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Proctor's Garden: Rain and heat encourage growth

It has been a very wet and stormy spring. You may be over all the rain, but it is actually quite good for the garden.

DENVER — Rain plus heat equals mosquitoes. Make sure to tip out standing water on your property. Rain and heat also trigger plant growth

Soggy soil makes it impractical to fertilize container plants. When they've dried out a bit, use a bloom booster fertilizer. This will capitalize on the fresh new growth and help plants set more buds. When possible, apply fertilizer every ten days to keep them blooming. It really pays off. 

While cooler weather has been a blessing for pansies and other cool season plants, hot weather will eventually take its toll. Get replacements ready now. Buy four packs of begonias, gomphrena, zinnias and marigolds. Move them up to slightly larger pots so they aren't cramped. When the pansies die, you'll be ready to replace them. 

I'm also potting up China asters in 8-inch pots. Grown from seed, these old-fashioned annuals bloom in mid-to-late summer and into fall. They are only vaguely related to perennial New England asters. China aster flowers are fairly large - up to three inches across - and bloom in pretty shades of purple, lavender, pink, red and white. 

My shrub roses recovered from the severe winter cold better than I had expected. Most of them bloom fairly early and thus avoid attacks by Japanese beetles. Feed roses three times each season, in May, June and early August. 

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