By Ed Hume
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Now is the time to prepare your garden for a great growing season!
Spring hasn’t sprung just yet, but to make sure your garden will be its blooming best this year, now is the time to plan your garden work and work your garden plan.
Watch the Weather and the Conditions, Not the Calendar
This year, the weather has set the stage for a big growing season. Colder weather in November, early December and early January gave way to some very unusual warm spells later in the month. And we all know what warmer weather means – early growth. I’ve been seeing new growth on plants for quite a while now, depending on the species. And of course, with unusual warm weather and growth, I’ve even seen a few slugs emerge as well.
Early Weeds: Stage a Whack Attack
Along with good, early growth comes early weeds. They flower first, then seed, and I saw this as early as January this year. Weed control is so important because they can take over our gardens immediately. If you make a concerted early-spring effort to stage a whack attack, it will pay off later.
Weed seed can remain viable and capable of germinating for up to 100 years or more. No one needs to leave a garden full of weeds to their grandchildren. My suggestion is to pull weeds out by the root as soon as you see them, or use a quality weed killer. The idea is to control the weeds before they flower and go to seed, because the minute that happens, they re-germinate again.
The Time to Cultivate is Now
Once you’ve got those early weeds under control, it’s time to cultivate. Begin by fertilizing the soil and when complete, you can start planting. There are so many beautiful plants and flowers available right now, which can be wonderful additions to your garden. Your garden store professionals can be of assistance here. You may want to bring some notes to the store that will help your salesperson find the right selections for you. Do you want specific heights, or colors? Are you looking for some attractive pest-resistant plants? A good garden center will have plenty of answers.
After you’ve planted, follow up with mulch that will both retain moisture in the soil and control any additional weed growth.
Be a Smart Gardener
Smart home gardeners don’t just watch the calendar; they watch the weather, assess the environment and monitor conditions in the soil. Realize that while certain plants and flowers will be a part of your garden every year, every planting season offers opportunities to change things up a bit. Go ahead – do a better job with weed control and cultivation. Take inventory of what you like and what can go. Remove plants and flowers that aren’t working and make some positive, attractive additions that will lead to a gorgeous garden this year.
Happy Gardening!
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