A few early preparations for the spring gardening season will bring benefits all
year long.
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The urge to garden in early spring is primal. Re-connecting with the earth is affirming, renewing, promising. Waking up the garden to a new growing season is about more than soil and seedlings...this rite of spring is a tonic to the gardener as well.
• clear drainage ditches
Leaves and debris gather in drainage areas over the winter. Now is the time to ensure that the spring rains will have adequate runoff. Spring seedlings do best in soil which drains well. Because vegetative growth is at a low point in early spring, this is the easiest time ot year for clearing drainage ditches. And be sure to put the cleared material, usually dead leaves and small branches, into the compost. Spring compost piles are commonly short on carbon-rich materials, and every addition helps.
• repair any bowed sides to raised beds. fix trellises and fencing.
Soggy winter soil puts a strain on raised beds; sometimes a stake will rot and give way. Any bowed or leaning sides should be fixed now. Dig back the soil behind the bowed side and drive in new stakes on the inside of the sideboards with a slight inward lean. Push sideboards up to stakes and fasten well with screws or nails. If you prefer to replace old raised beds with newer models, click here to see our selection of raised beds.
Trellises and fencing are also easiest to repair in early spring, with less growth to work around and fewer roots to disturb. Setting new fenceposts, however, is best done after the spring rains have had a chance to drain through the ground. If the water table is too high, post holes will fill with water as you try to dig.
• weed young spring weeds. mulch bare spots in beds.
Any weeds which appear in your garden beds will be easiest to pull now, as the roots are shallow. Covering bare spots with mulch or ground cover will minimize the emergence of new weeds. A depth of 3 to 4 inches is usually sufficient. Black plastic sheeting can also be used to cover the beds before planting as a way to suppress emerging weeds. To help prevent rot, keep mulch a few inches away from tree trunks and the crowns and stems of plants.
• when it's dry enough, 'top dress' beds
with compost or well-seasoned manure in preparation for planting. Resist the urge to dig the bed; established beds have a complex soil ecosystem which is best left undisturbed. Nutrients added from the top will work their way down into the soil.
• early spring is the time for lime.
Soils with a pH below 6.2 will benefit from the addition of lime. Dolomite is the finest grind, and is recommended. With ground limestone it will take twice as long for plants to derive any benefit from it. Ideally, lime should be added several weeks before planting. Hydrate lime, or "quick lime", is not recommended, as it can change the soil pH so rapidly that plants may be damaged. Cover newly limed beds with plastic during heavy spring rains to prevent runoff. Soil pH can be determined by using a soil pH test kit.
• prepare your lawn for spring.
Rake the lawn to remove dead growth and winter debris. This helps bring light and air to the soil level, encouraging the grass to grow. Re-seed bare patches of lawn. Rake bare spots firmly with a metal rake before seeding. Sprinkle grass seed into a bucket of soil and spread evenly over the bare spot. Keep well-watered until seeds germinate and the new grass establishes. Pre-emergent herbices such as corn gluten may be applied now.
• thin dead foliage of ornamental grasses and ferns. pull vegetable plant skeletons.
Once new growth begins. it becomes difficult to thin ornamentals without damaging the plant. New growth will quickly replace the culled foliage. And if you didn't get around to this last fall, pull the old tomato, squash and other plant skeletons to clear the bed for planting.
• plant early spring vegetables when soil is workable.
Soil
is ready for gardening once it is free of ice crystals and crumbles easily.
Soil that is too wet is easily compacted, reducing beneficial soil aeration.
Common early spring crops are peas, spinach, lettuces and leeks. For a
prolonged harvest, plant several varieties, each with a different maturation
date. Follow
these crops with broccoli, cabbage, radishes, kale, turnips, new potatoes
and onions. Mulch early bulbs if you live
in areas where freezing temperatures hang on.
• protect seedlings from hard frosts.
Early spring plantings are vulnerable to
hard frost which can set in overnight. If you expect a hard frost, cover
seedlings overnight with anything you have on hand - an overturned bucket or cardboard box
(with a rock on top) or large flower pot, a portable
garden cloche, or row
cover.
• be one step ahead of the cabbage moth.
Once
the frosts are gone, the cabbage moth may appear. It lays eggs against
the lower stems of brassica seedlings - cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprout,
kale, cauliflower. Once the eggs hatch, the seedlings lose vigor and often
die. Be prepared to protect these crops from root maggots by covering
plantings with row covers or applying small pieces of barrier
paper around the seedling stem base. Maggots are more of a problem in cool, wet soils.
• plant out daffodils, lilies, crocus, hyacinth and any other bulbs,
which were forced in pots or bowls in the house.
Some may bloom next spring, others may take two or three years to rebuild
enough food reserve to support flowering.
• divide perennials. clear and mulch perennial beds.
For
easier handling try to time the division so emerging shoots are only 2
to 4 inches tall. Prepare new beds for perennial flowers by
spreading a 6-inch deep layer of organic matter (i.e. peat moss, compost,
rotted manure) and work in deeply. Plants growing in deep, rich soil are
less likely to suffer from summer drought. Existing perennial beds can be cleared of old plant debris and mulched to prevent weed growth. Mulch should be applied around, but not over the sprouting root mass of each plant.
Stakes can also be put in the ground now for sprouting perennials such as asparagrus, which may need support for it's tall ferns later in the season in gardens exposed to wind.
• prune out dead or damaged branches
of trees and shrubs after new growth has begun. Cut back any remaining dead perennial foliage from last season. Prune roses just before they start to bud out. Spring blooming trees and shrubs, however, should not be pruned in late winter; their flower buds are ready to open as temperatures warm. Azaleas, forsythia, weigela, dogwood, and other spring shrubs can be pruned.
• prune fruit trees.
Fruit tree pruning is best done in late winter or early spring. Prune well before buds begin to break into bloom or the tree may be stressed resulting in a reduced crop. Pick up and remove the pruned clippings, especially if you intend to cut the grass under the tree during summer.
• remove stakes or relax wires installed on trees planted last fall.
Allowing a little swaying of tree stems results in sturdy yet resilient plants. Thin out some branches of trees which have a history of leaf spot diseases. Pruning will improve air circulation and penetration of sunlight, which in turn can reduce the incidence of disease. Remove tree guards or burlap wraps from the trunks of young trees or shrubs. This prevents moisture buildup beneath the wrap, which can encourage rot and promote entry of diseases.
• transplant any existing shrubs you want to move before they begin to leaf out.
Soil conditions in early spring are favorable to transplants because the soil is more consistently moist, which helps new rooting to expand from the transplant zone and reach out for more nutrients. To transplant, use a spade to find the edges of the main root mass, then dig down and under to loosen the root ball. Dig the new hole several inches wider all around, and add soil amendments such as compost or organic fertilizer. Once the transplant is set in place, filling in around the sides with lightly compacted soil will promote lateral root growth.
• apply horticultural oil sprays to pear and apple trees.
Apply oil spray to pears just as the buds begin to swell and then again 10 days later to control pear psylla and pear leaf blister mite. Make a single application of oil on apple trees when a half-inch of green tissue is visible in developing buds.
• also apply oil to ornamental trees and shrubs
with a history of aphid, scale or spider mite infestations. Destroying these pests safely with spring applications of horticultural oil will reduce your need for pesticides later in the growing season.
"Each leaf,
each blade of grass
vies for attention.
Even weeds
carry tiny blossoms
to astonish us."
- Marianne Poloskey, Sunday in Spring
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.Garden Projects for Early Spring
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