbreaks of powdery mildew and blackspot.

That gave host Farmer Fred Hoffman and myself plenty to talk about when I was his most recent guest on his “Green Acres Garden Podcast with Farmer Fred.”

“Among the topics we talked about include controlling aphids, powdery mildew, spider mites and black spot; choosing the right fertilizers for your roses; tips on correct watering of roses in the ground or in containers – all great topics,” Hoffman said.

What do you do when you see aphids nibbling on rose buds? Blast them off with a strong stream of water from the hose; their soft bodies won’t survive the impact. Also effective: A few squirts of insecticidal soap.

But watch out for ants. Where there are aphids, ants often led them there. Controlling ants in the rose garden can help cut down on aphid problems, too.

Listen to the full podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1610311/

More details: www.farmerfred.com .

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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3

November still offers good weather for fall planting:

* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.

* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.

* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.

* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.

* Plant garlic and onions.

* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.

* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.

* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.

* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.

* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.

* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.

* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.

* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.

* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.

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