Sandy Perrin
As the days lengthen and temperatures fluctuate, gardeners across the region prepare for the growing season. Here are some essential tips to ensure your garden thrives this spring:
1. Pruning Tips: With spring in full swing, it’s tempting to start pruning, but hold off on pruning spring flowering trees like forsythia and lilac until they finish blooming. Remember not to prune more than a quarter to a third of the tree.
2. Divide Perennials: Now is the ideal time to divide the summer and autumn of perennial flowering. Take advantage of the mild weather to rejuvenate your flower beds.
3. Pest Control: If flies have left nasty tracks in your lawn due to the long snow cover, consider trapping them with a mixture of peanut butter and oatmeal. It is an effective and humane method to protect your lawn.
4. Prevention of insects and diseases: Keep an eye out for signs of moths, aphids, scale, or leaf rollers from last year. Consider applying horticultural oil spray to prevent insects as trees and shrubs begin to swell. Remember to apply the oils carefully to avoid burning the new leaf tissue.
5. Disease prevention: Check cherry, plum and apricot trees for signs of sweating and cracking, which could indicate bacterial or fungal canker diseases. Copper is an excellent preventive spray for bark cracking or oozing on these trees. For bacterial diseases such as Fireblight, consider copper or Bordeaux mix, while Copper or Lime sulfur are effective against fungal diseases.
6. Planting Seeds: With the average soil temperature of 44°F, it’s time to start planting vegetable seeds like spinach, lettuce, radishes and peas. However, be careful that it is still early and the seeds may rot if it gets cold and wet.
7. Lawn Care: Aering lawns is essential at this time, but it is too early for grass and food, because many weeds are not actively developed. Keep an eye out for perennial weeds like quackgrass and knapweed, and stick with less toxic options.
8. Moss control: Moss seems to be a common problem this spring due to soil compaction, shade and water practices. Aerate your lawn and consider fertilizing with a moss-killing formulation or finished compost to control moss growth.
9. Soil test: Test the garden soil and determine what soil amendment is needed to provide optimal conditions for your plants.
As we embrace the beauty of spring, these gardening tips will help you grow a thriving garden and enjoy the fruits of your labor throughout the season. Stay tuned for more updates and insights as we embark on this journey together in the world of gardening.
