Spring Gardening Calendar
Sarah Cassatt, Gardens Manager
Hold on to your hat in the spring winds with one hand and a few gardening
tools with the other while we look at some activities that will help us to
prepare for the up-coming growing season.
Early Season
Pruning. Late
winter to early spring is a good time to complete any dormant pruning left over
from last fall. However, remember
to wait until blooming is complete before pruning spring-flowering trees and
shrubs. Ideally, you want to prune
after the coldest temperatures start rising so the newly exposed tissues won’t
freeze and tear, but before bud-break so the sap doesn’t run from the cut.
Fertilizing. Spring bulbs
are starting to emerge. Apply a
high phosphorus fertilizer, ideally before a rain event so the moisture will
carry the nutrients to the root zone. Alternatively,
water the fertilizer in.
Starting Seeds. It’s time
to plan your flower and vegetable gardens so that you can determine when to
start seeds indoors for later transplanting out. Remember to rotate crops from
last year’s locations to minimize disease and nutrient deficiency problems in
the soil. Start cool-weather crops
that need 8 weeks or more before transplanting.
Maintenance. Now is also a
good time to do some maintenance of your garden tools.
Sharpen blades of your pruners, shovels, hoes, mowers, and other cutting
tools. Oil moving parts on pruners
and machinery. If you are starting seeds indoors or in a greenhouse, prepare
those sites and check greenhouse systems.
On days warmer than 45 degrees, apply dormant oil spray to
control scale insects that can cause significant damage to trees and shrubs
later in the growing season. Inspect
the bark of willows and aspens in particular for these pests.
Mid-Season
Mulch. Remember
all that mulch you thoughtfully placed over your tender perennials last fall?
Or the material you placed around shrubs or trees to prevent winter winds
from freezing and drying last year’s tender new growth and bark?
It’s about time to start removing those protective materials.
The primary benefit of mulch is that it keeps the ground frozen longer in
the spring, preventing the soil from repeatedly freezing and thawing.
However, if left on too deep and too long after the temperatures begin to
rise, mulch prevents light and air from reaching the new buds and slows the
warming of the soil. The plants may
stay dormant longer than necessary and plants sensitive to moisture may rot. So when the really cold nights seem to be pretty much done
for the spring, start pulling the mulch back from the plants and remove covers
from shrubs and trees. Leave some
mulch near the plants so that if the temperatures drop again you can put it back
in place for the night.
Fertilizing. Trees and
shrubs are beginning to put on new growth.
Fertilize evergreen trees, perennials, and shrubs.
Also, if the soil is dry enough to work, you can add organic materials to
your garden soil or around the base of plants and begin to work them in.
Starting Seeds. It’s time
to start warm-weather transplants. If
you have the space, you might want to start some extra seeds a few weeks after
the first batch, in case a late frost nips your plants after you put them out.
Maintenance. If you left
dried seed heads on flowers or shrubs last fall to add interest to your winter
gardens, it’s time to remove those and any spring bulb flowers as they fade.
It is also time to remove thatch from lawns.
Late-Season
Mulch. Remove
remaining winter mulch but leave a thin layer around the base of plants to
protect from the drying spring winds.
Watering. If spring is
dry, be sure to provide water to your landscape plants.
Depending on soil type, plants should receive a total of 2 inches of
water per month, whether by rain or water you provide.
Occasional deep watering is preferable to frequent shallow watering.
Be especially diligent about watering those plants that have been in the
ground less than 2 years, as they are still developing a good root system.
Planting. Start monitoring
nighttime temperatures. Hopefully,
they will be warm enough to begin to set out and direct seed the cool-weather
crops. (Cross your fingers!)
Maintenance. Weeds will likely
be starting to grow. Eliminating
them early will save lots of time later on.
Generally, the most effective method is to mechanically remove roots with
your favorite weed-digger. There
are some organic based herbicides that work best on young plants when they are
actively growing, so now might be the time to start using them.
Have a great spring!
