April is the month when the plant juices start flowing and growth and flowering take place. Scratch the bark on any plants that may have suffered winter injury. And if it is still green, it will probably develop new foliage during the month of June. Cut back any dead stems that do not show green in them down to the portion of the stem that is green. Feed your plants with Plant-tone, mineralize your soil and keep your plants well watered and properly mulched. Water is the most important ingredient in growing a good plant. Turn your outdoor water on early; make sure your outdoor sprinkling systems are on and pray for our traditional April showers. Make sure everything is well mulched and if the rains don't come, make sure adequate water is there for your plants as they start maturing with their new spring growth. It is important to start early and get your yard in order. Clean up any debris lying around from the year before to avoid breeding disease. Perennials should be cut back by now, fed, mulched, new beds prepared, transplants completed and new plants purchased and planted. Evergreens, Deciduous Trees and Shrubs should be fed and mulched. Roses should have been pruned by now, fed, mulched, new beds prepared. Corn Gluten should be applied in April for Crabgrass and weed control.

Perennials: Top dress with compost and mulch to a depth of 2 inches. Cleanliness is essential in perennial beds. All dead tissue must be removed and plants should be cut back or trimmed as necessary. The beds should be clean of any leaves. Fertilize with Plant- tone if you haven't done so in March. This will supply your plants steadily with food during their growing period. Top dress with Fundy Blend Coast of Maine compost which adds important micro nutrients to the soil). As soon as your perennials leaf out, spray with Messenger. Messenger is cutting edge gardening - boosting your plant's blooms and overall plant vigor and providing disease resistance. Before new growth takes place, divide existing plants that have become overgrown; or transplant some to a new location in the garden. Mulching has tremendous benefits and should be done but do not exceed 2 inches in depth as you will smother your plants. New beds should be prepared by digging deeply and mixing into the soil the ingredients recommended in "Preparation of the Planting Bed." Best of all, it's time to plant perennials. Select the right plant for the right location. We dedicate a great deal of space in our Catalogue giving cultural directions for all the plants we grow. There are many microclimates on your property. If you pick the right plant, it will thrive. Try our finder key on the web which will select plants for a certain exposure, such as shade. Ground cover can fill in bare areas, flowers can add color to an otherwise dull view and cut flowers can add color to the interior of your home. Check out our list of newly added perennials.

MINERAL ROCK DUST (Azomite): 10 pounds covers 1,000 square feet. Mineralize your soil. Plants require more than fertilizer (NPK) and water for proper nutrition. Often plants are not able to produce healthy growth due to deficiency of key micro nutrients. The malnourished soil leads to weakened plants. Weakened plants lead to insect and disease problems. Applying mineral rock dust mimics the actions of Mother Nature by replacing minerals once spread via glaciers, flooding and wind. Using mineral rock dust on your land is a sound organic practice beneficial to living soil. The results are astounding and speak for themselves. Optimal organic soil produces prime, healthy plants. This product provides the soil with a large variety of minerals which re-mineralize depleted soils, improve soil structure and catalyze soil biology. Application rates 10 lbs. Per 1,000 sq. ft.

Make sure your beds are clean of any leaves or dead tissue. If you did not fertilize in March Make sure evergreens, deciduous trees and shrubs are fed with PLANT-TONE. Before new growth starts, transplant plants that you would like to move to another location.

Now that the ground is workable, it is an ideal time to purchase and plant nursery stock. For new plants check your watering twice a week and more frequently during the heat of summer. Make sure your evergreens are well mulched but do not bury them. Flowering trees, fruit trees and shade trees should also be fed with Plant-Tone. Using a crow bar to make a hole and adding an organic fertilizer to the hole can be very beneficial. Before new growth starts, transplant. . For the installation of a new plant follow our Organic Approach to planting a tree. When planting, always make sure the soil level of the plant matches the soil level of the ground. Never plant too deeply but rather slightly high. Dig your hole three times the size of the ball and mix 1/3 peatmoss, 1/3 organic soil and BIO-TONE STARTER PLUS into the soil mix. Make sure BIO-TONE STARTER PLUS is mixed into the soil so that beneficial microbes come in contact with the roots. Micorrhizal fungi which are also part of this mix are of special concern to us. They affect the root's ability to survive, reducing transplant shock and ensuring the plants ability to acclimate. Fill the soil on the side packing it tightly to prevent air pockets. Make sure soil is not packed above the existing root ball. Top dress with a 1/4" of your own compost or LOBSTER COMPOST and apply Plant-Tone an organic fertilizer to the surface. A two inch layer of mulch completes the planting. Water your plants well for the first five days and then soak your root system twice a week. Make sure you always plant soil level to soil level; planting too deep will cause the plant to die a slow death.

Roses: Apply PLANT BOOSTER PLUS (Organica): 8-2-4- Apply 1 cup per bush. This is a biologically enhanced fertilizer that addresses both soil health and plant nutrition. It begins with the selection of high quality nutrient sources comprised of feather meal, steamed bone meal, and sulfate of potash. These organic/natural components are then inoculated with a select array of highly beneficial microorganisms. This process results in a safe, highly effective formulation providing plants with beneficial nutrition and promotes healthy plant development through improved soil. . MINERAL ROCK DUST: 10 pounds covers 1,000 square feet. Mineralize your soil. Plants require more than fertilizer (NPK) and water for proper nutrition. Often plants are not able to produce healthy growth due to deficiency of key micro nutrients. The soil is malnourished leading to weakened plants. Weakened plants lead to insect and disease problems.

Paramagnetic rock use is gaining popularity for its positive influence on soil and plants.

Spray ECOLIZER EM: Spray every 2 weeks for disease control. It can be mixed with Messenger.

Roses should have been pruned by now and winter protection removed. Those who used Messenger last year reported heavier flowering and very little black spot. Buy and plant new Roses. Roses need a location with at least 6 hours of sun. With the proper bed preparation and following an organic program they will reward you with an abundance of flowers for many years. Spray Messenger every three weeks as soon as your plants have leafed out. Knock out Roses are gaining popularity as they are more disease resistant and survive with a half day of sun. If you give roses the proper location and proper bed preparation, they will reward you for many years.

LAWNS: Apply ORGANICA LAWN BOOSTER 25 lbs. Covers 2,500 sq. ft. (90 % Corn Gluten plus bone meal, sulfate of potash and beneficial soil bacteria. Provides slow release N, P, K. Does not push excessive growth. Improves nutrient availability, P, K, Mg, and fixes atmospheric N). Improves soil structure, increases humus levels. Provides turf with increased resistance to environmental extremes (drought, heat, foot traffic). Apply Corn Gluten for crabgrass and weed control and to add Microbes to the soil. Apply this when the Forsythias are in bloom. Crabgrass is an annual which occurs in sunny locations and tends to take over. It usually occurs where you have had a crabgrass problem in the past. If you need to do patching, seed over the barrier by using a product called Johnathan-Green "Green Patch" or apply a 1/4 of an inch soil above the barrier and seed into it. Corn Gluten will support root growth. However if you need to do a major re-seeding project, do not apply Corn Gluten as it will also prevent grass germination. Moss is an indication of acidic soil. Moss and weeds grow better at a low PH while grass growers better at a PH of 6.5 -7. Add lime if your PH is too low.

Pest Management: Wooly adelgids continue to be prevalent on Hemlocks. Those who have been following a spray schedule have been successful. Dormant oils in spray form give the best control. As your Apple trees leaf, spray Sulfur as the organic control for Cedar Apple Rust and Apple Scab. Keep a vigilant eye on for other potential problems and treat early with an organic control.

Plant Feature: Cold tolerant annuals
[Archived Articles]

We grow our pansies in frames without any winter heat. They are well hardened and will be able to go out into the garden early. We all long for spring, and the thought of planting early is intriguing. Here is a list of cold tolerant annuals. Download this list if you are interested in trying to beat the season with some early planting; African Daisy 25F, Bidens 25F, Bachelor Buttons 20F, Dianthus 20F, Diascia Red Ace' 0F, Dusty Miller 25F, Felicia variegated 25F, Phlox intensia 25F, Euryops 25F, Helichrysum Icicles 0F, Nemesia Sunsatia 20F, Pansies 20F, Primroses 10F, Salvia gargantica and leucantha 25F, Snapdragon 25F, Stocks 25F, Verbena Babylon & Tukana 20F, Vinca Vines 20F, A great combo for early window boxes - Pansies, African Daises, trailing Snapdragon, Diascia, Verbena, Nemesia for texture and color, Icicles for silver tones, Felicia for variegation and Vinca Vines for trailing.

Deer Problems: Deer are becoming an increasing problem each year. These are several suggestions for those living in deer country. Use deer repellents. Best control for deer is to affect at least two of their senses. We recommend that you use Deer Scram to repel them by smell and Deer Stopper to repel them by taste. Familiarize yourself with plants that deer do not like to eat. Refer to Sprainbrook.com for our helpful lists. Try to break their path by forming barriers to their grazing route. Three rows of thin fishing line strung at different heights from tree to tree can act as a deterrent. If you can't take it anymore, think of putting up a fence. Fencing in your back yard and leaving your front yard open is a good solution. Stick to Deer resistant plants for the front yard while treating yourself to all of your favorites in the back yard.

Messenger is a revolutionary, naturally derived product for growing healthier, more productive gardens. It works by unlocking the natural ability of plants to defend themselves and flourish. This breakthrough technology was discovered at Cornell University and developed by Eden Bioscience, and it is only the third care product ever to receive the prestigious, Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award from the EPA. The active ingredient In Messenger, harpin protein, is the first scientifically proven "trigger" that amplifies every plant's inherent ability to protect itself and thrive. When Messenger is sprayed on a plant, it activates the natural system that manages stress defense, growth and reproduction. Messenger-treated plants are healthier, more vigorous, better able to resist stress from adverse weather or pests, and more productive. Messenger is the perfect complement to plant foods and fertilizers because it enhances the plant's ability to utilize nutrients. Messenger isn't just cutting-edge science...it's how to make every plant in your garden grow better. Last year a customer decided to experiment and sprayed every other plant in the row. He said the difference was astounding as he bought his years supply.

My list of top twenty perennials:
ACHILLEA 'Moonshine'
AGASTACHE 'Blue Fountain'
ALCHEMILLA 'Mollis'
ASTILBE
COREOPSIS verticillata 'Moonbeam'
CORYDALIS 'Lutea'
GAURA lindheimeri
HEMEROCALLIS 'Stella d'Oro'
HOSTA sieboldiana 'Elegans'
LEUCANTHEMUM 'Becky'
MONARDA 'Raspberry Wine'
NEPETA fassinii 'Blue Wonder'
PAEONIA
PEROVSKIA atriplicifolia
PLAYCODON
RUDBECKIA fulgida 'Goldsturm'
SALVIA 'Ost Friesland'
SEDUM 'Autumn Joy'
SCABIOSA columbaria
VERONICA 'Sunny Border Blue'

Our formula for 'Preparation Of A Planting Bed' should be followed. The formula brings the worst possible soil to the best possible soil. Per 100 square feet dig in and mix to a depth of one foot.

PREPARATION OF A NEW PLANTING BED
Per 100 square feet dig and mix into the top one foot area:
2 bales of Peatmoss 3.8 cubic feet.
2 bags of Lobster Compost: 40lb bags of compost
2 bags of Penobscot mix: 40 llb bags of compost
2 bags of Cow Manure
2 bags of Fafard Peat Humus
1 lb Mineral Rock Dust
5 pounds of Lime
5 pounds of Bone Meal
6 pounds of Plant Booster Plus (Organica)
5 pounds of Plant Tone (Espoma)

Our Landscape Designers and our Crews are very experienced and can carry any project from conception to completion. We follow an organic approach when installing our gardens. The results are fantastic. We fill our designs with color. The birds, the honey bees and the butterflies come back. The garden becomes a cheerful place, a place you will want to spend a lot of your time. Check out the photos on the sprainbrook.com site Landscape Department for more interesting photos of completed projects.