Here’s a money

Here are five things to do in the garden this week:

1. If you have large containers to plant and want to make your own soil to save money, I suggest a 50-50 mix of topsoil and compost. Topsoil is sold at most nurseries and home improvement centers by the bag and costs much less than regular soil amendments. And many municipalities now offer compost either inexpensively or, as is the case in Los Angeles, at no charge. One of the advantages of using topsoil in your mix is its longevity. Compost breaks down while topsoil, typically a loam that consists of roughly equal parts of sand, silt, and clay, persists for many years.

2. Plant zinnias and cosmos. These members of the daisy family are among the best flowers for summer color. They also attract beneficial insects, butterflies, and bees. Plant seeds three inches apart and when they have been growing for around three weeks, then them so that there is at least twelves inches between the seedlings. Renee's Garden (reneesgarden.com) offers zinnia seed in bulk mixed with rice hulls so that if you wish to seed a large area the rice hulls are an indicator of where the seeds have already been scattered as you move through the bed.

3. Now is the time for deep watering while maximizing the intervals between water applications. This will encourage your plants to grow deep roots for the hot summer ahead. Whenever possible, water by hand. Hand watering is the only way to make sure that all your plants get well-soaked. It also brings you in close contact with your plants so you can scrutinize them for diseases, insect pests, or yellow leaves and take appropriate remedial action at the first sign of any problem.

4. Jack's Classic All purpose fertilizer is a handy product for fertilization of all vegetables, outdoor annuals and perennials, and indoor plants. It's a granular 20-20-20 fertilizer and is applied every 7-14 days both to the soil and to the leaves. In addition to the three major elements of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, Jack's also contains important micronutrients – copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum, zinc, and boron – that are not included in most fertilizer products. The iron is also chelated, meaning it will find its way to the roots even in alkaline soil.

5. Prune winter and spring bloomers as soon as their flowers fade. This includes azaleas, camellias, wisteria, pink jasmine (Jasminum polyanthemum), saucer magnolia, and Lady Banks’ rose (Rosa banksiae).

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