April showers bring May flowers (and muddy roads). Snow drops, crocuses, and winter aconite have been showing since the mid-March snow melt and daffodils are soon to blossom.  We survived the late March ice storm and can begin early spring preparations. This means gardeners have lots to do to get the season started. Even the bees are beginning to forage for pollen and nectar. Along with early pruning and seed starting there is the necessary clean-up and garden preparations. In this article we will cover details of these renewing tasks and offer a couple thoughts about why we garden.

Seed Starting

Onion seeds were sown (indoors) in early March. Late March through mid-April is the best time to start peppers (sweet or hot), tomatoes, and cabbage.  Broccoli, cauliflower and many annual flowers (zinnias, snapdragons, cosmos, marigold, etc.) seeds can be started in mid to late April.  Johnny’s Seeds has a very helpful seed starting calculator online that covers every vegetable and flower you might plant.  You simply enter your spring frost free date (May 22 in Mount Holly) and the table tells you when to start the seeds and when to transplant them.  Here is a good video about starting your own seeds.  Also, join me at 2:00 PM on Sunday, April 6 in the Mt. Holly Community Center for a discussion about seed starting and other spring gardening ideas.

Spring Pruning

What can I do outside now?  When the snow is gone use the nicer days to your advantage and get your pruning and cleanup work done.  Pruning is best done while woody plants are still dormant, before their buds swell (usually about mid-April).  In general, prune out all dead, diseased or damaged stems and branches.  Make your pruning cuts of side branches close to the main stem, just outside the enlarged “collar” or just outside lateral buds so they can grow new branches.  This is a great time to manage shape & size by cutting off those drooping or too long branches and downward growing branches.  UVM Extension has a helpful videos online to show the basics of good pruning practices.  A few of my own suggestions: 

Raspberries & Blackberries – cut out all the old canes that fruited last season plus any short, spindly canes at ground level.  Also, you can cut back young canes to 5-6 ft. to reduce floppiness or excessive height.  If you have an ever bearing variety that tried to bear a second fall crop you should cut those canes down just below the lowest old fruit bunches as they won’t repeat fruiting on that top area.

Blueberries – cut out any dead or damaged stems or branches.  In mature bushes (over 5 years old) select a mix of young and mature healthy stems to leave and thin out over-crowded branches to allow sunlight and air flow through the bush.  This year’s flower buds are already set on blueberries so don’t shorten saved stems or you may remove this season’s berries.

Apple & Pears – remove all dead or damaged branches and any “suckers” (branches growing straight up from the main trunk or side branches.  Remove branches that cross another branch, grow downward or head centrally.  After pruning, apply a dormant oil spray covering all surfaces well (especially the buds) from the ground up to the top to smother over-wintering insect pest eggs.  Do this on a calm day when the temperature is above 40.  I’ll repeat this application after the leaf buds swell and again after they just open but before blossoms open to get most of the larvae hiding in the bark and buds.

Hydrangeas – in Mount Holly we mostly have smooth or panicle hydrangeas that bloom on new wood. (Big white blossoms) They don’t require pruning, but you’ll get bigger blossoms if you cut all of last year’s canes back to the ground.  I leave a number of strong young canes (straight and gray colored) for early greening and to provide support for new canes that will grow.

Do not prune forsythia, rhododendron, spiraeas, clethras, viburnums, or lilacs until after they have finished blossoming (except to remove dead or damaged branches). Their flower buds are already present on last year’s wood and pruning them now would remove this year’s blossoms!

Lawns – Despite the commercial push for chemical lawn fertilizers and weed killers in the spring, this is not the best time to feed your lawn.  Spring fertilization stimulates top growth (more mowing!) at the expense of root growth.  This results in overgrowth early in the season and a lawn that will require extra watering in late summer.  Spring is a good time to apply limestone if your soil pH is lower than 6.5.  This prepares your soil for fall feeding, which stimulates strong root growth and healthier grass.

Composting is always a good idea and one of the most important and beneficial things any gardener can do.  Compost is good for your soil and plants, keeps climate warming carbon out of the atmosphere, and reduces the waste volume going to landfills.

I garden because I enjoy growing plants for flowers and for healthy food.  It is a great satisfaction to bring in food & flowers that we grew ourself.  My preference is that we do this using organic practices for a healthier environment and foods.  Do you also buy organic foods when you can?  If you feel that organic foods tend to be too expensive to buy all the time, you might consider at least avoiding non-organic foods in the Dirty Dozen to reduce your intake of chemical pesticides.