The first week of April may find you traveling the primrose path to early spring color, but this is the week to remove those rosy colored glasses so you can better see those sneaky weeds that are trying to take over the landscape.
Controlling deep-rooted weeds such as thistle, dandelion and blackberries is easiest in the month of April, when the ground is wet and the top growth is visible so the weeds can be dug, tugged or pulled. For short, annual weeds such as shot weed or pulsane, a hoe can uproot them, or a rake can dislodge them from the soil. Mulch is another way to smother small, or low growing weeds. All plants need sunlight and covering young weeds with bark, compost or leaf mold can smother a multitude of sinners.
Remember the slimy “A” months!
Got slugs and snails? April and August are the two months that begin with the letter “A” and also the two months of the year when applying a pet safe slug bait such as “Worry Free” is most effective. You want to control the slugs now before they begin the mating and egg laying routine that builds the population. You can also handpick slugs after a rainstorm, leer them to bowls of beer to drown or spay tiny slugs with a mix of one part ammonia to two parts water.
Tip: You must spray the ammonia and water mix directly onto the bodies of the slugs as it is not a bait, but a spray that kills on contact while it fertilizes your plants. This homemade spray is not as effective on snails as they can retreat into their shells. Ammonia converts into nitrogen to act as a fertilizer but can burn tender seedlings and ferns.
Weeding and slug control may not be as fun as heading to the nursery and buying more plants, but your dividends will multiply and your problems subtract if you invest in weeding and slug control now.
Q. I saw some adorable new pansies at a garden center. These pansies had ruffled petals and flowers that were held more upright rather than looking down at the ground. The problem is I am a dirt cheap gardener and I know pansies are not so easy to grow from cuttings. Can I grow these ruffled pansies from seed? D.C & GT, Buckley
A. Yes! Pansy seeds are easy to grow in our cool, Western Washington climate, and you can start seeds this week in a bright window and transplant the seedling outdoors by the first of May. Look for the ruffled pansy “Frizzle Sizzle” or “Flirty Skirts” by going online or checking the seed racks of your local garden center. The best advice for growing any plant from seed is to read and follow the instructions on the seed pack. The seed sellers really want you to have growing success so trust them when they tell you how deep to plant the seeds, how far apart to space the seedlings and when to set them outdoors into the garden.
Q. I am interested in the plant called Pulmonaria to provide nectar for the early pollinators in our area. Would you recommend this perennial plant? I do not have a large garden so do not want something invasive. I was warned that this plant would take over. B., Tacoma
A. I am pleased to recommend Pulmonaria as a well-behaved, not invasive and low growing perennial that flowers early and thrives in our mild climate. This plant also goes by the name ‘Lungwort” as a way to describe the lung shaped but spotted leaves. It has the most delightful small blossoms that change from pink to blue depending on the acidity of the soil. In my garden the Pulmonaria plants are deer, slug and drought resistant and bloom in shade and part sun. There are several new varieties, some with more red blooms (”Raspberry Splash”) and some with more spectacular leaf color (”Spot On”). Plant Pulmonarias under camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas or use as an accent plant in shady corners. After blooming if the foliage begins to fade or look tattered, just get snippy with it by cutting the stems back to ground level. Pulmonaria is a cool weather plant that may take a nap in the summer but will return refreshed and bloom again in the fall.
There is a free Zoom Class on “Spring Pruning” hosted by Cascade Water Alliance on Tuesday, April 7 at 6 p.m. Sign up at cascadewater.org/water-efficiency/cascade-gardener/.
Windmill Gardens has a free “Color Pops and Top Performers for Your Garden” event on Saturday, April 11 at 10 a.m. Register for a seat at windmillgardens.com.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.
Marianne Binetti The Olympian
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