How do you know it is spring? Is it the smell of the witch hazel in the air, the sound of spring peepers, snow geese flying overhead in February. Or do we wait for march to see the catkins form on the maples, spring beauties popping out of the ground, rain hitting already formed puddles.
Spring Garden Chores
Cut down stems and seed heads when new growth begins.
Plant and divide perennials and grasses March through May.
Replace mulch which has been washed out with spring rains.
Prune winter-damaged branches on shrubs or trees that have not begun to grow by May.
Water new transplants and newly planted shrubs and trees unless rainfall is abundant.
Weed out spring annuals.
The best time to divide ferns and other early spring plants is on the day they first pop above the surface. Dig up clumps of plants and gently tease them apart. Some small pieces will break off but most will still regrow into hardy plants. Grass and sedge clumps can also be dug out and hacked apart. Get a sharp saw and cut the clump into quarters. Watch out for rocks in the soil that will ruin a good saw. Ground covers like ginger can have shovelfuls removed from throughout the area. Carefully pull apart the mass and replace a single plant back in the center of the disturbed area to fill in the hole. While teasing plants apart be careful to keep the roots covered with moist soil on the plants waiting to be dealt with so they don’t dry out. Replant plants as soon as possible for best results. Water the donating area thoroughly as well as the newly planted areas.
Beautyberry bushes are very late to leaf out and usually have a few dead stems. Wait to see small leaves appear before pruning out the dead wood or you may accidentally cut away too many of the live branches. When pruning woody plants be sure to never damage the healthy bark. Follow these guidelines when pruning to make sure that the tree stays healthy. https://www.treesaregood.org/treeowner/pruningyourtrees
Many seedlings are popping up all over the garden in spring and it can be difficult to tell if the plant is a weed or not. The Missouri Department of Conservation sells a prairie seedling ID guide with great photos. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/mopmcpu6313.pdf When seeding an area be sure to keep good records so that you don’t accidentally weed out all the desirable seedlings. Seeds tend to flow down hill so seedlings of plants like cardinal flower are often found down slope from the parent where the rainwater deposited them. Keeping the soil covered with a dense layer of vegetation or much will limit seedling growth. I always try to weed out all the spring annual weeds before they can go to seed but never succeed. Bird seed under feeders can also be a source of pesky weeds.
It is tricky to determine when is the optimal time to clear away last years dead plant stems to make way for new growth. The insects overwintering in the stems need a few warm days to emerge. One method I use for clearing out the spring debris is to simply walk through the garden on a dry day waving a rake from side to side about a foot off the ground, knocking down stems. I leave the toppled stems in place to decompose on their own. New growth quickly covers over the debris.
Plants that bloom in late summer and fall can be cut back to keep them from falling over or getting leggy. Good dates to remember to cut back plants is on memorial day and the forth of July. If buds or blooms have appeared by then it is too late to cut back the plant without compromising the bloom. Trim the plants low promotes a more bushy growth. Another way to keep taller plants from falling over is to surround them with shorter grasses to give them support, this also hides their naked legs.
Spring usually brings lots of rain. Have rain barrels clean and ready to collect as much rain as possible for watering later. After each rain event I always patrol all storm ditches, gutters, and rain gardens to clean out debris and keep extra water heading in the right direction instead of washing out my paths. When soil is saturated try to stay off of it to avoid compaction. If saturated soil must me walked on put down boards to step on to help distribute the weight and protect the soil structure, this also makes me less muddy.
like the idea of crazy lady gardener walking around waving a rake - with a purpose!! neighbors will smile!! thanks for good article!
Another good reason for leaving the toppled portions of the stems is that they may already have critters which overwintered developing in their pithy centers.