Spring Gardening Tips

While working on my garden this last weekend I came to the realization that I need to spend more time in the yard. I weeded, hoed, fertilized and revved up the roto-tiller. My dog even got into the spirit of things by helping me dig in the garden and by joining the cats in their crusade against gophers...Good Dog!! I happily planted tomatoes, cilantro, peppers, eggplant and greenbeans, never imagining that mother nature would throw another frost at me. She wouldn't dare!! Well, I awoke this morning to temperatures in the low 30's and frost glistening everywhere. My tomato plants are not happy, the jury is still out on the peppers or eggplant. In hindsight I should have covered them with some clear plastic "umbrella's" to protect them until the threat of frost is over.

In any event, I thought now would be an excellent time to post some spring gardening tips.

• Start your lawn cleanup as soon as the ground is firming up and not spongy any longer. Rake up all leaves, twigs, dead growth and winter debris to let light and air to the soil. Reseed the bare of damaged patches by mixing a shovel-full of soil with a handfull of grass seed and spreading the mixture in the patch. Get your lawn mower checked and sharpen the blades.
  
• Remove tree guards and all protective burlap. Transplant shrubs prior to them blooming or leafing out.
• Leave winter mulch in place until temperatures are steadily warmer.
• Cut back any dead or freeze damaged foliage, clean dead leaves and debris out from under trees and shrubs.
• Treat rose bushes with a systemic fertilizer and insect repellant.
• Get started on your weeding. Early spring weeds are easier to pull as their root systems are still fairly shallow.
• Treat all flower beds and gardening beds with a soil amendment to replace vital nutrients for your plants.