Plants & Pests with Nicole

January and February are the best months to start planning your garden for this spring. If you have seed catalogs already get those out and start flipping through the pages. If you don’t receive any seed catalogs, you can go to any of their websites and request a free catalog, try Burpee, Jung, Johnny’s, Park, and Gurney’s. Make sure that any plants you are interested in are listed as hardy up to zone 6a, which is where we are in Southeast Nebraska. Remember to count backward from your planting date to know how soon to start your transplants. Don’t start them too early or they will get leggy.

Care of cut flowers helps them last longer. Purchase fresh flowers and gift them soon after purchase. Once you receive cut flowers, re-cut the stems at an angle with a clean, sharp knife to allow them to draw in water for lasting, full blooms. Remove any leaves below the water line, leaves in water will deteriorate and cause bacteria to get into the water and eventually the flowers. Use lukewarm water for best absorption by the flowers. Make sure that the vase you place the flowers in is clean and that you change the water daily. For best longevity, use the flower preservative that comes with the bouquet. Cut flowers will also last longer if they are not placed in full sunlight or in drafty rooms or near the door.

Late February through March is the best time to prune fruit trees. Fruit trees should be pruned just before growth starts in the spring. Fruits like apples and pears can be pruned first, leaving peaches and cherries for March to avoid damaging cold temperatures. Apples are more hardy in our environment. Do not remove more than 1/3 of the tree in a growing season. Start with branches that are crossed or dead first then remove water sprouts or branches growing straight up and any branches that are crossed. After removing those, just remove branches to get better light penetration into the tree and better airflow for best fruit development.