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OCTOBER TO FEBRUARY LAWN CARE Lower mower blades to keep grass short for fall. Apply lime now to prevent acid build-up over winter; we suggest using a prilled product. The lime is fused together, produces little dust and stays where you put it. Feed lawn with a slow release high Phosphorous granular fertilizer. Apply a liquid weed killer to lawn weeds. Check for Leather Jackets in the lawn and spray with diazinon. Bedford Landscaping offers these services and uses an excellent Turf herbicide that is unavailable to the public. GARDEN CARE PERENNIALS As perennials go dormant, they will turn colour, usually yellow or straw colour. Cut these down to the ground; for example, Asters, Mums, Daisies, Hostas, Delphiniums, Hardy Geraniums, Daylilies, Astilbes, Coryopsis, Echinacea, Rudbechia, Iris, Lupines and Salvia. Evergreen perennials should be left alone or shaped if needed. It is important to know if the plant you wish to shape is in bud because you will cut off the buds. These are generally spring bloomers, for example, Winter or Spring Heather, Aubrietia, Arabis, Alyssum, Euphorbia, Gallium Pachysandra, Iberis, Myosotis, Creeping Phlox, Polmonaria and Primula. Evergreen perennials that bloom in summer can be shaped now if not already done; for example, Dianthus, Helianthemum, Lavender, Lithodora, Ruta, Santolina, Creeping Thyme, Cotoneaster, Euonymus, Gaultheria, Hedera, Hypericum, Rosemary, and Vinca. You can divide and plant perennials now. You will need to divide plants that are too large, not flowering, or are bare in the middle. TREES AND SHRUBS Deciduous trees and shrubs should be pruned to shape just as last leaves fall. There are many different opinions on when to prune. The method we practice is that a dormant tree is exactly that; it would have to exert energy and wake up to heal any fresh cuts we made. Therefore, I recommend pruning in fall or spring with fall being the ultimate choice as spring is just so busy. For example, All types of fruit trees, flowering Cherry, Plum and Pear, Weeping Birch, Hibiscus, Hydrangea, Butterfly Bush, Smoke Bush, Weigela and Potentilla. Evergreen coniferous trees and shrubs should receive a trim to shape; for example, Cedar hedge, Globe Cedar, Topiary Evergreen, Emerald Cedar, and Juniper Evergreen broad leaf trees and shrubs should also receive a trim to shape or hard pruning to decrease size or force new growth; for example, Boxwood, Mugo Pine, Escalonia, summer blooming Vibernums, Barberis Ceanothus, Choicia, Ilex, Kalmia, Laurel, Pyracantha, and evergreen Magnolia. Bear in mind that trees and shrubs that bloom in spring should be pruned after flowering, such as Lilac, Deciduous Azalea, Forsythia, Witch Hazel, all Rhododendron and Azaleas, spring flowering Viburnums and deciduous Magnolias. Fall is the best time to plant trees, shrubs and perennials in the Lower Mainland, as our temperatures are such that strong root systems can develop which will enable the plants to better cope with drought in summer. As well, fall prices are generally lower and plants purchased small this fall will be much larger by next spring. Plant fall bulbs now and be sure to use bulb dust in each hole, as tulip fire is prevalent in our area. Try massing bulbs in groups of 8 or 10. Stay away from straight rows and be sure to plant at a depth of three times the depth of your bulb. Bedford Landscaping would be happy to help in any way you need. We can do the job for you or provide you with a professional consultant who will tell you all you need to know about your garden. You can reach us at 604-465-5517 or via email: info@bedfordlandscaping.com UNTIL NEXT SEASON, HAPPY GARDENING!
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