Weekend Chores
Done and undone. Two areas of my garden in Annapolis. One has been cleaned up. The other, not so much. Photos by Susan Reimer
If you have gardened for more than a single season, you don't need me to tell you what needs to be done as the weather warms and the ground thaws.
But indulge me.
I am one of those people who needs to make lists. It makes me feel like my life has order, even if it doesn't.
Here's a list of some of March's garden chores. Don't look now, but you are two weeks behind.
Clean up first.- Before you do anything else, clean the dead leaves, desiccated perennial foliage, twigs and debris out of your beds. Cut back ornamental grasses and liriope.
- Remove the weeds, especially the chickweed, which are already growing. Consider applying Preen, a product which retards weed growth in your beds.
- Break up last year’s mulch, which might have formed an impenetrable crust over some places in your garden.
- Turn your compost pile, which will start to heat up soon. You probably ignored it all winter. Harvest the newly minted "dirt" from the bottom of the pile and, using a hand cultivator, work it into the soil around your perennials, being careful not to damage the roots.
- Your bulbs are no doubt emerging. Dust around the shoots with Bulb-Tone to ensure strong bulb growth next year.
- Take your lawn mower in for blade sharpening, an oil change, new spark plugs and an air filter. This is the busy season for such work, so you may have to wait several weeks before your mower is done. Remember next fall to do it after your last mowing of the season so you won’t be up against a spring deadline.
- Apply crab grass preventer and fertilize your lawn.
- Plant lettuce and spinach seeds. You can plant parsley, now, too, as well as onion sets and peas. But make sure the soil isn’t too soggy.
Comments
Great list. I hope you will continue to post lists of timely chores as the season progresses. The big box stores will be selling tomato plants soon, a pet peeve of mine since it really confuses people and causes disappointment.
My list is a little different. I garden organically (and am a bit lazy) but I would advise those who fertilize their lawns to go easy with that stuff! Much of it just runs off into our streams and into the Bay.
Also, I don't know how overzealous one has to be when cleaning up perennial beds. I remove matted leaves, old dead foliage and sticks. But I leave most leaves (they're pretty crumbly by now), twigs, and other debris. Isn't that compost mulch? Why remove this stuff and get it hauled away, when you are going to mulch the bed? The emerging plants will cover it all anyway. My neighbor's front bed looks like it was vacuumed! I'm not even raking around my roses, as I have read that blackspot spores can't live on dead leaves. I grow mostly blackspot-resistant varieties anyway.
Seed list - don't forget radishes - fun for kids to grow even though they probably won't eat them. Cilantro and swiss chard a little later?
Great post Maureen. There seem to be two schools of thought on how clean your beds should be in the spring. (Lots more agreement on leaving stuff around during the winter to protect the birds and such.) One school is that you remove every leaf for fear of disease. Another is that you leave the smaller stuff there and work it into the soil. I guess your energy level will decide this debate!
Posted by: Maureen | March 20, 2009 9:55 AM
For raised beds for vegetables to be eaten, and herbs to be eaten. One must not use the treated lumber and
expect to eat the fruit from the garden.
My question is: Are the Cherry Toned Timbers that are produced by Home Depot safe to use for raised beds.
Is it wise and safe to use the Cherry Toned Timbers for the upright walls around the raised Vegetables Garden?
Also, can the vegetables and fruit be
eaten, when the raised beds are constructed of Cherry Tone Timbers?
Also, Can the Herbs be eaten when
raised in beds made of Cherry Tone
Timbers?
Your prompt response will be appreciated.
Thank You,
Ray
Posted by: Ray | May 19, 2009 4:54 AM