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Garden Maintenance

Start of School

Fall

Spring

Summer

Pruning

     


**New plants need to fit the characteristics of the garden in which they are to be planted.**
**For example, only native plants should be planted in the Native Habitat Garden.**

Start of School:

1)    Shortly before the start of school, weed gardens and do a general “tidying up”. Cut back any dying flowers, leaves, etc. Leave dead liatris flowers, though, for the birds.           2)   Mulching is normally done in the spring; however, you may need to mulch again if:          a)   There is a big event coming up and you want the garden to look its best       b)    You have done a lot of planting/moving around & the mulch looks sparse       c)   If mulching is needed, use leaf mulch available from the township, located by the Mt. Lebanon Golf Course.

Fall:

1)     Weed as needed.           2)   Divide spring/summer blooming plants, as needed. Avoid dividing fall blooming plants/grasses unless absolutely necessary (should be done in spring).           3)   Cut back irises to about a few inches from the ground.           4)    Deep Water starting around mid to late October, ending around Thanksgiving IF the Fall has been dry.  Depending on the summer and fall weather, each tree/shrub should be watered 2-3 times. Default to 2-3 times if summer AND fall was dry; less often (or not at all) if one or both seasons had adequate rainfall. Deep Watering Directions:  Lay the hose at base of trees and shrubs, and let water run in freely for about 15 minutes. For trees:  the hose should be moved around the base and each location watered for about 15 minutes.   5)   Birds will feed on the seeds from coneflowers, black-eyed susans, and liatris. Leave those seed heads. If sunflowers were planted, you may wish to leave those seed heads, as well, cutting these back only when seeds have been depleted.           6)   DO NOT cut back the Butterfly bush, Lavender, or the grasses.           7)   Cut back dying perennials, except for above exceptions. If trees or shrubs have any dead branches, those may be removed.           8)   Remove 5th Grade Tile Artwork. The Maintenance Engineer, Tim,  is aware of this step and will know where to store them.           9)   Fountain can stay as is. Consult Thad Davis with any questions.

Spring:

1)    Cut back any dead plant material.           2)   End of March, beginning of April….cut back Butterfly bush to about 1 foot from the ground. Make sure no freezing weather is in the near forecast before you do this. If there is……wait a few more weeks. (If Blue Mist Spirea is ever planted, it follows these same directions.)           3)   Cut back grasses to a few inches above the ground, about the end of March.           4)    Once new growth is found on the lavender, cut back the dead stems only.           5)   Divide grasses, and plants as needed. Check a plant resource book if unsure how to divide or whether to divide a plant.           6)   WEED, WEED, and more WEEDING. (no chemicals are allowed to be used on school grounds.)           7)   Mulch with the leaf mulch available through Mt. Lebanon Township. Ask Mr. Mallery or Tim to arrange the District crew to pick up the mulch. It takes 2 truck loads to mulch the Habitat and Butterfly Gardens, along with the adjacent areas. It will probably take at least one more, more than likely two more, truckloads to mulch the playground, Rain Garden, and areas around trees on the grounds.           8)   Plant new plants as needed.           9)   Put back the Tiles.

Summer:

1)    WEED, WEED, and more WEEDING.           2)   Will need to arrange a watering schedule to water new transplants, new plants, and in periods of dry weather.

Pruning and tree/shrub shape maintenance:

1)    There is no need to prune any of the trees or shrubs to “maintain” or reduce their size. Each plant has been chosen for an area with the final height of that plant in mind.           2)   Pruning should only be undertaken to remove dead branches, errant branches that cross and rub against each other, errant branches growing in an unattractive pattern, and to remove low lying branches when it is desirable to reveal more of the trunk or to clear headroom in a pathway.           3)    As a GENERAL rule (consult a plant resource book for individual species characteristics); spring/early summer blooming plants should be pruned after flowering, late summer/fall blooming plants should be pruned late winter (usually this means early March).           4)   Next Fall (2008-2009), have the Birches evaluated for the need to brace the trunks with cables. The cables will probably need to be placed in the crown of the tree. (they may need to wait another year but check it out….call Davey or similar company) In the past, we have lost 2 of the 3 trunks from the previous birch. The cables will help secure the trunks.           5)   When pruning, it is usually best to remove the entire branch verse just the tip of the branch. Removing the tips will only induce the plant to produce new growth in a “Y” shape, at the cut tip. (In our garden, the boxwoods would be the exception to this). Follow the branch you wish to remove back to its base, and evaluate whether the plant will benefit from its removal BEFORE you cut.           6)   Make clean cuts and use clean, sharp, disinfected tools.