Time to Spray, Prune and Clean Up for Planting!

gardentoolsSM-1Most of us are more than ready for spring, but it won’t officially arrive until Friday, March 20. Meanwhile, it’s time pull on the garden gloves and head outside. It’s time to spray trees with dormant oil and time to prune.

And it’s almost time to plant cool-weather crops such as lettuces, peas, leeks, onions, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, garlic, potatoes, onions, and carrots. Our rule of thumb is to put seeds in the soil around St. Patrick’s Day, assuming it’s not snowing too hard to do so.

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
It’s pretty obvious that a warm, dry spring is going to follow our (mostly) warm, dry winter. Of course Payne’s Organic Soil Conditioner is great for helping soil retain moisture, but maybe a truckload of compost from Payne’s Organic Soil Yard would be smarter. Click here for information.

Here are other suggestions for early spring gardening:

* Cut back perennials
* If you have a grass yard, mow it now and start regular watering.
* Apply a slow-release fertilizer on bulbs. Black Gold All Purpose Fertilizer is a great choice and it’s available at both Payne’s stores.
* Rake up leaves that have been laying on top of plants, shrubs and grass.