Posted: Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:39 am
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Updated: 6:40 am, Sat Apr 6, 2013.
Post-Bulletin Company, LLC
I have been trying to decide if spring is late this year or if this is a normal spring and we were spoiled by last year’s early arrival. The garden will eventually wake up, and then the spring garden chores will pile up.
Check for signs of spring growth. Look for the early spring blooming bulbs like winter aconite, crocus, glory-of-the-snow and others. Remove faded blossoms but allow the foliage to naturally ripen and store food in the bulb for next year’s flower show.
I was in Auburn, Ala., in early March, and the forsythia and redbud were in full bloom. These spring blooming branches should be blooming soon in southern Minnesota. For those who cannot wait, prune a few branches off and bring inside to force. Forcing can also be done with some of our late spring bloomers like crabapple and lilac.
It’s time to remove the spruce tops and convert the winter containers to spring containers. Fill containers with long-blooming cool-season plants like pansy, snapdragon, sweet alyssum, stock and dusty miller. These cool-season plants tolerate frosts. Wow, I can smell the flowers already!
One advantage to this late spring is that there is still time to prune fruit trees before buds begin to break into bloom. Pruning after bud break will stress the plants and reduce fruit yield, so check the buds before pruning.
Clean up the debris in the garden. Prune perennials left in the garden for winter interest. Remove winter mulch, or, if it has decomposed, just work it into the soil. Incorporate organic matter like leaf mold or composted manure into the soil. Do not work wet soil, it will compact the soil and damage the soil structure.
Spring is a good time to divide fall blooming perennials. Just as the new growth peeks through the soil, dig up the clump, divide into sections, replant, and water.
Cover the soil with a black fabric to warm the soil quickly for planting. Luckily I prepared my garden last fall, so as soon as the snow melts I will be rolling out my black fabric to start heating up the soil for my cool season crops.
When the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees, it is time to plant potatoes and peas, and time to transplant cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and artichoke into the garden. Soil temperature can be measured with a thermometer or by walking barefoot across the garden without getting cold feet.
Continue to feed the birds. It is going to be a while before there is a food source for them.
There is plenty to do in the garden in April. Celebrate the arrival of spring by spending time in the garden. We have been waiting for this one, so enjoy the color.
Robin Fruth-Dugstad is a horticulture professor at Rochester Community and Technical College with 25 years of experience gardening and landscaping. Send plant and garden questions to life@postbulletin.com.
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Saturday, April 6, 2013 6:39 am.
Updated: 6:40 am.
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