Watering your container gardens and more to do this week

5 things to do in the garden this week:

1. When cymbidium orchid pseudobulbs, growing on the soil surface, fill a flower pot, they can be divided, although it is best to do this after the flowers have faded. You will probably have a mixture of leafless and leafy pseudobulbs. Separate them, dusting all cut surfaces with sulfur to prevent rot. Take clumps of the leafy pseudobulbs and plant them together in fresh orchid mix. After allowing the leafless, dormant pseudobulbs to rest for two weeks, plant them together in their own pots. Keep the orchid mix in new containers moist. Fertilize now and every two weeks with a high nitrogen fertilizer such as 30-10-10 followed by a high phosphorus fertilizer such as 10-30-20 at summer’s end to encourage flower formation at that time.

2. The soil in containers may shrink from time to time. When this happens, water runs over the sides of the soil ball and out through the drainage holes below. To resolve this problem, fill the gap between soil ball and container with fresh potting mix. Watering with ice cubes left on the soil surface to melt is another strategy for soaking the soil when it shrinks away from the sides of the container, although this is not recommended when it comes to indoor plants.

3. Herbs such as basil, cilantro, parsley and others tend to bolt or flower when temperatures warm. To keep leaves coming, remove the flower buds before they open. This will keep new leaves coming along for continual harvest.

4. Remove suckers that grow from the base of fruit trees and rose bushes, and cut off water sprouts or vertical shoots that grow up from fruit tree branches. Suckers and water sprouts rob resources needed for flower and fruit development. Suckers and water sprouts are a response to stress since they provide an insurance policy against improper growing conditions or environmental calamities that threaten plant health. For example, roses and fruit trees deprived of adequate light or subjected to disease or insect pest infestation are more likely to sucker and grow water sprouts.

5. Fertilize daylilies now to keep them blooming. As the flowers wilt, you may see miniature plants developing on the flower stalks. These can be detached when fall arrives and planted. In this way, you can expand your collection of daylilies. If you have seen a decline in the number of flowers in a patch of daylilies, you will want to divide them by slicing through their fleshy roots; once again, you will want to wait until fall to do this.

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