Waking Up Your Garden · 2019. 12. 3. · Community Garden near the San Francisco Civic Center ... •Prune when the plants shows signs of opening buds on the lower stem ... •Leave

Etobicoke Master Gardeners Humber Arboretum

www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca www.humberarboretum.on.ca 1

Presented at:

Humber Arboretum

Prepared by:

Etobicoke Master Gardeners

Waking Up Your

Garden

http://www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca/

http://www.humberarboretum.on.ca/


www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca www.humberarboretum.on.ca2

















www.colourbox.com



https://www.colourbox.com/image/colorful-flowers-in-spring-garden-image-4297162

Our Goals today:

• Winter Warm-ups & the importance of garden assessment

• Review garden clean-up & weeding

• Discuss soil & soil improvements

• Provide an overview of pruning techniques & what to prune when

• Favourite tools & tool care

• How to prepare your lawn

• The finishing touches



www.myorganicguru.com



http://www.myorganicguru.com/category/container-gardening/

• Importance of garden assessment

• The 3 steps



1• REVIEW the past

2• OBSERVE the present

3• PLAN for the future



• Did you keep a garden journal?

• Did you take pictures?

• Why every gardener should!

• Journals & pictures help you to review and think about;

• Which plants thrived and why or why not

• Which plants may do better, and which should be moved

• Assess pollinator activity

• Track plant locations & identification

• Determine which plants may need to be replaced

• Allow you to compare your garden from previous years





• Observe the microclimates in your garden

or lawn

• Hot spots, or cooler zones

• Windy areas

• Effects of hardscaping





• Observe moisture patterns in your garden

or lawn

• Areas that are wetter after rainfall

• Is there any pooling

• Areas that are damp, or the last to thaw

• Moss growth





• Observe the light patterns

• Which areas are full sun; partial sun; full

shade

• What can be moved to change the light

pattern

• Light patterns can change

• DON’T FORGET TO TAKE NOTES!





• Based on your review determine what you are changing

• Prioritize your changes

• Hardscaping

• Trees & shrubs

• Plant materials

• Vegetable patches

• Container gardens

• Research plant materials

• “Map It Out” - choose your plants and their locations

• Plan companion plantings, and crop rotation in your vegetable garden

• Plan for winter interest (structure, features)





• Encourage ‘air circulation’ and pull away the ‘sheets’

• Clean Up Non woody Perennials

• Replant perennials that have been heaved out of the

soil, exposing their roots

• Prune Woody Perennials and Roses





• Consider dividing mature later-flowering perennials if necessary (overgrown clumps)

• Divide perennials after growth has appeared

• Candidates for spring division could include: Hosta, Daylilies (Hemerocallis), Ajuga, Daisies (Leucanthemum), Phlox





• Prepare Soil

• Get a jump start on weeding

• Empty your compost bins

• Make plant tags for emerging plants

• Plant Cold-Hardy Blooming Annuals and vegetable

seeds indoors





• Get Containers Ready

• Get irrigation lines blown out or turn your outside taps

on

• Pressure wash old worn looking pavers, outdoor

furniture, and decks

• Plan for next year, fall versus spring clean-up

• Seasonal interest rarely applies to perennial

plants





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• Make/repair raised beds.

• Weed and till the soil.

• Add soil amendments (triple mix, bagged manure, organic compost – Note: not city compost!).

• Choose your crops.

• Plan the layout.

• Start seeds indoors or buy seedlings.

• Keeping a journal is important here too (note insect and disease problems).

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Community Garden near the San Francisco Civic

Center – Mar 7, 2015

19

• Choose the site(s)

• Choose the containers

• Choose the potting

medium – peat-based

medium is light

• Choose the plants

• Make plans for

watering and feeding

19Etobicoke Master Gardeners Humber Arboretum

www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca www.humberarboretum.on.ca



• Dandelion, Purslane, Ragweed, Burdock, Crabgrass, Canada Thistle, Garlic

Mustard







• Weathered rock material broken down over many years

• Sand, silt and clay

• Micro-organisms

• Organic matter

• Water and Air

http://pnwmg.org/images/soilparticlesize.gifhttp://foodstorageandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/types-of-soil.jpg

21









• Temperature control during very hot/cold periods

• Oxygen that roots need to breathe

• Anchoring support to stay upright

• Water that roots need to drink

• Food, food and more food!!!

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• Reusing and recycling

• It’s natural – occurs in nature!

• Helps grow strong healthy plants

• Good for soil health and structure

• Adds micro-organisms to root zone

• Reduces needs for synthetic fertilizers

• Helps improve water drainage in clay soils

• Helps improve water retention in sandy soils

• Helps clean up contaminated soil (remediation)

http://www.planetnatural.com

23





• Greens are high in nitrogen or protein.

• Greens help microorganisms to multiply fast in the piles.

• Greens help internal temperatures in hot compost piles.

• Browns are high in carbon or carbohydrates.

• Browns supply the energy / food that soil organisms need.

• Browns also help stop odours.

• Browns help stop the nitrogen in the piles from leaching.

• Browns are essential in the faster formation of humus





• To maintain a healthy plant

• To keep it from growing too large

• To make it more beautiful, and alter form

• Improve the quality or quantity of flowers,

leaves or fruits

• To renew or rejuvenate old shrubs



culvercitycrossroads.co

m

groundeffectsinc.biz



http://culvercitycrossroads.com/2015/02/18/transition-to-offer-fruit-tree-pruning-demo/

http://groundeffectsinc.biz/perplexed-about-pruning-2/

• Clean, sharp tools are essential

• Make the right cut in the right place at the right time

•You prune a stem when you want to strengthen it,

encourage or prevent flower bud formation and/or

cause branching





• Stem pruning

Thinning Heading

• Removing bark

• Root pruning



www.ca.uky.edu



http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/ho/ho59/ho59.htm

• Woody perennials

• Roses

• Flowering shrubs and vines

• Fruit trees

• Ornamental grasses

• Evergreens



baetensnursery.com



http://baetensnursery.com/pruning-basics/

• Some shrubby plants with woody stems need to be cut back

each spring, because they only bloom on new branches

Buddleia is one example.

• Why pruned in the spring;

• to limit winter damage

• to encourage the plant to start sending out those new flowering

branches

• It's best to wait until danger of a hard frost is past

• Other woody plants such as Lavender and Artemisia need to be

pruned to maintain vigorous growth

• Prune when the plants shows signs of opening buds on the lower stem

portions or new growth at the base of the plants

• Remove a third of the oldest stems from the base of the plant every year

for 3 years





• First step - remove winter protection

• Dig out standards or un-hill others

• Roses should not be pruned until about April, to avoid winter damage

• Once the leaf buds begin to swell on the bush, it is safe to prune

• Pruning before the leaf buds open causes the rose bush to put its full energy into new growth

• Hybrid tea, floribunda and shrub roses – prune

• Climbing roses flower only on old wood and need little or no annual pruning, just clean up of very old wood





Etobicoke Master Gardeners Humber

Arboretum www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca

www.humberarboretum.on.ca

31

• If you left your ornamental grasses up

for winter interest, you can cut back

warm season ornamental grasses that

have totally browned

• Cut grasses to within a few inches of

the ground

• You don't need to wait for new growth

• They'll come back up when they're

ready



http://gardening.about.com/od/plants/a/Ornamental-Grass.htm

http://gardening.about.com/od/gardenmaintenance/ss/Cutting_Grasses_3.htm



• Perhaps the most confusing group of plants, when it comes to pruning times

• A general rule of thumb:

• Prune summer and fall flowering trees and shrubs in the dormant season (late winter / early spring) - Caryopteris and some Spiraeas

• Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs soon after their flowers fade – Forsythia, Lilac, flowering Quince

• The confusion comes with plants like Hydrangeas, Roses and Clematis; some of these flower in spring, some in summer or fall, some flower repeatedly

• Always prune away any dead / diseased/rubbing wood

• Prune every year, so that plants are regenerated over time



http://landscaping.about.com/cs/flowerseed/f/pruning_shrubs.htm

http://gardening.about.com/od/winterinthegarden/a/ForceSpShrubs.htm

http://gardening.about.com/od/hydrangea/a/Hydrangea_Care.htm



• Fruit trees and berries will steadily decline unless they are

pruned and tended

• So if you are growing tree fruits or berries to harvest, pruning

them should be given high priority

• Pruning:

• promotes flower/fruit production

• increases sunlight into the crown to help ripening

• Removes less productive growth

• Shapes the tree into a more efficient shape

• Most fruiting plants need to be pruned while they are dormant



http://gardening.about.com/od/treefruits/fl/Choosing-a-Fruit-Tree-for-Your-Yard.htm



• As a general rule, evergreen trees don’t need to

be pruned

• It is not recommended that you use pruning to

keep an evergreen tree’s size in check

• You will just stress and distort the tree

• Choose a smaller, dwarf evergreen rather than

trying to size down a large tree

• To improve the fullness of the shape of the bush

• this can be accomplished with well timed

pruning.

• It is best to do this while the tree is young



http://landscaping.about.com/od/pruningtrees/f/tree_watering.htm

http://gardening.about.com/od/treesshrubs/a/DwarfEvergreens.htm



• Rakes – Flex or Fan Rakes

- Straight or Rigid Rakes

Hoes - Trench hoe or Fork Cultivator

• Shovels, Forks and Trowels

• Secateurs – Bypass, Anvil and Ratcheting

• Loppers – plain and extended handle

• Saws – folding, pole saw



thegreatestgarden.com



http://thegreatestgarden.com/the-plant-home-vegetables-with-quality-garden-tools/high-quality-garden-tools-22/























Etobicoke Master Gardeners Humber Arboretum www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca

www.humberarboretum.on.ca 42



• Rake the lawn to remove dead growth and

winter debris

• Aerate/dethatch if needed

• Cut grass long (2 1/2 inches)

• Leave clippings on, water deeply and less

frequently (1 inch of water per week)

• Re-seed bare patches of lawn





• Rake bare spots firmly with a

metal rake before seeding

• Top dress to fill low spots and soil health

• Sprinkle grass seed into a bucket of soil and

spread evenly over the bare spot

• Keep well-watered until seeds germinate and

the new grass establishes

• Pre-emergent herbicides such as corn gluten

may be applied Etobicoke Master Gardeners Humber Arboretum


http://eartheasy.com/corn-gluten-organic-fertilizer



• If you fertilize use composted manure or a balanced organic slow-release fertilizer

Nutrients:

N = Nitrogen

• stimulates lush green growth of leaves and new shoots, promotes dark green colour

P = Phosphorus• promotes development of strong healthy root system and

setting of flower buds

K = Potassium

• aids in the overall strength of stems and roots and resistance to disease



blog.greatgardensupply.com



http://blog.greatgardensupply.com/npk-fertilizer-mean-anyway/

• Mulching

•Add mulch (or top up) to areas of exposed bare soil

•3” max thickness

• Ensure mulch doesn’t touch crowns of plants and/or

stems and trunks of trees

•Mulch flower beds with compost or other organic

materials

•Use leaves, and organic mulch

•Mulch open soil areas to

minimize the spread of weeds



www.boxmaths.com



http://www.boxmaths.com/best-mulch-for-flower-beds-in-alabama/

• Common mulch options include shredded bark, bark chips, and stone chips

• Carefully consider which mulches you choose

•Coloured cedar chips, attractive but carry dyes and

chemicals

•Wood mulches may attract ants

• Peat moss acts as a wick and is an ecologically a

poor choice

•Cocoa bean shells, may encourage mould





• Edging

• Reshape garden edges, and trim grass along edges

• A clean edge improves the overall appearance of

your lawn

•Create ditch edges or a mowing strip along the

edge






www.etobicoke.mgoi.ca www.humberarboretum.on.ca 49

Etobicoke Master Gardeners

& Humber Arboretum

Thank you!

Questions?



Documents

Waking Up Your Garden · 2019. 12. 3. · Community Garden near the San Francisco Civic Center ... •Prune when the plants shows signs of opening buds on the lower stem ... •Leave