We’re ready to garden outside, but recent storms mean wet soils — so no digging until they dry out. There are plenty of other enjoyable early-spring planning and chores to tackle.
Landscape
What’s your landscape vision plan this season?
If a project like a new patio, children’s play area or vegetable garden is in the budget, then get in your qualified landscaper’s queue as they fill up quickly.
For do-it-yourselfers, it’s not too early to start gathering supplies for your projects.
Outdoor living spaces are more than a trend. From cozy condo and terrace gardens to customized cooking areas with relaxing sofas and ottomans there’s a style for everyone.
Well-designed new plantings or makeovers using water-thrifty colorful native plants and resilient, tested beautiful Plants are great choices for our challenging climate.
Plan how to deliver water to your new vision by reworking or updating your in-ground sprinkler system. Rebates for system upgrades and water saving devices are available from most water suppliers.
No space to garden outside? and go for it with vegetables or flowers or both. Fees are reasonable and many are handicap-accessible.
New to gardening? Take some free or low-cost classes at local garden centers and botanic gardens. Consider joining a plant society or garden club for year-round learning and meeting other gardeners.
Call your tree professional to remove or properly prune storm-damaged limbs. Jagged bark areas left on the tree should be cut to a clean edge; no paint is needed on the wound. Tree pros have the proper equipment, know-how, plus they will remove the debris. Check with your municipality for green waste disposal regulations or locations for recycling.
Shop for pansies and other cool-season bloomers and plant in containers, beds and borders.
Relocating perennials, smaller shrubs and roses in your landscape is ideally done when they aren’t actively growing, so move them soon, but not in wet soil. First remove dead foliage (on perennials only) and pre-dig the new planting hole. Take as much of the root system as possible. Plant the same depth as before, mulch and water regularly as they are getting re-established. If the perennial has gotten too large, divide it and replant or share with others.
Vegetables
Indoor-seeded tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and tomatillos need 4 to 6 weeks to grow to transplant size for planting outdoors after last spring frost (timing is anyone’s guess — mid-May or so).
For indoor seed starting, begin with sterile potting soil and use small plastic containers, empty eggshell containers (make holes in the bottom for drainage), or seed planting trays. Fill container three-quarters with soil, use a chop stick or pencil to create a shallow planting hole, drop in two to four seeds for certain germination, cover seeds and sprinkle gently with water (use a new spray bottle filled with water). Cover with plastic wrap until the seedlings are up. Choose the strongest of the emerged seeds, cutting the others.
Remove the plastic and place the plants 3 inches (a little higher if using T5 bulbs) under fluorescent lights for optimal seedling growth. Use a timer and keep the lights on 14-16 hours daily. Plants shouldn’t dry out or kept too wet. A fan on low near the seeds may prevent damping off disease.
Start fertilizing with a half-strength mixture when the plants have four sets of leaves. Transplant to larger containers when they outgrow their pots. Continue using the fan on low near your plants to keep them moving and to toughen them up in preparation for outside life.
More from Betty Cahill: gardenpunchlist.blogspot .com/
