Spring Gardening Tips!

Despite the recent cold snap–spring is here! It’s time to grab your trowel, rake and hoe and get ready for spring with the following tips.

Prepare for Frost. The frost-free date for our area in Indiana is April 26. The term frost-free means that there is still a 50-50 chance of frost on the frost-free date. The terminology seems crazy doesn’t it? Be prepared for late spring frosts. Cover tender plants with row covers, cardboard, blankets, hot caps, or newspaper. We have had frost as late as Memorial Day. Remember having no blueberries or apples a few years ago? A hard frost/freeze has already likely zapped most of the fruit bearing trees and shrubs in our area. Only time will tell as to how much damage this last snow and freeze did to flowering shrubs and fruit trees. Don’t plant tender annuals until after May 20.

(Metzger Shade Garden). Annuals brighten the edge of the flower garden along the patio in Leesa Metzger’s back yard. Remember to wait until after may 20th to plant annuals or you will need to cover them on nights that the weatherman predicts a frost.

Prune Trees and Shrubs. Spring is a good time to prune trees and shrubs while they are dormant. Without leaves; it is easy to see the framework of the plant. Complete pruning before buds break. For general pruning of trees and shrubs remove any dead or diseased branches. Remove all water sprouts and suckers. Water sprouts are stems that grow at right angles to the branches. Suckers grow from the base of the tree. Prune out crossing or rubbing branches. Prune back to a bud or a branch. When cutting back to a bud, make sure the bud is facing outward. This will cause new growth to grow to the outside of the plant.

Shrubs that bloom in the spring like Lilacs, Spirea, Viburnum, Weigela and Forsythias should not be pruned in early spring. Pruning would remove flower buds. Prune after they finish flowering.

Topiary lilac trees at the Metzger Landscaping nursery are always blooming around Mother’s Day. Don’t miss their special Mothers Day Sale on Friday May 7th and Saturday May 8th!

Soil Prep Do’s and Don’ts. Never work your soil when it is wet. Digging or tilling wet soil will compact your soil turning it into clumps as hard as concrete. It will take several seasons of adding organic matter to the soil to rebuild its structure. Use the “squeeze” test to check if your soil is dry enough to work. Take a handful of soil and squeeze it. If the soil crumbles through your fingers, you can work your soil. If it stays in a ball after squeezing, the soil is too wet to work and you should give it a few days to dry.

Lawn Care Tips. Prepare your lawn for the mowing season. Rake away all twigs and debris. Have the lawn mower blades sharpened, replace the spark plugs and change the oil. Seed bare spots in the lawn. Dig up the soil six to eight inches deep and add a starter fertilizer. Sprinkle on a good seed mix of bluegrass and fescue. Rake lightly to mix seed with soil. Tamp to assure seed-soil contact. Keep well watered for two to three weeks until the seed has germinated.

Get Rabbit Protection in Place. Protect your newly planted vegetable garden from rabbits. Purchase chicken wire fencing with one inch or smaller mesh. Wire should be at least three feet tall. Install around garden and bend back six inches of fencing and bury below the soil. This will keep rabbits from crawling underneath the fence.

Now is the time to Divide Perennials. Spring is a good time to divide most perennials. Divide plants when flowers get smaller, when the center of the plant dies out or when the plant outgrows its space. Dig around the plant and lift the clump out of the ground. Break the clump into sections. Larger sections will re-establish quicker than smaller sections. Keep the clumps moist until ready to plant.

Bulb Care
Remove spent flowers from spring bulbs. Allow bulb foliage to die back naturally. Leaves make food resources which are stored in the bulbs for a repeat flower show next year.

Indoors at Metzger Landscaping’s Garden Center is stocked with fertilizers, decorative garden items, garden iron and anything you’ll need this year to make your yard look beautiful.

Houseplant Maintenance
Spring is a good time for houseplant maintenance. Longer days and higher light intensity will cause indoor plants to begin growing faster. Start fertilizing again using a half strength solution every other watering. Prune hard now to stimulate new, bushier growth. Repot your houseplants when roots grow through the drainage holes, when the soil mass is filled with roots, when new leaves are smaller than usual or when the plant wilts between waterings. Plant into a container that is one to two inches wider than the original pot.