Around the Yard

Things to do this week:

* Pinch for perfection. If you want really floriferous fuchsias or mums, pinch back growing tips to make them branch. The more branches, the more flowers later on. “Pinching”--gently taking off only the very tip of branches with your thumb and forefinger--is the opposite of “shovel pruning.”

Many annuals, such as marigolds, petunia and zinnias also benefit if they are pinched back at least once, early in the growing season.

* Prune bougies. Now, as the weather begins to warm, is the time to prune bougainvilleas that need shaping or restraining. There’s no special technique.

Older bougainvilleas--that have been in the ground for several years--will bloom better if they get little water or fertilizer. Some coastal gardeners don’t water or feed them at all.

* Plant citrus. Now is the best time to plant citrus of all kinds. Just remember to keep them thoroughly watered at first and to lightly fertilize with a liquid every few weeks. “Lightly” means to use about half the recommended monthly amount listed on the fertilizer label.

At the nursery and growing grounds, they were fed regularly and so the plants expect the nourishment, at least until their roots grow out into the garden soil where they can forage on their own.