Garden Help Desk

A thorough lawn clean-up is very important. Rake up any remaining leaves in between snows if necessary. Heavy layers of decomposing leaves can cause disease problems and kill the lawn underneath them. Stay off frozen lawns to avoid winter damage. Sodium chloride or rock salt used to melt snow near...

Watering It is important to continue watering newly planted trees and shrubs until the temperatures are consistently cold. It is not uncommon to continue watering through November and December. Fertilizer Use fertilizer spikes or a granular fertilizer in the fall (September/October to achieve improved growth in the following spring. Do not fertilize...

EVERGREENSKeep watering your evergreens until the ground freezes. Evergreens can dry out during the winter. Fertilize now with Espoma Holly-tone. SHADE & FRUIT TREESFertilize now with Espoma Tree-tone. LAWNOctober is a good time to repair lawns that are stressed from heat, damaged by insects or fungal diseases. First, rake out the...

Tropical and houseplants can be damaged by evening temperatures under 45 degrees. Watch the weather and be prepared to cover them or move them inside. We advise treating non edible plants with a systemic insecticide (Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control) 2 weeks before they are moved inside. Inspect the plants...