It has been one of the slowest starts in recent memory but spring is finally creeping in. Tiny new leaves are unfurling, the grass has turned a glowing emerald green and the earliest plum and cherry trees are shyly revealing their first delicate flowers. Here on the farm the bird and frog chorus is almost deafening at times after the silence of winter. With gardens waking up there is always a laundry list of tasks that need to be done to set the garden up for success for the season. It can seem overwhelming without a plan in place so I thought I would put together a quick guide to help you get your garden off to a good start this year. Here on the farm we are spray-free and use natural, sustainable methods with natural inputs like compost to help keep our plants, soil and ecosystem healthy. With each task I have listed the natural inputs and methods we use on the farm in case you are interested in trying it in your own garden, it’s easier than you might think!
8 EASY STEPS TO TAKE THIS SPRING FOR A SPECTACULAR GARDEN
1) The very first step, and possibly the most important step, is to tour your garden and make note of any specific tasks that need to be done. Having a garden notebook can help keep you organized and serve as a record that you can look back at in the years ahead to see what you did when and how well it worked. I like to do a garden tour in the fall and note any changes I want to make, problem areas, plants to be moved/divided etc. when the garden is still full and the memory of spring and summer are still fresh. These notes become my game plan for the following spring.
2) Divide mature clump-forming perennials. This is easiest to do when plants have emerged from the ground but are still small. The rule of thumb is to divide perennials every 3-5 years to help keep them robust and healthy. Some perennials that often require and respond well to division are: sedum, black eyed Susan, echinacea, astilbe, Anemone, hostas, geranium, brunnera, astrantia, geum, dianthus, nepeta, epimedium, salvia, daylily, crocosmia, many ornamental grasses and some types of iris, to name a few. Some perennials prefer not to be disturbed or have a wiry or woody base that is best left undivided. Few examples are: peonies, heuchera, sage, yukka, lavender and perovskia, among others.
Our favorite way to divide perennials is to carefully dig up the whole clump using a sharp shovel to cleanly cut roots extending beyond the root ball and then using a spade, divide each clump in half and each half into half’s or thirds. Replant one of the divisions in the original spot and backfill with the original soil mixed with high quality compost to give the plant a boost. After replanting, water deeply. You will be left with many new plants to fill in empty spots in the garden, create new garden beds or give away to family or friends.
A note on spades: these are a great tool for the garden and would be great addition to your tool lineup if you don’t have one yet. They are wonderful for digging and dividing and can also be used to create a clean edge on garden beds. Also known as flat shovels, spades generally have a short handle and a straight narrow blade that has a flat cutting edge on the blade instead of tapering to a point like a standard shovel.
3) Rake up branches, leaves and needles that have fallen over the winter. Cut back any perennials that didn’t get cleaned up in the fall or were left as food for insects and birds. We like to wait to clean up the gardens until after temperatures are reaching 10 degrees during the day. Many beneficial insects overwinter in fallen leaves and hollow stems in the garden during the winter but will reemerge when temperatures warm.
4) Cut back your roses. As a rule of thumb, roses should be pruned in the spring when the forsythia is blooming so keep an eye out for those bright yellow blooms! In general roses can be pruned by 1/3 to ½. It is best to first remove any dead, diseased or dying canes and then prune to get rid of crossing and rubbing canes and to open up the center of the plant to encourage air flow. Prune to just above an outward facing bud to encourage growth away from the center of the plant.
5) Top dress garden beds with high quality compost or soil amender to feed the soil microbes and add nutrients to the soil. We aim for a 2” thick layer over our beds. Incorporate into the soil using a hoe or broad fork to minimize root and soil disturbance. Keep compost and soil amender a few inches away from the base of shrubs and perennials to prevent burying them or causing rot at the base of the plant. We don’t add compost to our flower gardens every year as we started with very good garden soil. If you have less than ideal soil you may want to add it every year or two until you are happy with the quality of the soil, then apply less frequently to maintain soil nutrition and quality.
6) Mulch beds with composted bark mulch. Composted bark mulch is usually a rich black or dark brown when moist. Bark mulch that isn’t composted tends to be lighter brown or red and is not something we suggest using in gardens as it tends to deplete the soil of nitrogen instead of adding nutrients. We aim to put down a 2-3” layer of composted bark mulch over our flower beds every 2-3 years as it greatly reduces weed pressure and helps keep the soil moist so we can water less frequently. As it breaks down it also adds nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Like with compost, bark mulch should not be applied right up to the base of the plants as this can cause rot and disease.
7) Plant the vegetable garden. Cool season crops like spinach, lettuce, bok choy, swiss chard, peas, kale etc. can be seeded directly into the garden. Warm season vegetables like zucchini, cucumber, beans, tomatoes, peppers, basil etc. can be started inside under lights and planted out after your last frost date.
8) Check plants for pests which often overwinter in and around the crown of garden plants. Warmer temperatures can make pest populations explode so staying on top of pests and treating problems when they are small can save a lot of headache. Slugs and snails can quickly mow down tender perennials just emerging from the soil. Copper barriers, crushed egg shells and hair can all help deter them from prized specimens. Beer traps work well for some populations or send the kids or grandkids out with yogurt containers full of soapy water at dusk and pay them by the slug, it can be surprisingly fun and effective if it turns into a competition ;) Keep an eye on aphid populations which tend to gather on new growth and hide on the underside of leaves. Spraying them off with a hose or squishing them by hand are easy options when there are only a few. For larger infestations, consider purchasing ladybugs from your local nursery. Insecticidal soap like Safer’s Soap are another option though they can harm all soft bodied insects so are best used very selectively.
And that’s it, your garden is now prepped and ready for a great growing season. It might even be your best yet! Time to grab a glass a wine and enjoy that warm spring sunshine.
To help keep you on track this spring I have made up a free printable Spring Garden Task Checklist, you can grab it here. If you are planning a cut flower garden this year, check out our other blogs The Easy Cut Flower Garden for cut flower growing basics and Sweetbriar’s Top 10 Flowers to Grow From Seed for growing information on our favorite cut flower varieties. Happy growing!
Chat soon,
This blog post was written in participation in a Blogging Bee-an online gathering reminiscent of the quilting bees and sewing bees of days past when women would bring their work together to create art. If you enjoyed this post about “Spring Fever,” take a look at these posts from other farmers, small business owners, homesteaders, and creatives.
Spring Into Action by Jessica Haberman
