ON THE COVER
much rain in a short time could wash away the fertilizer before it has time to work ,” he noted .
February and March are the best months to cut back rose bushes , crape myrtles and most other shrubs with the exception of azaleas .
“ You don ’ t want to cut those back until after they bloom in the spring , so likely around May is a safe time to do azaleas ,” he said .
Rose bushes should be cut back to around 15 inches high around mid-February , if possible , but no later than the end of March . They can also be given a mid-season trim , if needed , in the summer but no later than Aug . 1 .
“ When cutting back crape myrtles you don ’ t want to cut them back to the main trunks . That ’ s the worst thing gardeners do , and it will create a huge knot on the trunks over time that look terrible ,” he said .
“ I always recommend cutting the limbs back to no more than halfway to the main trunks ,” he added . “ You ’ re mainly wanting to trim the ends off of the limbs to create more new growth in the spring which will create more blooms in the summer .”
Shrubs , bushes and ornamental trees can be fertilized just like grasses .
“ Typically , you want to use a good all-purpose , slow-release fertilizer , but some shrubs , like azaleas and gardenias , prefer an acid base fertilizer so you can get fertilizer that is specially made for them ,” he said .
A little work in the late winter can transform a bleak lawn into a beautiful green landscape by spring . M
How to fertilize pecan trees
Pecan trees are not as simple to take care of as most trees , and Al Davis is often asked how to fertilize them . Davis offers the following general guidelines :
• Use 1 pound of 13-13-13 per tree per year of age up to 25 pounds per tree ;
• Use 1 pound of 34-0-0 per tree per year of age up to 20 pounds per tree ;
• Use 1 / 10 pound of zinc sulfate per tree per year of age up to 2 pounds per tree
“ So if your trees are more than 25 years old , you need 25 pounds of 13-13-13 , 20 pounds of 34-0-0 , and two pounds of zinc per tree each year ,” he said .
“ For large trees , apply all of the fertilizer in April . For younger trees , apply all of the 13-13-13 fertilizer and zinc in April . Apply half the 34-0-0 in April and the remainder in June ,” he added .
Davis said the optimum pH range for pecan trees is 6.0 to 6.5 .
“ A soil test is the best way to know the pH of the soil and how much lime to apply ,” he said . “ If lime is needed , 50 pounds of lime per 1,000 square feet is equivalent to one ton per acre .”
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