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Now that it’s warming up, it is a good time to start removing plant debris and leaves from your garden beds. Wait until temperatures are consistently above 50°F to help protect our pollinators. Be careful of any emerging foliage from perennials and bulbs. Avoid working in the garden when the soil is wet in order to prevent compaction.
Spring Clean-Up and Set-Up
- Get a jump on weeding. Because weeds can germinate and grow quickly, the sooner they’re pulled, the better. Need help identifying possible weeds? Check out this handy weed ID tool for some ideas.
- Refresh or expand your garden borders. Reset any edging materials, or re-cut sod to create a nice, clean edge along your beds.
- Consider staking floppy perennials, including peonies, before they get too tall. The extra support will help keep them looking tidy and protect them from snapping in strong winds or from the weight of heavy flowers.
- As your spring bulbs finish blooming, deadhead them, but wait to remove their leaves until they die back. It’s tough to keep those leaves as they yellow, but they will help the bulbs store energy for next year’s blooms.
- Spring-flowering shrubs like lilacs, forsythia and viburnum can be pruned after flowering or when their flowers start to fade. For more details on when and how to prune, check out this illustrated guide to pruning.
- Add mulch once the ground has warmed up a bit and the perennials have started to emerge. Mulch can help control weeds, conserve moisture and reduce soil erosion, among other things. Learn more about the different types of mulch and decide which is right for your garden.
- Think about expanding your compost pile or starting a new one. You’ll be filling it up quickly! For more, check out these composting resources.
- Before your plants get too big, set up soaker hoses or drip irrigation systems, as well as timers to ensure regular watering. Also check existing hoses for any leaks, and consider installing a rain barrel to help reduce your municipal water consumption.
Planting Time
- The final frost is usually around May 2 in Orleans County, but the last couple of years have brought late cold snaps. Be careful when putting out frost-sensitive plants, and be ready to cover them overnight in case of a late frost or freeze. Coverings can include sheets, blankets, tarps, frost fabric or row cover. Keep the coverings elevated so they don’t touch the leaves, and remove them the next day when temperatures are above freezing again.
- If you have started seeds indoors, be sure to harden off the seedlings before you plant them outside. As we get closer to planting time, gradually introduce your plants to outdoor conditions. Over about a week or two, set them out in a partially shaded spot, protected from strong winds. Start with an hour for the fi rst day, and then slowly increase the time they’re outside and their exposure to sun and wind each day until they are out for 24 hours. Then they’re ready to go in the garden.
- If you haven’t already started cool season vegetables like peas, lettuce and radishes, now’s a great time to get them going outside.
- Hold off on direct-seeding warm season vegetables, including beans, squash and melon, until the soil temperature is above 70°F.
- Wait until around Memorial Day to plant warm-season annuals, such as zinnias and geraniums, and tender perennial bulbs, such as cannas, dahlias and gladiolas, which prefer soil temperatures above 70°F.
- Remember to check out the Orleans Community Seed Share, a new seed library based at the Orleans County CCE offices in Albion.
Lawn Care
- Forget No Mow May. That movement started in the UK, where their lawns compositions and native pollinators are very different from those here. Our native pollinators forage at different times of the season and use a variety of flowers from trees, shrubs, garden and native plants, so our lawns of predominantly turf grasses may not be as helpful as we might think in May. Instead of not mowing in May, consider mowing less often throughout the year.
- Mown grass thrives when only about one-third of its height is cut at a time. Start mowing when grass reaches about 5 inches in height. Then cut it to about 3-3.5 inches to ensure a healthy lawn.
- If you have bare spots in your lawn, consider overseeding with a fast-growing grass suited to the site’s conditions.
Houseplants
- If you haven’t already, start feeding houseplants again, and repot any root-bound plants. Before your next watering, check the roots of plants that have been in pots for a year or longer, especially if the plants are showing signs of stress. Also, consider pruning any wayward or lanky stems. Find some good tips for spring houseplant care.
- You can move houseplants outdoors for the summer when night temperatures are reliably in the 60s. Choose full- or partly shaded locations for houseplants, many of which are used to lower-light conditions. Be sure to acclimate them slowly to the outdoors to prevent leaf burn, discoloration and drop.