It's that time of year again! Spring chores to get the yard and garden ready for another gardening season.
Unwrap any trees and shrubs that were wrapped over the winter months.
Clean up perennials, if you didn't get to chance to do it last fall. Remove all the old foliage and stems. Spring is a good time of year to divide or move most perennials, except for those early bloomers which should be divided after they have finished blooming or in the fall, as well as Iris and Lilies.
Trees and shrubs that need to be moved should be dug up and moved as soon as you can get a spade in the ground. Prepare the area first where the tree/shrub will be moved to, before digging it out as you want the move to be less stressful on the tree/shrub. Don't forget to sprinkle bonemeal in the hole before planting the tree.
There is still time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs with the exception of the early blooming shrubs and Maples, Birch and Walnut trees.
Apply Lime Sulphur and Dormant Oil to all deciduous trees, shrubs, fruit trees, small fruits and rose bushes before they break into leaf. This will kill many overwintering pests and disease.
Lawns can be raked as soon as they are dry enough to walk on. Rake up any old debris and excess thatch. Aerate those areas where the soil has become compact. Its still a little early to fertilize, you want to wait until the grass becomes active.
Greenhouses should be cleaned first before planting a new crop in them. Remove pots and containers from the greenhouse and wash them. Give the greenhouse a good sweep before washing the greenhouse walls, framework, and benches with a mild bleach solution. Make sure you get into all the small crevices, where insects can hide. Remove any algae, mildew, mold etc. If the soil in the greenhouse has been used for more than three or four years it is become depleted of micro nutrients and it is time to replace it with new, good quality soil. The old soil can be mixed into the garden.
Vegetable gardens can be cleaned up when they are dry enough to work on. Remove any old stems and debris from last season. Add manure, compost or fertilizer before tilling the soil.
Raspberry plants should have the old canes removed, and be thinned out to a few strong sturdy canes, to prevent overcrowding.
The strawberry patch can be gently raked to remove old foliage. New runners can be re-planted.
Seed potatoes can be green sprouted now to get a head start on the season. Use certified seed potatoes (available at the garden centre) and place them in a single layer in an open crate. Place the crate in a warm, well-lit space. Soon you will notice the potatoes will produce short, dark green sprouts. They are then planted in the garden around mid-May, in the regular way , being careful not to damage the new sprouts.
Get a head start and save money too, by starting lily, dahlia, gladiola bulbs etc indoors now and planting them outdoors as young plants in late May. There is a huge assortment of packaged bulbs and tubers available at the garden centre.
If you like to grow your own flowering containers and hanging baskets, now is a great time to start. There is a good assortment of bedding plants available, specifically for containers. You will need to place them in a well-lit, warm space such as a heated greenhouse, as it is too cold outside right now.
