Mar 21, 2014
- Ants are already running up and down the fruit trees, so now is probably a good time to put an insect barrier around the trunk. I have found that if I put a strip of very fluffy quilting fleece around the trunk before wrapping it in paper tape (available from the local nursery) or duct tape, it helps fill in the fissures in the bark that ants use to circumvent the trap. Smear a product such as Tanglefoot over the surface of the tape following the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure that your sticky strip is well above dog- or small child- height since these products are formidable to remove from fur or hair!
- When pruning trees that have long straight twigs at the top (such as apples), save a bundle of them for use around the garden. They can be used as pea sticks, or to make teepees around delicate seedlings when first planted out. They can also be used to give a hold to a climbing plant before it is high enough to reach a trellis.
- If using half-inch drip tubing with embedded emitters for irrigation, make sure that the ground is level under the tubing and that it is well anchored. I lost a plant last year because the ground was slightly hollow under the emitter and the tubing arched slightly so the water, instead of dripping straight out of the hole and onto the root, was running along the tubing until it hit the soil that was in contact with it which was some way off from the plant.
- Don't forget to deadhead your bulbs (such as daffodils) so that they can build up reserves in the bulbs rather than make new seeds.
Happy gardening!
