Spring is possibly my favorite time of year for gardening. All the plants are waking up, the possibilities seem endless, and there’s plenty to do in the garden to get ready for the rest of the season. Below are some spring chores to start tackling now and that we’ll be taking care of at our Member Cleanup Day.
- Unearth spring bloomers. Gently and carefully remove mulch, leaves, and other debris from atop bulbs and plants trying to push their way up for spring.
- Prune semi-evergreen perennials. Give those perennials that don’t lose their leaves in the winter a little trim. Remove the dead, damanged, and crossing branches to encourage new growth as they wake up.
- Prune woody plants/trees that DON’T flower in spring. If you prune spring-flowering woodies or trees now, you’ll cut off the blooms. But plants that flower later in the summer or fall are best pruned now.
- Prune perennials. If you left any seed heads for the birds or winter interest, cut them back now. Some perennials only flower on either new or old growth, so find out what you’re working with before you cut!
- Plant your cold-weather spring veggies. Direct sow your peas, brassicas, and greens now. Check out this handy chart to see what to plant when.
- Plan your summer planintgs. Take a look at your notes from last season. What worked well in your garden and what didn’t: Did your cucumber’s leaves turn powdery white and never give you a cuke? Did your tomato get all spotty on the leaves and eek out only a couple of measly tomatoes? Did your peppers get all tall and skinny but never set fruit? Don’t waste time with stuff that didn’t work-try something new! Take a look at our Resources page for tons of exciting veggies to try!
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