Gardener's Week
Hemlock trees: Look for tiny white balls along the stems on the undersides of hemlock needles, which signify hemlock woolly adelgid (Adeles tsugae), a new pest fatal to hemlocks. If the cottony egg masses are present, spray the tree thoroughly with horticultural oil on a day when temperatures are above 40 degrees, or call an arborist for treatment.
Grapes: Prune back vines now for control and a larger harvest.
Lawns: Take your lawn mower to a repair shop for blade sharpening, oil and sparkplug change, and a tuneup.
Lavender: David Salman, chief horticulturist of Santa Fe Greenhouses and its catalog division, High Country Gardens, lists the following plants as his Top Five Favorite Lavenders: 1. Lavandula x intermedia Grosso, "the most deeply colored of the French hybrid Lavenders. Excellent choice for dried flowers and for mass plantings in the landscape." 2. Lavandula x intermedia Provence, "the most famous of the French hybrids, grown for its fragrant oil content. Its smoky, light lavender flowers make a showy centerpiece in the perennial border." 3. Lavandula x Silver Frost, "a vigorous hybrid variety valued for its silver foliage, highly fragrant dark purple flowers, and extreme heat tolerance." 4. Lavandula angustifolia Hidcote Superior, "an improved seed-grown strain of a famous English cultivar, known for its dark purple-blue flowers." 5. Lavandula angustifolia Melissa, "a pink flowered cultivar developed by commercial growers in Washington state." To view color photos of these plants, visit the website at www.highcountrygardens.com or call 1-800-925-9387 to request a free catalog. Lavender is hardy and drought resistant but needs excellent drainage. It thrives in pots. Mix some vermiculite and lime in the soil.
Soil Testing: The only way to be sure of what your garden needs is to have your soil tested every two or three years. For a soil-testing brochure with instructions and fees, send a SASE to Soil Testing, U-Mass Extension, French Hall, 230 Stockbridge Road, Amherst, MA. 01003 or visit www.umass.edu/plsoils/soiltest. Recommendations for lime and fertilizer will be provided for the crops you list.
Snowstorm damage: Late winter storms often produce heavy, wet snow. Gently brush snow from evergreen trees and shrubs to help prevent damage. Prune damaged branches. Hire a professional Massachusetts Certified Arborist (MCA) to do larger jobs that will require tree climbing. The Massachusetts Arborists Association (MAA) and Associated Landscape Contractors of Massachusetts (ALCM) have launched a new website, www.certifiedtreeandlawn.org.
Tomatoes: Order your seeds now. Seed sources include Totally Tomatoes (803-663-0016; www.totallytomato.com) and Tomato Growers Supply Co. (888-478-7333; tomatogrowers.com). Start the seeds early next month and plant them outside during Memorial Day weekend.
Vernal Equinox: Spring officially begins this Saturday when the sun provides 12 hours of light. Nights will continue to shorten while daylight hours increase.
Questions? I will be online live in a chat room today from noon to 1 p.m. at www.boston.com to answer your gardening questions. Also, you can visit www.boston.com/lifeathome/chats/ to browse through past columns.
