O'Toole's Resource Guide We strive to not only provide you with great gardening products but also with helpful and timely information. Check out the articles below and our Handy Dandy Vegetable Guide and Herb Edition. We love to help you have a beautiful healthy yard and garden!
What does my garden need now? Check house plants for fungus gnats Add a root stimulator to newly planted trees and shrubs instead of a full strength fertilizer Plant cool season veggies and flowers Plant annuals and perennials and container gardens with B.O.S.S. Plant annuals, perennials, trees and shrubs with B.O.S.S. Dead head annuals and perennials You can still plant pansies, fall bulbs, perennials, trees, shrubs, mums, asters and kale Still time to plant bulbs.
Fungus gnats live in the moist soil, decaying plant material and fungus that can build up around houseplants, so their presence usually indicates over-watering, drainage problems or water leaks. The best prevention is usually just good maintenance. Make sure you allow the soil to dry out a little between watering, clean up all dead plant material and debris. Also, taking you plants outside during the summer months can cause an infestation of gnats. Check your plants before bringing them back inside. Adult fungus gnats only live between seven and ten days. During that time, female gnats fly around laying batches of eggs in the cracks of moist soil. They can lay up to 30 batches of 300 eggs during their short lifespans. In about 4 to 6 days the eggs will hatch and the larvae will begin feeding on any organic matter they can find for about two weeks, including the tender roots of your houseplants. Fungus gnats birth mostly females, which makes for mass population. In a few days, the larvae a full grown ready and ready to multiply again Controlling fungus gnats is all about breaking this cycle. It’s not enough to kill the adult gnats; you have to kill the larvae, too. Adult gnats are pretty harmless, but very annoying. Use sticky yellow traps to get them. Keep an eye on the traps and replace them when they’re full. You can also spray them with pyrethrins sprays; anything labeled for “flying insects” or “gnats.” And try covering the top of your soil with ½ inch layer of sand. This will deter any gnats from laying their eggs there. While you’re taking care of the adult gnats, you’ll also have to kill the larvae. If you don’t have a very big infestation, try placing slices of potato (1½” square) on the surface of the soil. This will attract the larvae and keep them away from the roots of your plants. Leave them there for a few days, while the larvae eat underneath. After about two days, throw the potatoes away. If you still have problems, you can use a systemic insecticide like Bayer Rose and Flower Care to take care of them.
Perhaps the most overlooked cold weather gardening activity for your lawn is watering. When snow cover is melting away, it’s hard to even think about winter watering, but it’s important to water your lawn in the colder months if we have a sustained period of time without snow cover. This is especially true if you have experienced insect problems in your lawn areas. Many of our customers have had problems just this past summer with insects in their lawns, particularly mites. Lawn insects love warm and dry soil conditions. We frequently see these kinds of conditions during the winter here in Denver. Encouraging healthy lawn growth now will reduce the bug problems you could have in the spring. It’s also a great idea to consistently treat your lawn for insects all throughout the year. Bayer Insect Control is one of the best lawn insecticides out there. It’s formulated to kill a broad spectrum of lawn bugs above and below the surface of the lawn, giving you the most complete control around. And it’s just $22.99 for a bag that covers up to 5,000 square feet. Finally, if we do have a sustained run of warm weather, consider putting down a bag of Colorado’s Choice Water Saver lawn Food and give the root system a little mid-winter’s snack!
Florel Growth Regulator can reduce or eliminate unwanted nuisance fruit on many ornamental trees including crabapple, flowering pear, apple, maple, oak and cottonwood trees. University tests have found it to be 95 – 100% effective when applied correctly. You’ll need to apply it before the fruit sets, right about the time the tree is in mid to full bloom. The temperature should be between 65 and 95 degrees. Mix 1 quart per 10 gallons of water and spray to cover the whole tree. You should only need to apply it one time for complete control all year long.
It’s so easy to overlook gardening needs when the weather is cold and snowy. But by doing a little preventative maintenance now, you can save yourself a lot of frustration later on. The most important thing is to keep watering throughout the winter. Weather permitting; you should try to water at least every two weeks during the winter season. Also, it’d be a good idea to give all of your trees and shrubs a nice deep drink of water with a deep root irrigator when the temperature warms up a little bit. Now is also the time to treat trees and shrubs with a good dormant oil spray to protect them from insects and diseases later in the year. Oils have been used for centuries to kill bugs that spend the winter on the tree and prevent transmission of viruses and powdery mildew. They’re really effective and they’re safe for humans, pets and beneficial insects. For maximum bug protection, try Bayer Tree & Shrub. It’s a great systemic insecticide that gets absorbed through the roots and provides 12 full months of insect control. You don’t even need to spray anything. All you need to do is pour it around the base of the tree and water it in. One application will protect from bugs all year long. If you take a little extra time during the winter, you can enjoy healthy, worry-free trees and shrubs during the spring and summer!
Dig your hole approximately twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball of your plant. Remove the plant from the bucket and tease the root ball by slightly ruffling it with a gloved hand before placing it in the hole. Mix Colorado’s Choice B.O.S.S. half and half with the dirt you dug out of the hole. B.O.S.S. stands for Bio Organic Soil Supplement. It is an organic soil amendment made in Colorado for Colorado soils. It will help retain moisture and it contains mycorrhizae, soil borne microorganisms which promote strong roots in your new plant.
Following these simple steps will give your new tree or shrub everything it needs to get a healthy start and thrive! If your anything like us, you can’t wait for the spring growing season to start. We mean literally can’t wait! One of the cheapest and easiest ways to extend your growing season is by using Wall-O-Water. It sounds like a watering device, but it’s really a ring of translucent plastic tubes filled with water that lets in the sun, and keeps the cold wind out. In some cases, it can extend your growing season 6 – 8 weeks. Set up Wall-O-Water the early spring. The water in the tubes will warm the soil, so wait a week or two before you plant. Most people use it for tomatoes and peppers but it can also be used for hard to transplant plants like melons. You can get a month’s head start by putting the seed directly in the soil with the Wall-O-Water over the top. No transplanting so no shock!
Plants are greening up, so it’s a good time to take off their winter coat. Remove last year’s growth and any mulch you put down over the winter. Cut back the dead stuff and in some cases the canes of some roses. Use B.O.S.S. around each plant. B.O.S.S. stands for Bio Organic Soil Supplement and it’s a peat moss – compost mix fortified with mychorrize, an organism that funnels nutrients to the plant’s roots. This will really help enrich your soil with beneficial organic material. Use Bayer All in One Rose and Flower Care for a little preventative maintenance. All in One is 3 systemic products in one. It has an insect control, disease control and a fertilizer. It’ll protect your plants a little jump start and protect them from fungus and bugs for up to 6 weeks. All you have to do is measure, mix and pour around the plant base. This will help get your garden off to a good start and help you avoid problems down the road. It’s much easier and cheaper to prevent a problem than to cure one. Using weed preventers in your lawn and garden is a great way to save time and money over the course of your busy growing season. It’s so much easier to prevent weeds than to kill them later on. O’Toole’s carries a wide range of products to help you stop weeds before they start. For your lawn, one of the best products around is Colorado’s Choice Crabgrass and Spurge control. It has a powerful pre-emergent that prevents crabgrass and a fertilizer to give your lawn a kick start in the spring. Want to use our Water Saver lawn food and prevent weeds? O’Toole’s recommends Green Light Broadleaf Weed Preventer and Green Light Crabgrass Preventer. Both of these products can safely be used in conjunction with our Water Saver. Crabgrass Preventer is a granular that is applied just like conventional lawn fertilizer. Once you water it in, you create a barrier in the soil that suppresses weed seeds, giving 3 to 4 months of control. If you would like to go green, a great organic pre-emergent is Concern Weed Prevention Plus. It’s a 100% organic weed preventer and fertilizer made from corn gluten which inhibits germination of weed seeds. It’s most effective when applied twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. And since it’s organic, it’s gentle on your lawn and safe for your kids and pets. For the garden, we recommend Green Light Amaze. Amaze is a selective pre-emergent that can prevent a broad spectrum of weeds around your ornamental bulbs, flower beds, ground covers and ornamental trees and shrubs. The key thing to remember about weed preventers in the garden is that they will prevent flower and vegetable seeds from germinating as well as weeds, so be sure to use them only around established plants. Following these simple steps can help you enjoy a weed free 2010! Something has been going around and here at O’Toole’s we think it just might be Spring Fever! If you have been anxious to get outside and commune with Mother Nature, here are a few things that you can do now to benefit your lawn and garden. Rake and mow the lawn before green up to remove leaves and winter debris. Many fallen leaves and plant debris can harbor fungus, disease and over wintering insects, so it is very important to clean everything up. Correct grade or fill low areas in the lawn with Colorado’s Choice Top Soil. Aerate to improve air, water and nutrient movement, and then apply a quality fertilizer like Water Saver Spring Green plus Iron to your lawn. If you are going to overseed at this time we suggest using NK Fast and Fine then applying a light layer of B.O.S.S. on top of the seed. Be sure to keep moist till the seeds sprout and then after 4 – 6 weeks treat as an established lawn. Apply Water Saver Spring Green plus Iron at this time. If the weather allows, incorporating B.O.S.S. into your garden soil not only helps improve the soil structure, but also will introduce healthy organisms back into the soil. You may also want to work a fertilizer such as into your flower or vegetable garden at this time.
As for summer bulbs they are ordered and will be in stock at O’Toole’s in a matter of weeks. Now is a great time to plan which summer bulbs will be gracing your yard this year. With so many to choose from be sure to experiment and try some new ones in addition to your old favorites. Planting them is easy. Just plant them like you would fall bulbs. Remember: Good drainage is a must because bulbs will rot if they sit in water-logged soil. Water while the bulbs are actively growing, even though our mild winters help ensure that fall bulbs will bloom the following spring. Once a bulb is done blooming, be sure to allow the foliage to die back naturally. You can trim the bloom, but cutting back the dying leaves takes away essential nutrients that your bulbs will need for next season. Working in a complete fertilizer (or bulb food) will help replenish your bulbs as well. Don’t forget to lift and store summer bulbs in the fall! And if you tend to have trouble with pesky squirrels digging up your efforts or deer munching on the delicate buds, you might want to try using Bobbex, a repellant formulated to steer them away from your prized bulbs. Following these simple steps will allow you to enjoy your bulbs this spring and summer for many years to come. Between February and March is a great time to start seeds indoors. Some seeds need to be started early, some seeds need to be started late and some just take a lot longer to germinate. You can refer to O’Toole’s Handy Dandy Vegetable Guide to find out when exactly to start your seeds. Go online or pick one up free at any O’Toole’s. When planning a vegetable garden or herb garden keep in mind that all veggies are not grown at the same time. It’s important to plan ahead so your garden is fully utilized. Cold weather crops like lettuce should be planted first in March through May. Planting cool weather crops in early spring or late summer-early fall prevents the plant from going to seed too early and gives a better taste. Warm weather veggies such as tomatoes and peppers should be planted later after the frost when the soil warms. Planting them too early could stunt the plant. If you’ve never started seeds indoors or it’s been a while, start a small test crop you don’t intend to use. This test will tell you what you’re doing wrong and what you’re doing right. Most people don’t know this, but the professional growers do this all the time. It’s the best way to learn. Always use a seed starting soil instead of regular potting soil. Potting soils might cause a fungus and lead to loss of seedlings.
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If you have houseplants, you’re probably familiar with fungus gnats. They’re tiny, they’re annoying and they can damage the roots of your houseplants causing them to wilt, loose leaves, and have poor growth. Fortunately, there are some easy ways to get rid of these gnats and prevent them from coming back.
Crabapple trees are beautiful, bursting into stunning color in the early spring. Crabapples, on the other hand, are not so nice. They’re annoying, messy and can attract unwanted critters to your yard. If you love your crabapple tree but hate your crabapples, fear not. With a little preparation you can have a crabapple free yard all season long!
Put the soil & B.O.S.S. mixture in the hole around your plant and lightly pack it down to eliminate air pockets. Mix GreenLight Root Stimulator according to the directions and water plant thoroughly. Using Root Stimulator once every two weeks for the first couple of months will increase your plant’s all important root formation by 50%. Water your new plant as needed to keep the soil moist, but be careful not to give your plant too much water as the roots need oxygen as well as water. 
One might think that it’s too late to be thinking about fall bulbs and too early to be dreaming about summer ones. Not true! If you have fall bulbs lurking around your garage or basement because you have forgotten to get them in the ground, it’s not too late. Check the bulbs first to see if they are still firm, without any signs of mold or mildew. If they are healthy you still have a chance. Plant them in a sunny, well-drained site where the ground is workable and unfrozen. Work in some organic matter or bulb food, plant them at the correct depth and water them well after you have finished. Come April or May you’ll be rewarded for you efforts. If you are worried about bulbs that you already have in the ground poking their heads out too early because of the warm weather we have been having, don’t. The cooler weather that we are experiencing now will slow down their growth a bit and in all likelihood they’ll bloom close to when they are supposed to. Just sit back and enjoy the show when they do.
Mix Colorado’s Choice B.O.S.S. half and half with the dirt you dug out of the hole. | Lakewood Store 1404 Quail Street, Lakewood, CO 80215 303-232-6868 |
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