Home Gardening

North Mississippi Gardening Tips
January/February, 2005

LAWNS

Keeping deciduous leaves off the lawn area is very important. If you have procrastinated raking those leaves, get busy! Besides the obvious benefits of having thankful neighbors and a neat yard, removing matted, wet leaves from the lawn will let needed air and sunlight reach the turf. This is particularly important on cool-season grasses.

It's too late to apply preemergence herbicides to control winter weeds. If you failed to do this last August and September, your lawn probably has a thriving population of annual bluegrass, henbit and other undesirables. The game now is one of tolerance or applications of postemergence herbicides to control existing winter annual weeds. Postemergence herbicides are most effective if applied to seedlings less than 3 inches tall. Wait until most weeds are 2 to 4 inches tall before application.

However, as environmentally conscientious folks we would do well to remember that keeping our lawns healthy through good management practices such as proper pH, fertilization, irrigation and mowing frequency and height does help control weeds, therefore cutting down use of herbicides.

TREES AND SHRUBS

Narrowleaf evergreens such as junipers, arborvitae, pine, cedar and spruce can be tip pruned now. Do not prune any branch beyond the foliage area into the "dead zone", as new growth may not occur due to the lack of latent buds on the remaining branch stub. You can prune broadleaf evergreens such as Burford's holly, photinia, viburnum, ligustrum and cleyera late in February. You should not prune broadleaf evergreens that bloom in the spring, such as azaleas, until after flowering in late spring. Deciduous spring flowering shrubs including forsythia, kerria, weigela and spirea should not be pruned until after flowering unless you don't want a lot of spring flowers! February is typically thought of as the month to plant trees. Before purchasing a tree decide where it will be planted and what purpose it will serve--shade, screen, windbreak, etc. The biggest mistake the homeowner makes is not considering the ultimate height and spread of that tree. Choose a location that will not interfere with underground or overhead utility lines, driveways, walkways and foundations

FRUITS AND NUTS

Fruit trees, bunch grapes and muscadines can be pruned now. Keep a close eye on the buds. As they begin to swell it's time to fertilize. This typically doesn't occur until late March in north Mississippi. We have been known to have early springs! So, the best indicator is to watch the buds. It wastes nitrogen fertilizer to apply it when the plant is not growing. Your local county Extension office has free publications on recommended pruning techniques, fertilizer rates and frequency for fruit trees, bunch grapes and muscadines.

February brings the arrival of home orchard plants at most garden centers, farmer's co-ops, and nursery outlets. Blueberries, grapes, pecans, blackberries, muscadines, peaches, apples, plums and nectarines are just a few of the choices facing the homeowner. Be sure and select a variety that is recommended for Mississippi. Your county Extension office or a knowledgeable salesperson can help you with your selection. When planting your selection, the hole should be 3 to 5 times as wide as the root ball, but not any deeper than the rootball. The roots should rest upon undisturbed soil. Water well and do no pruning other than removing dead or broken branches.

VEGETABLES

For those of you who like to grow your own selections of tomatoes and peppers, one question often asked is, "What is the earliest date I should seed my tomatoes and peppers to have a good transplant ready to set out in the garden when the weather warms?" The key to this puzzle is "when the weather warms."

The median date of the last spring freeze for north Mississippi usually falls between the first and tenth of April. It is recommended that these cold tender plants be put in the ground no earlier than late April or early May when the chance for a cold snap is unlikely. If you want to gamble...and what gardener worth his salt doesn't...you can put them in the ground earlier and say your prayers, but be prepared to blast outside with blankets, heat lights and other protective paraphernalia when Jack Frost comes nipping at your plants.

Regardless when you plan to transplant outdoors, the way to calculate your seeding date is to count backwards from your preferred transplant date approximately 6 weeks for tomatoes and 8 weeks for peppers. Seed on that date and hope for good weather in 6 to 8 weeks! It is a little too early to be worried about seeding tomatoes and peppers. Concentrate on the cool season vegetables for now. Cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and other cool season vegetable transplants are available now at some garden centers and farmer's co-ops this month. Early-bird gardeners try to get their cabbage, collard and broccoli plants out as soon as possible. English peas, spinach, head lettuce, beets, radishes, and mustard can be seeded late in February. Sometimes they make it and sometimes they don't. Irish potatoes and onion sets or transplants can be put in the ground now. When planting seed potatoes be sure that each chunk of potato you cut from the "seed potato" has a least one eye or bud from which the stem of the plant will grow. For you novice gardeners, the eye should be "looking up" when planted so the potato can see which way to go! Remember the book entitled "Don't Bend Over In The Garden Granny, You Know Them Taters Got Eyes!" by Southern humorist Lewis Grizzard. Think about that the next time you're bent over digging taters!

Lelia Scott Kelly, Ph.D., writes North Mississippi Gardening Tips monthly and is a Horticulture Specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service. Her office is in the North Mississippi Research & Extension Center, Verona.