Spring Gardening Task List

SPRING CHECKLIST  of Things to do in the Garden  

By Mary Jane Bosworth

March, April and May are my favorite times in the garden.  Everything is new and fresh and I am still full of energy and determined to do better than the previous year.

March

• It's time to plant cool season vegetables, such as peas, broccoli, cabbage, lettuce,   spinach and root crops.  
• Vegetables and flowers that you want to plant outdoors next month may be started from seed indoors at this time.  These include tomatoes, eggplant and peppers as well as zinnias and cosmos.
• Before woody plants break dormancy, prune and apply dormant oil if needed.
• Prepare beds where vegetables will be grown when the soil is dry enough to crumble.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicides by the time dogwoods are in bloom.
• Deadhead spring flowering bulbs but leave the foliage until it is dry.
• After early flowering shrubs such as forsythia have blossomed, cut 1/3 of the oldest canes to the ground.March
• Move shrubs while they are still dormant to prevent transplant shock.
• Fertilize fig trees when the buds swell.
• Divide established perennials.
• Repot houseplants.

April

• Once the ground has warmed up, you can seed summer annuals, such as spider flowers, cosmos, zinnias and globe amaranth.
• Perennials can be set out this month so that they become established before the hot weather.
• Summer bulbs should get a top dressing of fertilizer.
• Prune azaleas after flowering.
• Shape and prune hollies. Note that if all the buds/blossoms are removed, there will be no berries this year.
• Control aphids with insecticidal soap.
• MULCH
• Water intelligently. Watering weekly but deeply is best.
• Plant warm season herbs after the danger of frost has passed (late April).
• Support tall perennials.
• Do not plant tomatoes in the same place every year. Diseases can build up so rotate your crops, even on a small scale.

May

• Harvest cool season crops regularly.
• Sow and transplant beans, cantaloupe, squash, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, corn, okra, eggplants, peppers and sweet potatoes.
• Continue setting out summer annual flowers this month.
• Put your pooped pansies in the compost pile.
• It's time to take softwood cuttings.
• Monitor the vegetable garden for pests.
• Ease your indoor plants outside.
• Pinching off the faded flowers of annuals will encourage them to get bushy.
• Wait another month before pulling out plants that seem to have been damaged by winter cold.  They may still come back.
• Fertilize young Crape Myrtles with one cup of 8-8-8 per plant.
• Clumps of Cannas should be divided every three or four years to encourage blooming.
• Hang up Hummingbird feeders.

Clear out your compost bin and start a new worm bin