Getting dirty for Spring Gardening
“The role of the gardener is to observe what’s happening in the garden and look at what needs attention.”
Veggies Seeds to start in March
- Cool weather veggies go in now including:-arugula, broad beans, collards, corn salad, kale, Oriental greens, peas, radishes and spinach. Our robust veggie starts are generally in stock by early March.
Veggies Seeds to start in April
- In addition to the above March list you can also plant:- beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots (unless we are having a colder/wetter spring) fennel, green onions, kohlrabi, lettuce, onions, parsnips, swiss chard and turnips
Borders & Flower Gardens
- March is the month to feed your garden. Trees, shrubs, hedges, roses, perennials, vines, and small fruits can all be fertilized now. We stock a large selection of organic fertilizers which we know you will love! Our bulk ‘Organic Mix ‘ Fertilizer makes it easy and it is great for just about everything and is available in a large sack or in small amounts by the pound. Not sure what to use or how? Ask us and we will show you:)
- Rhododendrons, azaleas, heather, camellias, hedges and other acid loving plants can be fertilized with Plant Prod ‘Ever Acid’ liquid fertilizer for lovely deep green foliage and for the acidifying that they need
- Plant new trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, pansies, small fruits and hardy herbs. Include bonemeal, peat moss and manure or your own compost when planting and don’t forget to water new transplants frequently
- Hold off trimming down bulbs such as tulips and daffodils until the foliage is yellowing as this process is feeding the bulb for next Spring
- Prune summer blooming clematis back to about 3′. Leave Spring blooming varieties of clematis to prune, if necessary, after they flower as you would cut off the buds if you pruned these now
- Prune roses when the daffodils begin to bloom (usually early to mid March) and apply ¼ cup dry Epson salts around the base and scratch it in
- Prune Spring blooming shrubs such as Forsythia, magnolia and lilac after flowering
- Weed gardens before the weeds have a chance to flower and go to seed
- Compost or manure can be added to flower beds now
- Purchase summer flowering bulbs, roots, and tubers such as dahlias, lilies, hostas, glads and plant as packages recommend. Generally the winter hardy types like lilies and hostas are planted after March 1st and non-winter hardy types like dahlias and glads are planted after April 1st. Begonias are started indoors from February on but do not get transplanted outdoors until after Mother’s Day (same as most annuals)
- This is the time of year that the large shipments of new plants arrive and there is just about always something new at the Garden Centre! Drop in and we will show you!
Pond Care
- Clean out pond
- Repot and/or divide pond plants
- New water plants will be available at the Garden Centre in May
Lawn Care
- Control Moss in lawns if necessary (You will need two days of dry weather after it has been applied)
- Thatch lawn to remove thatch in older lawns and dead moss in lawns recently treated with moss control. (10 days after moss control)
- Lime lawns in preparation for fertilizing about two weeks later
- Feed lawn with a good quality Spring fertilizer. We like BC made Garden Pro 32-4-8 as it is made for our specific growing conditions
- Pull dandelions and other weeds from lawn before they flower and make need seeds
You can buy bags of topsoil at Home Depot for about $3 each or you can go to GardenWorks in Burnaby
and fill a big black garbage bag for about $4. Most suppliers of topsoil want you to order more than a yard. Delivery can cost $100, so you can end up paying $125 for a yard,
Grass is just like any other plant — it needs the right conditions to flourish.
If You have the wrong conditions. Moist, acidic soil and low light levels are perfect for moss.
Change the conditions and reseed with a mix that has a high perennial rye content.
forsythia?
It should be pruned for size and shape immediately after flowering. Take the shrub down by at least a third and remove any dead or old productive stems. Some gardeners use forsythia as a hedge and like it closely clipped; others like to shear it into a mound or leave it to grow loose and open. It obeys all its masters.
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A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping 29 years In North Vancouver And West Vancouver…
The Best Time for Watering the Garden
The best way to water most plants is by applying enough to moisten the plant’s entire root system, and then letting the soil dry out slightly before watering again.
The best time of day to water a garden is in the morning, since that gives the plants time to dry off before nightfall. Leaving water on plants overnight can lead to mold
Apply water slowly so it’s absorbed by the soil rather than running off — a soak er hose is ideal. Avoid daily light sprinklings, which encourage roots to grow near the soil surface where they’re vulnerable to drying out.
Rather than relying on a schedule, water plants when they need it. (Besides, how do you know when you’ve applied an inch of water with a soaker hose?
It’s usually best to apply water directly to the soil around plants rather than watering with a sprinkler. Less water is lost to evaporation, especially on hot, sunny days. Foliage stays dry, minimizing disease problems
drought-tolerant plants may need supplemental water only during extended dry spells. Note, however, that just because a plant is drought-tolerant doesn’t mean it doesn’t fare better with a regular supply of moisture.
Spring Sunshine In North Vancouver
✬ ¯`•.¸¸ღ ❥ Flowers And Blooming ❥ღ¯`•.¸¸✬
Last Week of Clouds changes When Growth Is Faster with Sun this week
And April is a new change In warm weather as the lawn start to grow
Chafer Beetles Destroyed Your Lawn?
Some of the most extensive lawn damage we’ve seen lately has been courtesy of the invasive chafer beetle. With grubs feeding on grass roots throughout much of the year, lawns can quickly become wilted and brown as they struggle to acquire much-needed nutrients and water. Above ground, birds and small mammals act as mini roto-tillers as they search out a meal of grubs. The end result of chafer beetle infection is often wide sections of lawn, damaged beyond repair.
By amending their existing soil with a quality topsoil to improve the nutritional quality and structure of their soil – the better to support a beautiful lawn!.
Some lawns may also benefit from the addition of garden lime, as heavy concentrations of weeds and moss are one signal that your soil may be too acidic. Learn more about what garden lime is and when you should consider using before applying lime to your lawn.
Keep grass healthy, long to ward off chafer beetles
letting grass grow to combat chafer beetle infestations.
“The adults in the summer have to lay their eggs into the turf grass, and if the turf is thin or if the grass is very short then they have no problem getting their ovipositors [organ used to lay eggs] into the grass,”
More on chafer beetles in B.C.
“If your lawn is mossy or thin, or if you over water, over fertilize that makes the grass really soft, really easy to rip up, so those kinds of things make lawns susceptible to chafer beetle.
“Really if the grass is healthy and the roots are deep and your grass isn’t cut too short, then chafer beetle is not a big problem.”
Photos from Deep Cove Sunset of the Ironworkers Bridge
I had to stop to answer to this sunset after a hedge trim today.
different shots from zoom with different settings and color 
this one here I think it Got too close and saw Ironworkers UFO
As big as it gets I hope.
The sun was setting after A blood moon over the Ironworkers Bridge in Vancouver 
Its the 8th today, and I hear that you should put a 8 in your pocket for good luck…. and Smile And Wave.
From Rob @ A-Plus
Free Beer and help here at A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping.
A-Plus Gardening and Landscaping
North And West Vancouver BC For 25 Years
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