Butler County gardeners turn attention to backyard planting plans, landscapes
March’s sudden snowfalls and overnight freezes shouldn’t discourage homeowners from preparing their flower and vegetable gardens and lawns for planting later this spring.
There’s a lot that can be done now to ensure beautiful blooms and bountiful crops later in the year.
Bob Stirling of Stirling Landscape/Garden Center, 840 Mercer Road, said now’s the time to clear dead plants and debris from flower and garden plots.
“You can prepare the soil as long as it’s not wet,” Stirling said. Beds can be worked up by spade or by rototiller. It’s also the time to add topsoil and compost where needed.
Jim Smith of Schnur’s Greenhouse, 175 Schnur Road, said gardeners should begin divide perennial plants: digging up a plant, separating it into smaller sections and replanting them both to rejuvenate the original plant and create more plants.
The Penn State Extension recommends dividing spring-blooming blooming in April or May soon after the plant finishes flowering. Dividing the plant when it is not in bloom allows the plant’s energy to be diverted into growing its leaves and roots.
Smith said vegetable gardeners can use this time to nurturing their pepper and tomato seedlings indoors for eventual planting.
He said right now Schnur’s is growing plant stock in its seven greenhouses.
“It takes time to grow them big enough to sell,” Smith said.
Smith said now is also a good time to have soil tested.
“It lets you know what your soil needs. It’s inexpensive and well-worth doing if you are having problems, if your plants aren’t growing as well,” he said.
Diane Dallos, extension educator and master gardener coordinator at the Butler County Penn State Extension, 101 Motor Pool Way, said soil test kits are available at the extension office or from commercial firms and garden centers that stock kits for the convenience of their customers.
“Anyone can submit a sample and get results and recommendations to modify their soil fertility,” Dallos said.
The test kit contains a sample submission form, instructions on how to take a soil sample, a sample bag and return envelope for mailing the sample to the laboratory. Dallos said a cup’s worth of soil is needed for a typical sample.
The cost is $10 per sample.
Dallos said as an alternative, a gardener can print soil submission forms from the site, https://agsci.psu.edu/aasl/soil-testing/fertility.
The laboratory will test for pH (how alkaline or acidic the soil is) as well as for phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and calcium. The final report will include a chemical analysis of the soil sample.
“The report will include recommendations to amend the soil,” said Dallos.
This might include suggestions for lime and fertilizer additions depending on the plant or crop specified in the test. A report on the soil will be sent back in two to three weeks, but Dallos noted this the busiest time of the year for soil testing.
“Tons of people are requesting the test. We are doing thousands of tests,” she said.
She said the Extension Office can help home gardeners with more than soil tests. People with questions can call the Master Gardener Hotline at 724-287-4761, Ext. 7 or address questions and concerns online at butlermg@psu.edu.
Those looking to do more than just spruce up their flower beds or garden plots but to turn their backyards into high-end outdoor living spaces might turn to places like Funyak Landscapes, 247 Cashdollar Road, Mars.
Jawn and Joe Funyak, the co-owners, can work with homeowners to design and install firepits, patios, fireplaces and other outdoor features in addition to preparing and cleaning their planting beds and mowing and maintaining their lawns. They’ve been doing it for 30 years.
“Now is when people start planning that oasis in their backyards. We can design and build those,” said Jawn Funyak. Their firm can help bring that design to life with 2D and 3D renderings of what the new features could look like.
“They can bring their general ideas to us and we will do a complete creative design,” Funyak said.
“Even really nice homes want a more go-to place outdoors. We can add decorative pavers. We can add decorative stone for that old stone look. We can add decorative and retaining walls,” Funyak said.
Funyak Landscapes can design and build pavilions and pergolas and fire and water features. That’s in addition to installing outdoor lighting and audio systems.
“We have water features that recirculate the water, cascading waterfalls, a water wall. We can pipe it up through stones. You can turn it on and off,” he said.
“A fire pit or a fireplace can be used year round for winter parties. It extends the use of the yard,” Funyak said.
“We can add pizza ovens, hibachis, smokers. refrigerators, kegerators, a whole outdoor kitchen. Everything you imagine inside, you can do outside,” he said. “A nice house deserves a nice outdoor space.”
