What a roller coaster this spring weather has been! Let’s take advantage of the cool weather we have been experiencing, because it gives us more time to make some of the weed prevention applications now that will make taking care of our landscape and gardens easier later in the season. The cooler weather early in April has kept the soil temps cold and we still have time to put on some of the weed preventers. Mother Nature started off with warmer temperatures in March than we have had earlier this month. March warmth caused plant development to start earlier and then with the frosts and freezing temps things developed slower, but this can change very quickly. The freezing temps the previous two weeks caused damage to some flowering plants. We’ll have to wait and see if we have any damage to the blooms on fruit trees that could reduce our harvest.
Another favorable thing is we have a little longer to apply the pre-emergence weed preventers, like Crabgrass Control on our lawns. So no more procrastinating, get these helpful “tools-in-the-bag” working so your gardening is easier this year. Remember, however, the weather can change quickly, all we need is a few days of very warm weather and the season will quickly be ahead of schedule.
Another favorable thing this cool weather provides is that when flowers do appear they stay with us longer. Flowers will last for several days longer and many times the spring color is spread over a longer period of time, when the weather remains cool, instead of just about the everything seemingly blooming all at once. This year, the freezing temps. earlier this month damaged open flowers.
So what can we be doing now? There are a few things that you can do before planting season is here. 1) Freshen up the mulch on your flower beds,
2) Be ready with your tiller when the soil conditions are “right” for working the soil, there is always a break in the weather, be looking for this opportunity. Have your OM on hand so you can get it incorporated and be ready to plant later, 3) It is the perfect time to plant perennials, shrubs and trees. 4) Once our early blooming shrubs have finished flowering we can prune them, if they need some touching up. When we do this pruning as soon as shrubs are finished blooming we will improve flowering next year. 5) Get your Preen on the flower beds once you have the spring clean-up completed, applying it before mulching works well.
Take a deep breath and enjoy the season, you deserve it after our cold winter!
Meadow View Growers, meadowview.com
Growing the best varieties, well.
