Monday, April 7, 2014

SPRING HAS SPRUNG


Spring has officially sprung and now it is time to get all your gardening chores done that you did not complete last fall.  If April is considered a cruel month, it’s either because there is so much to do all at once or because the weather won’t cooperate and let you do it.

Most of us are anxious for things to green up.  We daily check our lawns to see if they look any greener than the day before.  We watch the tree buds to see if they are about to open.  We do the same for shrubs and trees, just waiting until they decide to bloom.  It’s been a long winter and we are ready for spring.

As a result, sometimes we hurry things.  Lawns are just coming out of their winter dormant stage and this is the time when root growth is important to plant.  So what do we do?  We rush out and apply lots of fertilizer telling the plant to green up those leaves right now.  When we apply large amounts of nitrogen fertilizer early, grass spends more effort turning green and growing grass than developing roots.
Generally we recommend fertilizing lawns in late April or early May.  But I must admit, it is hard to accept that everyone else’s lawn is green except yours.  So many of us will jump the gun and fertilize early in April instead of waiting.  And many of us use lawn care companies who need to start fairly early so they get all their customers done on time.  So, it is easy for us all to get started earlier than we need to.

The same thing happens with applying crabgrass killers.  We sometimes put it on too early, and then about August the chemical protection runs out and we still end up with crabgrass in our lawns.
 
Crabgrass germinates when the soil temperatures warm up to 60° F or so.  A few rules of thumb that will help you know when to apply crabgrass herbicides are:
When the soil temperatures are about 50° for three consecutive days;
When  forsythia is in full bloom;
Or, no later than April 20.

Over the past several years we have noticed an increased interest in people growing their own fresh, healthy vegetables.  April is the time to plant peas, onions, parsnips, spinach and other cool weather crops.

When planning your garden, consider using raised beds, which can dry out wet soils and in general, make the soil looser for easier root penetration.  Rotating crops helps vegetable take advantage of the different nutrients available in the soil to plants.  For example, beans and peas fix nitrogen in the soil, they should be followed by crops such as corn, which is a heavy nitrogen user.  Vegetables like tomatoes and potatoes should not be planted in succession due to their susceptibility to similar diseases.

Another option is to grow your plants in containers.  There are many plants suitable for container gardening.  Perennial plants, including trees, shrubs, ornamental grasses, and bulbs are possibilities if you consider how you will over-winter the containers.  Selects of annual flowers is nearly unlimited, and there are many vegetables that are suitable for container culture.

Of course, these plants still require sunlight, water, good drainage, nutrients and ideal temperatures to produce well.  Remember, if it will grow in the ground, it will grow in the container.

TOM’S TIPS FOR APRIL GARDENING

Service the lawnmower and sharpen the blade.

Cut back ornamental grasses.

Place a birdhouse in the garden to attract insect-eating friends.

Keep that Easter Lily in a bright cool location but out of direct sunlight.  Water as soil begins to dry.

Plant a tree in celebration of Arbor Day, April 25.

Spring into action.  DON’T GET SPRUNG.


Tom McNutt is a professor emeritus at The Ohio State University and a retired TV garden expert.

.






No comments:

Post a Comment