After Spring Rains, It's Summer Chores That Keep Your Garden Lush

Fertilize annuals throughout summer using Jack's Classic, Miracle-Gro or another water-soluble fertilizer that gets fast results. Add liberal amounts of compost, kelp, fish emulsion or other low-nitrogen growth stimulants, such as Bio-Plex, Liquid Bloom from Dyna-Gro, Ocean-Gro Plant Food and Neptune's Harvest Seaweed Fertilizer. These are available at your local garden or home-improvement center.

Slow-release fertilizers that can be used in place of water-soluble varieties are Osmocote Plus Multipurpose Plant Food or any 5-10-5 general-purpose fertilizer. Moisture and good drainage are key to a plant's ability to absorb any of these nutrients. Use only one type of fertilizer, solid or water-soluble. The ocean-based supplements have a different action and thus complement any fertilizer. Use all products according to labeled directions. When using water-soluble material, fertilize every other watering. Fertilizer and growth stimulants will create robust flowering plants that you'll be sorry to lose at first frost.

Pruning

Your hardy chrysanthemums almost certainly returned this spring, considering the mild winter. Pinch the top two to four inches of growth now. Pinch about two inches again two to three more times by the end of July, then stop and let them grow full so they can bud and flower in fall. Fertilize now and again in July with a granular 5-10-5 nutrient sprinkled around each plant. Water it in to make sure plants absorb it. Irrigate during dry spells, and supplement fertilizer with growth stimulants.

Do not cut fading flowers on plants that are expected to produce fruits or berries. For example, the berries of purple beautyberries ( Callicarpa) and hollies ( Ilex) are among their greatest assets. If their flowers are removed, they will not produce berries abundantly. If you did not prune back hard before new growth began, wait until next year to do so. Don't prune forsythia now unless you must because flowers are forming for next year. The same is true for azaleas. Do only selective and light touch-up pruning.

Hybrid tea roses are bred to bloom repeatedly, provided that you clip flowers before petals drop. When pruning fading roses, cut the stem below the fading flower back to a junction of at least five healthy leaflets. This will keep them budding and re-blooming all summer.

Many plants require only light pruning to remain in shape. If they are sited so they can grow to maturity, selective trimming is all that's necessary. Never cut hard at this time of year. Always leave at least two-thirds of a plant's branches.

Long hedges might require shearing. Do this no more than once a year, usually after flowering. If a hedge has no flowering value, such as a yew, arborvitae or juniper, shear after new growth has hardened off a bit, during the summer. Coniferous plants such as pines, spruces, cedars and firs should not be sheared.

Pruning dead wood when seen on trees or shrubs can stave off disease problems before they spread to the rest of a plant. If you are pruning dead or diseased wood, be sure to clean your tool with bleach and then use light oil on blades to protect them from corrosion and before cutting healthy wood.

Prune roots of trees or shrubs that you are planning on moving in the future. Sink a long, square-edged digging spade into the soil in an 18 to 24 inch circle around the trunk, or wider, depending on the size of the plant. Make sure you slice all the way around. Do not move the plant; leave it to grow more roots at the cut. This will ensure greater success when transplanting next year.

Container Plants

You still can create container plantings for your patio, deck or front entry. Follow the nutrient recommendations above for annuals. Plants must have adequate drainage to thrive outside in containers. This is the most important consideration for their health. A hole in the bottom of the planter and a generous layer of stone or foam packing peanuts will ensure that they don't stand in water. Cover with landscape fabric, then use a potting medium over fabric for planting. Some growth mediums that I have used with great success are Gardeners Gold organic potting soil, Baccto potting soil and Miracle-Gro potting soil.

Joel M. Lerner is president of Environmental Design in Capitol View Park, Md. Contact him through his Web site, http://www.gardenlerner.com.