Seems like this year the desire to dig in the garden and release our green thumbs is stronger than ever. We are fighting the urge to dive right in and get growing so that we can check our prep lists. With a few intentional steps, we can easily set ourselves up for an exceptional growing season.
- Clean up. Like most things in life, a little cleanup and purging is good for the soul – especially the gardeners’. Pull the weeds, clean out the brush, dig new beds and borders. Top off the new and renewed growing spaces with a pre-emergent weed killer and some new mulch and you will have set a perfect foundation.
- Perennials, please. As May ushers in more days of warmth, it will be the ideal time to start getting your favorite perennials into the ground. Keep an eye on the weather and get ready to get your edibles in the ground too. Strawberries, asparagus, and rhubarb are great options – and a couple of them make the perfect pie pairing!
- Herbs. Even though we are all aching to get outside, delicate herbs will still do better inside for now. Keep them in the kitchen for a bit longer before transplanting outdoors.
- Mid-Season Bulbs. This time of year is also a great time to start planning and planting summer-blooming bulbs such as rhizomes and corms that can handle the soil at early spring temperatures. Other bulbs like dahlias and gladiolus like their dirt a little warmer, so hold off until a bit later in the season for those.
- Summer and Fall Transplants. If you like to plan ahead a couple of seasons, start to think about what to divide and transplant in those seasons. This type of forward planning is always time well spent to stretch out your growing season for as long as possible.
- Plant the edge. Creating borders of marigolds around your vegetable garden can help decrease insects as well as discourage small animal garden grazers.
- Fertilize. We all know that watering our gardens is needed, but did you know that it can cause some nutrients to be washed away as well? Fact. Some of the nutrients that gardens need from the soil can be diluted/diminished. Because of this, regular fertilizing is also strongly encouraged – specifically after watering or heavy rains. Waiting until after can help keep fertilizer from ending up in the stormwater system. Keep in mind that all your living greenery can benefit from fertilizer – your lawn and your garden.
- Compost Turn. If you already have a compost pile, now is the time to give it a good turn. The spring moisture helps increase the decomposing process. If you don’t have a compost system in place yet, one quick internet search or dive down the Pinterest rabbit hole, and you’ll have one up in running in no time!
We can hardly wait to get into the greenhouse every day but there is still nothing like plunging into the dirt in the open air! While we are all getting ready and preparing for this season, come on in and let’s daydream together on how to have a banner year in your backyard!
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