WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO FERTILIZE AN OAK TREE?
a) when it’s sick
b) when you plant it
c) never
c) never (fertilizing will not bring a tree back to life! Generally speaking, you should fertilize a tree only if the soil is lacking necessary nutrients. You can find this out with a soil test)
WHICH OF THESE SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU PLANT A DECIDUOUS TREE?
a) prune the branches back
b) leave the burlap on
c) plant at the same depth as the top of the root ball
d) stake it
None of these (research has shown that practices common in the past are unnecessary or even, in some cases, harmful. Pruning branches back does not benefit the tree; burlap often does not decompose, and the string tying it to the trunk can girdle the tree; experts now advise planting with the root ball slightly above grade; deciduous trees that are able to bend with the wind are stronger in the long run)
WHAT IS THE WORST OF THESE 3 THINGS TO DO WITH YOUR FALL LEAVES?
a) run over them with your mower, leaving the chopped-up leaves on the lawn
b) blow them out to the curb to be picked up
c) place them on your perennials to protect them from frost heaving
c) place them on your perennials (this is an invitation to moles and voles to eat your plants’ roots!)
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A BURNING BUSH (Euonymus alata)?
a) spring
b) fall
c) summer
Never! (Burning bush is invading natural forests. The birds eat and spread its seeds) … sorry trick question
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PRUNE A BUTTERFLY BUSH?
a) fall
b) very early spring
c) after it blooms
b) very early spring (a general rule: if a plant blooms on new wood, prune in early spring; on old wood, prune after it blooms)
Good reminders. But two questions: 1) Is the butterfly bush now considered invasive? I have heard both yes and no. 2) Can the fall leaves be used as mulch in the perennial bed if they have been chopped by a lawnmower? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteHi Anon!
ReplyDelete1. Butterfly bush is starting to appear on invasive lists in the northwestern states. Washington advises against planting it.
http://www.invasivespecies.wa.gov/priorities/butterfly_bush.shtml
It spreads in gravelly or shale soil, I've found ... especially this year with the constant rain. Thanks for pointing that out. If you see that your butterfly bush is self-sowing, replace it with 'Blue Chip', a new cultivar that is sterile, or nearly so. I'll post a photo of it in spring.
2. Chpped up fall leaves/grass is the best mulch ever. But still, put it around perennials, not on top.