Ask an Expert
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APRIL 2023 TOPIC: Your Spring Garden: Tips and Know-How
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OUR EXPERT:
The Sanctuary Team has compiled information from experts and garden enthusiasts for this month’s Ask an Expert prompt. Regional climates and zones will have many different effects on your spring garden, but we’ve listed some general “To Do’s” for everyone. If you have a specific tip about vegetable plantings, please feel free to send along to seniorstaff@sanctuary-magazine.com, and we'll post it! |
Do Your Research Before Adding New Perennials:
Do your research to be sure you're including the best spring perennial plants for your zone. It’s always good to mix annuals in when possible. Tip: Some of the most beloved container plants (e.g. snapdragons, petunias and annual lobelia) thrive in cool spring temperatures. Flowering baskets are also great for an early spring pop of color because you can bring them in if there is a frost warning.
Note: Be prepared to cover plants to protect from frost in areas where frost is still possible - some areas might have frost after Mother’s Day (mid May).
Spring Garden Clean-up:
Just before your spring bulbs start to pop up, clean the plant debris out of your garden beds. This includes fallen branches, matted down leaves, last year’s perennial foliage, ornamental grasses, etc. Maintaining good hygiene in your garden beds will help to keep pests and diseases at bay.
Prune, Clip and Shear:
Spring clean-up should involve pruning. Prune bushes broken or damaged by winter ice, snow and cold. Remove dead wood. Shear back evergreens as well.
Note: Flowering shrubs which bloom on new wood (this year’s growth) and those shrubs that flower in the summer can be trimmed in spring (e.g. roses, hydrangea, butterfly bush, etc.).
DO NOT prune early flowering shrubs and those that bloom on old wood (e.g. azalea, forsythia, lilac, etc.) to avoid cutting off this year’s flower buds, even those you might not be able to see yet.
Dividing Perennials and Transplanting of Shrubs:
In early spring, when they are just beginning to pop up, divide and transplant any perennials that have outgrown their space or grown large enough to split. In most cases, it’s best to divide and move perennials in the opposite season of when they bloom. That means moving summer and fall blooming perennials in spring, and spring blooming perennials in fall. This avoids disrupting their bloom cycle.
Evergreen shrubs can be moved in early spring before their new growth appears.
Plant Vegetables:
Hardy, cool-season vegetables, like potatoes, artichokes, peas, and some lettuces, germinate best in cool soil, so plant them in early spring once the soil has thawed. They should be ready to harvest by early summer.
Test Your Soil before Feeding/Fertilizing:
Test your garden soil every three to five years to see what nutrients or organic materials it needs and which it has too much of. You might learn, for example, that your soil is very high in phosphorus, so you would avoid adding fertilizers that contain a lot of phosphorus. Or you might find out that your soil is naturally alkaline, so you might need to add aluminum sulfate around your evergreens and acid-loving shrubs, such as hydrangeas.
Note: Use a slow-release fertilizer when leaves emerge on your spring-flowering bulbs (e.g. daffodils).
Add Fresh Mulch Around Perennials:
One of the easiest ways to make your yard look polished is to add a fresh layer of mulch around the garden beds. This also helps the soil retain moisture and keeps down weeds.
Keep Bambi and her Friends Out of Your Garden:
Protect your garden from hungry deer, rabbits and other wild animals. To keep out deer and rabbits, spray Liquid Fence or another product that contains natural materials that are not dangerous for children and pets. Squirrel Stopper keeps the chipmunks and squirrels away. Spray before you see that squirrels and chipmunks are getting comfortable and digging. Keep them away from the get-go.
Additional Tips:
Do your research to be sure you're including the best spring perennial plants for your zone. It’s always good to mix annuals in when possible. Tip: Some of the most beloved container plants (e.g. snapdragons, petunias and annual lobelia) thrive in cool spring temperatures. Flowering baskets are also great for an early spring pop of color because you can bring them in if there is a frost warning.
Note: Be prepared to cover plants to protect from frost in areas where frost is still possible - some areas might have frost after Mother’s Day (mid May).
Spring Garden Clean-up:
Just before your spring bulbs start to pop up, clean the plant debris out of your garden beds. This includes fallen branches, matted down leaves, last year’s perennial foliage, ornamental grasses, etc. Maintaining good hygiene in your garden beds will help to keep pests and diseases at bay.
Prune, Clip and Shear:
Spring clean-up should involve pruning. Prune bushes broken or damaged by winter ice, snow and cold. Remove dead wood. Shear back evergreens as well.
Note: Flowering shrubs which bloom on new wood (this year’s growth) and those shrubs that flower in the summer can be trimmed in spring (e.g. roses, hydrangea, butterfly bush, etc.).
DO NOT prune early flowering shrubs and those that bloom on old wood (e.g. azalea, forsythia, lilac, etc.) to avoid cutting off this year’s flower buds, even those you might not be able to see yet.
Dividing Perennials and Transplanting of Shrubs:
In early spring, when they are just beginning to pop up, divide and transplant any perennials that have outgrown their space or grown large enough to split. In most cases, it’s best to divide and move perennials in the opposite season of when they bloom. That means moving summer and fall blooming perennials in spring, and spring blooming perennials in fall. This avoids disrupting their bloom cycle.
Evergreen shrubs can be moved in early spring before their new growth appears.
Plant Vegetables:
Hardy, cool-season vegetables, like potatoes, artichokes, peas, and some lettuces, germinate best in cool soil, so plant them in early spring once the soil has thawed. They should be ready to harvest by early summer.
Test Your Soil before Feeding/Fertilizing:
Test your garden soil every three to five years to see what nutrients or organic materials it needs and which it has too much of. You might learn, for example, that your soil is very high in phosphorus, so you would avoid adding fertilizers that contain a lot of phosphorus. Or you might find out that your soil is naturally alkaline, so you might need to add aluminum sulfate around your evergreens and acid-loving shrubs, such as hydrangeas.
Note: Use a slow-release fertilizer when leaves emerge on your spring-flowering bulbs (e.g. daffodils).
Add Fresh Mulch Around Perennials:
One of the easiest ways to make your yard look polished is to add a fresh layer of mulch around the garden beds. This also helps the soil retain moisture and keeps down weeds.
Keep Bambi and her Friends Out of Your Garden:
Protect your garden from hungry deer, rabbits and other wild animals. To keep out deer and rabbits, spray Liquid Fence or another product that contains natural materials that are not dangerous for children and pets. Squirrel Stopper keeps the chipmunks and squirrels away. Spray before you see that squirrels and chipmunks are getting comfortable and digging. Keep them away from the get-go.
Additional Tips:
- Check hardscapes for damage and weeds.
- Outdoor Furniture: Clean and apply new paint/stain where needed for your complete and refreshed look.
