Treat your trees once for
year-round insect protection–
and no spraying!

So, how about that winter? For the last two months, I’ve cautioned against getting too excited about the spring-like weather we’ve enjoyed for fear that a good dose of winter could still arrive. Although a slim chance of winter weather still exists, with March quickly passing it’s time to plow full speed ahead with spring and all it involves. Are you ready?

Given the non-winter we had this year (save for the one good dose of cold we got around Thanksgiving), my money is on a bad year ahead for bug problems. Normally, a few good freezes throughout the winter help to keep insect populations in check, but with so few cold stretches this winter, a lot of bugs have likely survived just fine.

Last month I wrote about spraying for insects, and for smaller shrubs and trees that’s a great option. If you have larger trees that are difficult to spray, however, or if you just don’t like the idea of spraying, there’s an alternative: systemic insecticide. For bug magnets in particular—ornamental cherry trees and several varieties of spruce, to name a couple—March is the perfect time to treat for bugs. A product like Bayer Tree & Shrub Protect & Feed from Vander Giessen’s is easy to use, requires no spraying and protects your plants from bugs for a full 12 months. If you’ve battled insects before or have concerns about the possibility in the coming year, remember that it’s much easier to prevent an infestation than to try to beat one back later, after your plants are already damaged.

Now, spring is off to an incredibly early start, but don’t get too far ahead of yourself—we still have several weeks to go before you start thinking of planting your geraniums or impatiens. That doesn’t mean that it’s not time to start planting, though! March is a great time to start planting shrubs and trees around your yard; in fact, with several months until hot summer weather arrives, if you plant now, you’ll have a lot less watering to do come July and August as your plants will be rooted in and growing.

‘Whipcord’ cedar adds great character to any garden with
its arching, grass-like evergreen foliage.
With plants arriving at the nursery each week, now is the time to start browsing what’s available for the coming year and discover what would work in your yard. Personally, I love conifers—with their evergreen foliage, they provide great anchor points throughout a garden and give year-round structure and character. One of my favorite plants to work with over the last couple of years has been ‘Whipcord’ cedar.
If you’ve never seen ‘Whipcord’, imagine a shrub with a bad hair day…or maybe a Chia Pet gone awry. This strain of Western Red cedar has long, grass-like strands of evergreen foliage that gently move in the wind, but unlike many grasses, it looks good year-round and is incredibly hardy. A slow grower, ‘Whipcord’ eventually tops out between four and five feet tall and about as wide, so it will work well even in small gardens.
Finally, take time this month to fertilize your lawn. If you applied a winterizing fertilizer last fall, your grass benefited from the late feeding all winter long, but now it’s time to get your lawn going for spring. Scotts Turf Builder with Moss Control provides an excellent blend of nutrients for early-spring feeding and will green up your turf nicely. As a moss killer, this fertilizer is mediocre, so if you haven’t yet killed moss, do so separately with ferrous sulfate (available at the nursery)—it’s never too late.  
Our beautiful weather this winter may turn into a cool, rainy spring or summer ahead, so while the sun lasts, enjoy the fun of getting outside and playing in the dirt!
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