June Lawn & Garden Tips for Southeast Wisconsin

Perennials - Care, Planting, Seasonal Tips

Perennials

The use of perennial beds has grown in popularity over the years as well as the quest for year-round color and interest.  Proper planning and maintenance can help achieve just that.  When creating a perennial bed or adding plants to an existing one, select the style that fits your landscape and interests.  Here are a few ideas to make maintenance easier:

  • Select and plant the right perennial for your growing conditions.
  • Start small and expand your garden as time allows. Perennial beds do require some upkeep, so if you don’t have much time it’s better to start off smaller than be overwhelmed with weeds.
  • Consider using fewer species but planting more of each variety. An overcrowded bed quickly becomes a lot of work.
  • Plan for year-round interest. Choose plants that bloom at different times during the season.   Don’t be afraid to use annuals for early spring blooms or for filling in gaps.
  • Include plants that will not only provide winter interest, but also food for the wildlife such as ornamental grasses, rudbeckias, coneflowers and other seed pod plants.
  • Consider adding foliage plants that have fall color like coral bells, sedums and evening primrose

June Tips:

Cool wet springs mean lots of diseases.  Remove spotted, blotchy, or discolored leaves as soon as they are found.  Watch for leaf-hoppers, aphids, mites and spittle bugs.  These insects all suck out plant juices causing leaves to yellow, brown and die.  Check for signs of wildlife.  Deer and rabbits love certain perennials and will need to apply repellents or noise makers to deter them from destruction.  Remove weeds as soon as they appear.  If your plants need a little nutrition boost, consider using fertilizer or top dress beds every two to four years by spreading a good compost into the soil. 

As plants begin to flower and fade, deadhead to prevent unwanted seedlings, prolong bloom, and improve the overall appearance of the garden.  Tall or top-heavy plants such as peonies, will need to have cages or stakes for support.  It is easier to address those issues before they get to that point.    To prevent fall plants such as asters and mums from getting to big, or flowering to early pinch back the tops.

Be sure to check our In the Spotlight for more ideas of plants, shrubs, flowers to beautify your home! 

Questions about planting, feeding and watering? Take advantage of our knowledgeable horticulturist & owner, Jason. He is here to help you make good decisions on what will work best and how to properly tend to your new plantings. Visit the Heritage Hill Nursery and garden center now! We are conveniently located, close to Cedarburg, Jackson, West Bend, Slinger, WI.

25% off Terrariums!

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20% off Forsythias!
All Varieties

Throughout June

Pesky Slugs and How to Get Rid of Them

Uncategorized, Seasonal Tips

Slugs are a gardener’s unwelcome pest that seem to invade everywhere.  

This is the perfect time to start using remedies to ward off those little critters, when the soil is damp or wet, to entice slugs up to the surface of the soil  Of course you can always get slug pellets or granules to sprinkle around the plants, but why not consider a few very easy methods that are also 100% natural? 

Here are just a few:

  1. Cornmeal
    • Slugs love it… but they can’t consume it.  Put a couple tablespoons in a small glass jar and place it sideways so slugs can get in.  In the morning, check for the dead slugs and remove. Keep this up until the area is free of the pests
  2. Beer
    • Another thing slugs love, but will kill them. Pour some beer in a small plastic glass, and bury it close to the plants that are being invaded, so it is at pretty much ground level.  You’ll find dead slugs there, remove them and keep going with the beer treatment.
  3. Coffee Grounds & Egg Shells
    • Start saving both of these and mix them together.  Coffee smell is a natural repellent for slugs and egg shells cut their bellies. Sprinkle this mixture around your plants and it should keep them away. A plus to this method is the added helpful compost fertilizer it provides. 

Additional Ideas (courtesy of Natural Living Ideas) 

More Info

 

 

Throughout May

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Above video courtesy of “Grow Veg” YouTube Channel

Season Tips – Wisconsin May Lawn & Garden Tips

Shrubs & Bushes, Seasonal Tips

Early May 

Shrubs, Care & Planting

Spring is a good time to prune out any frost damage to your shrubs, trees and other plants, which may have occurred from the harsh winter. In spring, you can prepare your yard for summer landscaping by thinning or removing deadwood and/or removing the unwanted parts of your existing landscaping. This will help prevent damage to any new landscaping.

  • After the Ground has dried, thoroughly water shrubs that may have suffered from deicing salts. This will help wash the chemicals into the ground and away from the roots
  • Look for and prune out any signs of tent caterpillars.
  • When temperatures stay above 40 degrees but before new growth appears, apply dormant sprays of lime, sulfur, or dormant oil to control overwintering scale on mugo pines and deciduous shrubs. 
  • Transplanting shrubs should be completed after the soil thaws but before new growth appears. If you missed that time frame, wait until the fall when the plant goes dormant before attempting to move. 
  • If adding new plants to landscape, write down space requirements and look for new plants that develop fall and winter interest as well. 
  • Apply fertilizer in the spring if needed. New plantings will come already fertilized so hold off until the next year or two. 
 

Above information courtesy Melinda Myers books on lawn and gardens. Specifically:

** Month-by-Month Gardening: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden  All Year / Minnesota & Wisconsin

** Month-by-Month Gardening in Wisconsin: Revised Edition: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year

** Midwest Gardener’s Handbook:  Your Complete Guide: Select-Plan-Plant-Maintain-Problem solve- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

More Info

 

Remember – we are offering
20% Off of all varieties
of Shrub Roses! 

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April Yard & Garden Tips for Wisconsin

Lawn Care, Seasonal Tips

Prepping Your Lawn In April

This is a busy month – there is so much to do! Below are some tips to get your lawn off to a great new start! 

  • If you couldn’t rake the lawn at the end of last month, due to the weather, rake the grass as soon as the soil is fairly dry.
  • When the soil is completely dry, and raking has been done, thoroughly water areas of grass that were subject to deicing salt. Irrigating now will flush the leftover salts into the soil and help to reduce damage.
  • When your lawn is healthy and properly maintained, you shouldn’t have enough weeds to require chemical treatment. If you have a persistent problem with crabgrass that you cannot control through cultural methods or spot treatment during the growing season, you can apply a crabgrass pre-emergent herbicide.

    This must be applied before the soil temperatures are consistently 53-56* F. Generally, this will be May 1-15. If broadleaf weeds are a problem, apply a selective, post emergent herbicide such as Weed-B-Gone, following the directions on the label. ** Not comfortable handling chemicals? That’s okay, Heritage Hill Nursery is licensed and can handle all your chemical needs. Contact Jason at #262-305-404 for a quote.

    • Late April through May is typically a good time to plant new or repair damage areas of lawn. Most grass varieties can handle the cooler wet temperatures of spring however, wait until early to mid-May for Bluegrass.
    • Newly seeded areas will need to be kept moist, but not over drenched causing seed displacement
    • When mowing, only one -third of the leaf area should be removed at one cutting.Ideally you should avoid mowing any lower than 2 inches, preferably 3 inches as taller grass forms a deeper root system. Grass with deeper root systems are stronger and can fight off diseases, insects and weeds easier than poorly rooted grass systems. However, frequent cutting will be required during the wetter months.

Questions about planting, feeding and watering? Take advantage of our knowledgeable horticulturist & owner, Jason. He is here to help you make good decisions on what will work best and how to properly tend to your new plantings. Visit the Heritage Hill Nursery and garden center now! We are conveniently located, close to Cedarburg, Jackson, West Bend, Slinger, WI.

 

Above information courtesy Melinda Myers books on lawn and gardens. Specifically:

** Month-by-Month Gardening: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden  All Year / Minnesota & Wisconsin

** Month-by-Month Gardening in Wisconsin: Revised Edition: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year

** Midwest Gardener’s Handbook:  Your Complete Guide: Select-Plan-Plant-Maintain-Problem solve- Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

More Info

Don’t forget! Take advantage of our
April Special Offers! 

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Best Fall Tips

Seasonal Tips, Older Entries

Top Landscape Tips for Fall

Autumn is the perfect time to assess your landscaping needs and fill any gaps that exist. Here are the top fall gardening tips from gardening experts at First Editions® Plants:

– Take inventory: Decide what, and where, your landscape is lacking and plug the gaps now. Depending on plant type and local climate, you’ll be able to enjoy a full, bursting garden as early as next spring.

 

Courtesy First Editions – Selected for Success More

Questions about planting, feeding and watering? Take advantage of our knowledgeable horticulturist & owner, Jason. He is here to help you make good decisions on what will work best and how to properly tend to your new plantings. Visit the Heritage Hill Nursery and garden center now! We are conveniently located, close to Cedarburg, Jackson, West Bend, Slinger, WI.

 

Available November 24
Christmas Trees 
Locally Grown

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October – Preparing for Winter

Seasonal Tips, Older Entries, Uncategorized

Winterize Your Plants!

Prepare your garden for cold weather to come by winterizing plants. Many of your prized garden stars survive winter without extra care on your part, but taking time to winterize paves the way for a healthy, productive garden next spring. For tender plants and new additions to the garden, winterizing is vital for cold weather survival.

Start the winterizing process by mulching around landscape plants. Mulch helps insulate soil and prevent frost heave, a condition that occurs when soil repeatedly freezes and thaws—and pushes plants out of soil. When frost heave occurs, plant crowns and roots are exposed to freezing air and drying winds. 

When you add fall mulch, aim for a layer that’s 3 to 5 inches deep (deeper in colder regions). Use a material that won’t compact, like straw, chopped leaves or cornstalks, pine straw or clean hay. It’s especially important to mulch shallow-rooted perennials that are prone to frost heave, like blanket flower (Gaillardia), coral bells (Heuchera), pincushion flower (Scabiosa) and shasta daisy (Leucanthemum).

 

Courtesy HGTV Online Read More

Questions about Winterizing? Take advantage of our knowledgeable horticulturist & owner, Jason. He is here to help  Visit the Heritage Hill Nursery and garden center now! We are conveniently located, close to Cedarburg, Jackson, West Bend, Slinger, WI.

 

Don’t forget! Take advantage of our
Fall Specials! Deep Discounts!  

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