Acropoleos 39, 5380 Dherynia, Cyprus -- Tel 00357 99419530, Fax 00357 23829509
Spring Care
These are just some basic suggestions of what should be done in the garden now that spring is here.
Pruning:
If you haven't pruned your plants already, do it before it's too late. Prune in order to give your plants the needed strength for new vigorous growth for better flowering and fruiting. Some of the plants that need to be pruned are roses, jasmines, bougainvilleas and all deciduous fruit trees (apricot, peach, apple etc). Of course, it's not a bad idea to do some light pruning to all the plants in the garden, that's what we do. The result will be stronger, healthier plants that will flower more and give better fruit.
Weeds:
They maybe beautiful wild flowers out in the fields at this time of the year, but they are weeds in the garden. And before they start seeding themselves, you better do something about them. So, you can either remove them or spray them with an appropriate chemical.
Soil:
It's a good time to refresh your soil, especially if you are going to plant annuals or other plants. You can do that by mixing some compost in your soil. This way, not only is the soil aerated, it is also enriched with needed nutrients that will help the plants.
Planting:
This is the time to plant your annuals for colour in the garden. Petunias, pansies, lobelias, marigolds, stock, snapdragons, and more. It is also a good time to plant the summer bulbs like gladiolous and dahlias.
Pests:
The warm weather will encourage the development of quite a few pests, like aphids, white flies and leaf miners. For the first two spray with an appropriate chemical as soon as you see signs of the insects. For leaf miners, which are likely to attack your citrus trees, it is advisable to take some precautions by spraying with an appropriate chemical. Another important enemy that is likely to chew on a lot of plants, especially annuals, is snails. There is a special chemical available, in the form of granules, which is thrown in the garden and is highly effective.
Fertilizing:
We like to fertilize at this time of the year in order to give our plants the necessary nutrients for new vigorous growth. Fertilizing is especially necessary for plants planted in pots as it is most likely that the nutrient elements have been washed off by winter's rain. Use for all your plants either a soluble fertilizer for immediate results, or a slow release one in the form of granules.